Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II has paid a visit to Myanmar for the first time, The Irrawaddy reported.

“One of the primary objectives of His Holiness’s six-day visit to the Far East is to help strengthen the Armenian Church and maintain the Armenian heritage and legacy in Myanmar [Burma],” the Armenian spiritual leader’s delegation said in a statement.

The Armenian Apostolic Church of St. John the Baptist is the oldest Christian place of worship in Downtown Yangon, formerly Rangoon.

The church was built in 1862 and consecrated one year later, and it was erected by the Armenian community that was residing in Rangoon at the time.

According to the church records, hundreds of Armenians have lived in Myanmar. Now, however, no more than two or three dozen Armenians—and mixed-race families, in that—live in the country. The last full-blooded Armenian died last year.

Rachel Minus, who is part Armenian and who attends the church, said that she does not know exactly how many Armenians live in Yangon at present, but she expressed the hope that Karekin II’s visit would bring Armenian descendants together.

“I think they will come to pay homage to the patriarch. If so, at least we’ll know how many Armenians are still here,” she added.

Rachel’s father, Richard Minus, hopes the Catholicos’ visit will help the church in the long run.

“I will ask him to send us an Armenian priest,” he said.