PARISHIONERS RALLY BEHIND ACCUSED PRIEST

Hartford Courant
May 11 2006

By DON STACOM, And HILDA MUNOZ Courant Staff Writers NEW BRITAIN —
A small group of parishioners spent Wednesday trying to organize a
show of support Sunday for the Rev. Krikoris Keshishian, the longtime
priest at St. Stephen’s Apostolic Armenian Church who was charged
Tuesday with molesting a 12-year-old girl.

“Several parishioners on their own are calling the list of church
members, asking them if at all possible to come to church on Mother’s
Day as a show of solidarity for the priest,” said George Rustigian,
adviser to St. Stephen’s trustees.

Keshishian is scheduled to lead the services at 10 a.m. at the church
on Tremont Street.

Keshishian, 53, could not be reached for comment Wednesday. He was
driving to Massachusetts to meet with a priest who has been assigned by
the Armenian Prelacy in New York to investigate the incident,according
to a church leader.

Armenian church officials declined to say much about the case. Vazken
Ghougasian, first secretary at the Armenian Prelacy in New York, said
the church doesn’t know enough about the allegations to discuss them.

Rustigian said it would be premature for the St. Stephen’s board
to comment.

“We don’t really know the context of the charges,” Rustigian said.

“But I can say he is innocent until proven guilty. He is our pastor
and the spiritual leader in our community. Just as much as he needs
us, we need him. We’re the only congregation he has, he’s the only
pastor we have.”

Police said Keshishian inappropriately touched the girl while acting
in his official capacity. He is charged with fourth-degree sexual
assault and impairing the morals of a child by sexual contact, and
is scheduled to be arraigned on May 23. Fourth-degree sexual assault
is a felony punishable by one to five years in prison.

The charge stems from a single incident in May 2005, but there may
be more counts involving the same victim, said police Sgt. Michael
Baden. The girl reported the alleged abuse to relative, who then
called police, according to Baden.

One St. Stephen’s leaders said Keshishian is “very distraught, as is
his wife.” The man said Keshishian will remain as priest, but has been
directed by the church to have no unsupervised contact with children
until the case is resolved.

Lifelong church member Lila Winters said Wednesday that she and other
parishioners were “devastated” by the arrest.

“There is no way in hell he did something like this,” Winters said.

“He is warm and affectionate, but not inappropriate. He is the backbone
of our church. Something just doesn’t seem right about this.”

Winters and two other church members have said they believe the charge
stems from a day when Keshishian grabbed a girl after she fell – or as
she was falling – from a table. They say other children were nearby,
and that Keshishian only touched the girl while trying to help her.