PRESS RELEASE
Western Prelacy
of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian
Prelate, Western United States
6252 Honolulu Avenue
La Crescenta, CA 91214
Tel: (818) 248-7737
Fax: (818) 248-7745
Email: [email protected]
For more information:
Zanku Armenian (818) 243-3557
Mercata Group
His Holiness Aram I Presides Over Holy High Mass at St. Mary’s Church in
Glendale with Over 1,000 People in Attendance
Catholicos Blesses Stone for New Glendale Community Center
(Los Angeles, CA – October 13, 2005) – Over 1,000 people were in attendance
as His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, conducted
Holy High Mass at St. Mary’s Church in Glendale on October 9, 2005. The
Homenetmen scouts marching band welcomed the Catholicos upon his arrival as
they played the national anthems of the United States and Armenia. Hundreds
of people welcomed His Holiness outside while the church was filled to
capacity inside with people eagerly awaiting his arrival.
Immediately after his arrival, His Holiness, accompanied by both Archbishop
Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate of the Western United States and Archbishop
Oshagan Choloyan, Prelate of the Eastern United States, proceeded to prepare
for the day’s mass. The procession into the church began when the Pontiff
and the surrounding clergy reemerged wearing their special robes and dress
for the mass. With the Homenetmen scouts lining both sides, when the
procession reached the front church steps, His Holiness conducted a special
blessing after which white doves were released and the Catholicos and the
procession entered St. Mary’s.
In addition to the community at large, present were public officials
including Glendale Mayor Rafi Manoukian, Glendale Police Chief Randy Adams
and representatives from Western Prelacy committees and councils. Also
present were representatives from many other community organizations.
After the services His Holiness conducted a special service at the property
adjacent to St. Mary’s Church where there are plans to build a new, modern
community center. Nazaret Apanian, representative of the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation Aharonian Gomideh stated that the community center
plans have been in development during the last few years and that it will
house the activities of the various community organizations, especially
those serving the youth as well as a Saturday and Sunday school. After
brief remarks introducing the project, the Catholicos blessed the soil on
which the center will be built as well as the cornerstone that will be used
in the building.
“Any community center that stands in the diaspora for the purpose of serving
the people is a little piece of Armenia,” said His Holiness Aram I. “It is
a part of our homeland with the mission of preserving and spreading our
Armenian values.”