Armenian pontiff to visit area this month
Burbank Leader , CA
June 1 2005
His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of all
Armenians, will stop in Burbank next week. By Ani Amirkhanian,
The Leader
Armenians eagerly await the arrival of His Holiness Karekin II,
Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of all Armenians.
For his second Pontifical visit to the Western Diocese, the Catholicos
will spend today through June 10 in Southern California, starting in
Burbank on Saturday at the construction site of the upcoming mother
cathedral, located next to the headquarters of the Western Diocese.
He will consecrate the corner stones of the cathedral.
“The Western Diocese consists of Armenian churches west of the
Mississippi River,” said Matthew Ash, youth director of the Western
Diocese. “There are about 45 churches in the Diocese.”
The pontiff will then head to Glendale on Monday for special visits
with the Armenian community at Glendale Adventist Medical Center to
greet patients and consecrate the hospital’s new patient care tower.
He will present the hospital with a Khachkar, which will permanently
stay at the hospital.
A Khachkar is a stone slab with a cross carved into it.
“The Catholicos wants to visit Armenian patients to give them the word
of God,” said Mayis Shahbazyan, deacon of the Armenian Western Diocese.
The Pontiff is also scheduled to visit with Glendale Unified School
District students on Monday at the Glendale High School auditorium.
His visit is sponsored by Armenian clubs in the district.
“The district is very happy that he has decided to come and visit
with the students of Glendale,” said Bill Card, director of Public
Information and Administrative Services. “It’s important that the
students of Glendale receive instruction from the important role
models within their life.”
The Pontiff’s last stop in Glendale will be on Tuesday at the Glendale
Civic Auditorium. He will meet with private school students from the
Glendale, Burbank and La Crescenta areas.
He will wrap up his visit to the area with a visit to Burbank High
School at 4 p.m. on Tuesday. Students will perform traditional Armenian
folk dances and spiritual songs for the pontiff’s arrival.
At the end of the event, the pontiff will address the students.
The Catholicos will also tour the rest of Southern California,
stopping in Pasadena and Los Angeles.
For the remainder of his tour, he is scheduled to visit parishes in
Central and Northern California, including Fresno and Sacramento.
The Armenian Western Diocese is hosting the pontiff’s visit.
* ANI AMIRKHANIAN is a news assistant. She may be reached at (818)
637-3230 or by e-mail at ani.amirkhanianlatimes.com.
QUESTION
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