PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Coordinator of Information Services
Tel: (212) 686-0710 Ext. 60; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: jakeg@armeniandiocese.org
Website:

December 15, 2004
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ST. VARTAN CATHEDRAL COMMUNITY LEADER FINDS HOME IN SANCTUARY

If you’ve ever been to a service at New York City’s St. Vartan
Cathedral, chances are you’ve seen Araxie Cherishian. Her smiling face
and warm inviting spirit can fill the sanctuary, where she has served as
senior usher for more than two decades.

“She embraces all who come through the doors of this Cathedral, offering
a kind word, a listening ear, or a word of encouragement to all those
who need it,” said Fr. Mardiros Chevian, dean of St. Vartan Cathedral.
“As our senior usher, Araxie takes her outreach mission and
responsibilities seriously. She has been a gift to St. Vartan
Cathedral, the Armenian Church, and to the greater community.”

Recently, she was recognized by the Council of Churches of the City of
New York, during a banquet held at St. Vartan Cathedral. In front of
hundreds of people, she was presented with the 2004 Recognition Award by
the organization’s president, Rev. Dr. Calvin Butts III, pastor of the
Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem.

Araxie was one of only four lay leaders throughout New York City to be
honored by the ecumenical group during its 10th annual awards
presentation on October 21, 2004. She was recognized for her “pious,
loving soul” that has given strength and inspiration to the Armenian
community. Saying we do God’s work and serve as His hands, she told the
attendees that her service stems from seeing her parents give back and
support the community and church. She is merely following their
example.

Along with serving as St. Vartan Cathedral’s senior usher for 20 years,
she is also charged with coordinating community outreach for the
cathedral. She has served as the chair of the St. Vartan Cathedral
Guild and as a leader of the St. Gregory Church parish council and
Sunday School. She is a member of the board of directors of the
Armenian Home for the Aged in Flushing, NY, and chair of the Union of
Marash Armenians (Compatriotic Union/New York Chapter).

“Araxie’s spirit is the spirit of the Armenian people,” said Archbishop
Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of
America (Eastern). “She is a tireless servant of God, answering His
call to stewardship in a humble and loving way. She truly is an
embodiment of Christian giving.”

She is more than a servant of the church: Araxie is also an active
member of her community. Araxie is the president of the Friends of St.
Vartan Park, which oversees the city park next to the cathedral. She is
a member of the board of directors of the Murray Hill Committee, the
Manhattan East Community Association, and the New York Police
Department’s 17th Precinct Community Council. For 17 years she worked
as a volunteer reading tutor with the Volunteer Services for Children
project.

“The qualities that define Araxie best are her spirit of service to her
community, Armenian and non-Armenian, and a compulsion to care for her
fellow men for their material and moral needs,” said her brother-in-law
Onnig Halajian. “Such qualities are rare and do not come by chance. I
see her as a product of an upbringing by parents who have also made an
impression on me by virtue of their unadvertised love for people, for
their community, and for their ancestral church.”

— 12/15/04

E-mail photos available on request. Photos also viewable in the News
and Events section of the Eastern Diocese’s website,

PHOTO CAPTION (1): Joined by Fr. Mardiros Chevian, dean of St. Vartan
Cathedral, Araxie Cherishian, the cathedral’s senior usher, is presented
with the Council of Churches of the City of New York’s 2004 Recognition
Award by the organization’s president, Rev. Dr. Calvin Butts, III.

PHOTO CAPTION (2): Araxie Cherishian speaks of how her parents
instilled in her a devotion to the church and community during a banquet
hosted by the Council of Churches of the City of New York.

PHOTO CAPTION (3): St. Vartan Cathedral’s senior usher, Araxie
Cherishian, center in black, takes a moment to reflect in prayer in the
sanctuary.