Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of America
3325 North Glenoaks Blvd.
Burbank, Ca 91504
Tel: 818-558-7474
Fax: 818-558-6333
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His Holiness Karekin ii
catholicos of all armenians
In the western DIOCESE
his holiness visits
savey tufenkian school
Wednesday, June 8, 2005
At 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 8, 2005 His Holiness Karekin II,
Catholicos of All Armenians, paid a Pontifical visit to the Savey
Tufenkian School where he was greeted by the administration, students
and faculty of the school.
His Holiness was accompanied by high ranking clergy, including His
Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese;
His Eminence Archbishop Nerses Bozabalyan of the Mother See; His
Eminence Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, as well as several clergy
of the Diocese.
A program took place by the students of the school in honor of His
Holiness, during which principal Arsine Yegazarian and His Eminence
Archbishop Mardirossian conveyed their remarks.
His Holiness blessed the children and conveyed to them the blessings
of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
his holiness meets with
Government and ecumenical guests
during vip Luncheon
Wednesday, June 8, 2005
His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, met with
government and ecumenical guests on June 8, 2005 during a VIP
Luncheon hosted by Mr. and Mrs. Walter and Laurel Karabian. The
Luncheon was held in the Kalaydjian Hall of the Arshag and Eleanor
Dickranian Complex of the Western Diocese in Burbank.
His Holiness was accompanied by His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan
Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese; His Eminence Archbishop
Nerses Bozabalyan of the Mother See; His Eminence Archbishop Vatche
Hovsepian, as well as several Diocesan clergy.
Mr. Richard Mushegain, Esq., former Chair of the Diocesan Council,
served as Master of Ceremonies. Mr. Walter Karabian, Esq. delivered
the opening remarks in which he welcomed His Holiness Karekin II,
Catholicos of All Armenians, to the Western Diocese. Mr. Karabian
introduced his daughter, Madeline Karabian, who in both Armenian and
English beautifully welcomed His Holiness on behalf of her family,
and gave a perspective on the family’s personal history and
involvement within the Western Diocese.
Over 200 guests including government and religious leaders were
present during the reception. Mr. Karabian acknowledged the federal
and state government and official leaders, as well as judges in
attendance. Local government leaders were introduced by Paul
Krekorian, President of the Burbank Unified School District.
His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Western
Diocese, introduced the Ecumenical leaders who were present, Rev. Fr.
John Bakas, Dean of the St. Sophia Cathedral; Rev. Fr. Alexei Smith,
Director of the Ecumenical & Interreligious Office; His Eminence Mor
C. Eugene Kaplan, Archbishop of the Western Archdiocese of the Syriac
Orthodox Church; His Grace Bishop Serapion, Primate of the Coptic
Orthodox Church; Rev. Dr. Paul Lance; Dr. Michael Mata, Claremont
School of Theology; Rev. Dr. Fr. Efstathios Mylonas, Coptic Orthodox
Church; Bishop Dean Nelson, Evangelical Lutheran Church; Rev. Fr.
Justin Rose, Greek Orthodox Church; Rev. Dr. Lloyd Saatjian, United
Methodist Church; Rev. Gregory Bishay, Coptic Orthodox Church; Albert
Cohen, Southern California Ecumenical Council, Rabbi Mark Diamond,
Board of Rabbis, Rev. Fr. Gwynne Guibord, Episcopal Diocese of LA;
Rev. Mark Jauffman, Chaplain of Glendale Memorial Hospital; Dr. Jay
Johnson, Southern California United Church of Christ; Very Rev.
Josiah Trenham, Antiochan Orthodox Church; Rev. Sally Welch, Southern
California Ecumenical Council.
His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians addressed the
attendees, thanking them for their continued support of the Western
Diocese and her missions. He blessed them and conveyed to them his
love from the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
Government and civic leaders included Supervisor Michael Antonovich,
Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, Antonio Villaraigosa, Mayor-Elect of Los
Angeles, Mary Boger, President, BUSD; Lisa Kalustian, Chief Deputy
Director, Office of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger; Joyce Streator,
Council Member, Pasadena; Bob Yousefian, Glendale City Council; Greg
Krikorian, GUSD; Katherine Barger Leibrick, Chief Deputy to Sup.
Antonovich; Rafi Manoukian, Mayor of Glendale; Judge Ronald Sohigian;
Prof. Jonathan Kemp, Director, Davenport Institute; Peter Abajian,
Lena Kaimian and Nicole Shahian, Armenian Assembly; Randy Adams,
Glendale Chief of Police; Dennis Zine, Los Angeles City Council; Dr.
Michael Mata, Claremont School of Theology; James Bozajian, Mayor of
Calabasas; Haig Kartounian, District Representative, Cong. Adam
Schiff; Frank Quintero and Ara Najarian, Glendale City Council;
Michael Mahdessian, LA Planning Commission; Andrew Adelman, General
Manager, City of LA Dept. of Building and Safety; Sarkis Aghazarian,
Senior Building Inspector, City of LA Dept. of Building and Safety;
John Boyajian, LA Transportation Commission; Berj Boyajian and Sarkis
Kitsinian, Board Member, Mayor’s office of International Trade; G.
Steve Simonian, Chief, Bureau of Investigations; Dr. Dean Nielsen,
President, Woodbury University; Congresswoman Lois Capps; Cindy
Montanez, California State Assembly; Laura Chick, LA City Controller;
Maria Mehranian, Planning Commission, La Canada; Linda Shahinian,
Planning Commission, Culver City; Armond Agakhani, Parks and
Recreations Commission, Glendale.
reception for his holiness and
recipients of medals of honor
and letters of pontifical blessings
Wednesday, June 8, 2005
A reception was held on June 8, 2005 in the Kalaydjian Hall of the
Diocese for His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians and
the recipients of Medals of Honor and Letters of Pontifical
Blessings. The reception was hosted by Mr. and Mrs. Armen and Nora
Hampar.
His Holiness was accompanied by His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan
Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese and His Eminence Archbishop
Vatche Hovsepian. The clergy of the Diocese were also in attendance.
His Holiness entered the Hall in a procession consisting of the
Diocesan clergy, singing the hymn, `Hrashapar’. The evening began
with the Invocation by His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All
Armenians. Master of Ceremonies Mr. Parsegh Kartalian invited to the
podium the host of the evening Mr. Armen Hampar, who welcomed His
Holiness and conveyed his joy in having the opportunity to host the
reception for His Holiness.
Entertainment during the reception was provided by Capri Mugrdichian
Compton who presented several musical selections accompanied by Gloria
Michaelian.
His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian welcomed His Holiness
Karekin II and extended to the guests of honor his appreciation for
the dedication with which they have served the Western Diocese.
His Eminence made two noteworthy announcements. He announced a list
of individuals who have made significant donations to the Mother See
of Holy Etchmiadzin, which the Catholicos announced will be allocated
towards the renovation of Holy Etchmiadzin Church in Tbilisi, Georgia.
The second announcement made by the Primate was that Dn. Dr.
Varoujan Altebarmakian, benefactor of the Diocese and current Chair
of the Diocesan Council, was appointed to the Supreme Spiritual
Council, comprised of Archbishops and laymen who under the presidency
of the Catholicos meet regularly in Holy Etchmiadzin.
Following the address of the Primate a Pontifical Encyclical read
issued by His Holiness Karekin II, bestowing the St. Gregory the
Illuminator Medal of Honor upon Mr. Albert Boyajian, who through his
generous donations through the past several years has supported
numerous activities of the Diocese.
In appreciation of their selfless service to the Mother See, the
Western Diocese, their parishes, and their faithful, the clergy of
the Diocese were each given a cross by His Holiness, to be worn
around heir necks.
In his closing remarks His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All
Armenians, congratulated the recipients of the Medals of Honor. He
commended their unrelenting dedication and devotion to the Armenian
Apostolic Church, the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, the Western
Diocese and the Armenian people both in Armenia and the Diaspora.
Seeing the vast crowd of medal recipients gathered in the hall, he
said, `My, what a great army we have before us.’ He urged them to
continue their service to the Church in the name of God and for the
prosperity of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
His Holiness also extended his appreciation to Mr. and Mrs. Armen
Hampar, the hosts of the evening and presented to them a silver
cross. The Catholicos also recognized the 75th Birthday of His
eminence Archbishop Vatche Hovsepian, former primate, and commended
his accomplishments during his tenure.
OFFICE OF THE WESTERN DIOCESE
June 8, 2005
Burbank, California