WESTERN PRELACY
OF THE ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC CHURCH OF AMERICA
Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate
Tel: 818-248-7737/8, Fax: 818-248-7745, E-mail:
prelacy@aol.com

On the Name Day of St. Gregory Armenian Church of San Francisco

Reaffirmed by the faith of our Spiritual Father St. Gregory the Illuminator,
let us be prepared for the second coming of Christ

Declares H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate

According to the calendar of the Armenian Apostolic Church, on the
34th day of Great Lent we commemorate the descent of St. Gregory the
Illuminator into the Pit. Armenian faithful worldwide celebrate this feast
with deep love and respect, remembering Christ’s loyal soldier who for 13
years prayed in the depths of the Pit for the enlightenment of the Armenian
nation and people.
On this occasion, special Holy Mass is conducted in all Armenian
churches, with churches bearing the name of St. Gregory the Illuminator
organizing celebrations and Blessing of the Offerings (madagh). It is
particularly a day of spiritual joy for the Catholicosate of the Great House
of Cilicia, where pilgrims flock to the Holy See of Cilicia to kiss the
relic forearm of St. Gregory the Illuminator.
With this same enthusiasm, the faithful of San Francisco’s St.
Gregory Church celebrated the Feast of St. Gregory and the name day of their
church. The Prelate, His Eminence Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian was
present along with members of clergy and Executive Council.
On Saturday evening, the Prelate and members of the Executive
Council met with Parish Priest Rev. Avedis Torossian, and the Board of
Trustees and Delegates to hear their concerns and to discuss future plans.
On Sunday morning, the Prelate conducted Holy Mass, joined by Very
Rev. Fr. Muron Aznikian and Very Rev. Fr. Barthev Gulumian at the altar.
The Prelate entered the church with the singing of `Hrashapar’ and guided by
H.M.E.M. scouts. Prior to the sermon, the hymn `Oorakh Ler’ was sung as the
Pontifical Encyclical was brought forth to the altar in a procession. The
Encyclical, which was read by the Prelate, grants Rev. Torossian the
privilege of wearing an ornament pilon. The Prelate congratulated the
Pastor, after which he delivered his sermon. In his sermon, the Prelate
spoke of St. Gregory’s immaculate life and his devotion in spreading the
light knowledge of God to the Armenian nation and people, thus calling on
those present to take example from his life and reaffirmed by his faith to
be prepared for the second coming of Christ, and to make a vow to live a God
pleasing life from this day forward.
At the conclusion of Holy Mass, the Blessing of the Offerings took
place, after which the parishioners joined the clergy members in singing
`Cilicia’, `Ee Veh Partsants’, and `Mer Hayrenik’.
Following church services, a reception took place at
`Khatchadourian’ Armenian Community Center `Saroyan’ Hall, with more than
200 guests in attendance. Remarks were made by the host Pastor Rev. A.
Torossian, Board of Trustees Chair Mr. Nerses Teshoian, and Executive
Council Chair Mr. Hrair Balian. On this occasion, the Prelate handed
certificates to Pontifical Visit Welcoming Committee members for their
invaluable work during the Pontifical Visit of His Holiness Aram I,
Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, to San Francisco.
In his closing remarks, the Prelate commended the members of the
Executive Council who were in attendance both for Holy Mass and also the
reception. He expressed thanks and wished success to the Pastor, Board of
Trustees, and Delegates in all of their endeavors. He then announced that
during Holy Week, the parish community will be blessed with the presence of
H.E. Archbishop Suren Kataroyan, former Prelate of the Diocese of Aleppo,
and urged everyone to attend Holy Week services. The Prelate also praised
Mr. Henry Khatchadourian, who on this special occasion donated $25,000 to
the Prelacy Building. Accordingly, he read the Pontifical Encyclical
addressed to Mr. H. Khatchadourian in which the Catholicos honored his long
time service to the church, community, and school with the insignia of
`Prince of Cilicia’. Let us remember that during His Pontifical Visit His
Holiness personally presented Mr. Khatchadourian with the aforementioned
medal. Mr. Khatchadourian expressed his thanks for the honor.
The reception came to a close with the recitation of `Bahbanich’
prayer and the singing of `Cilicia’.