ADORING FANS CHERISH ARMENIAN POPE’S SPECIAL VISIT TO WISCONSIN
By Paul Sloth

Journal Times, WI
ocal_news/doc471ece8608605298333190.txt
Oct 24 2007

Armenian religious leader last visited Racine 47 years ago

MILWAUKEE – A group of boys crowded around a small window peering
out onto the tarmac of Signature Flight Support, a small airstrip
adjacent to Mitchell International Airport.

Sun poured into the room as the boys, several of them from Racine,
jumped up and down off of the folding chairs waiting to catch a
glimpse of the small plane carrying the Armenian pope.

They were among the roughly 60 people from around Racine and
Milwaukee gathered at the airport to greet His Holiness Karekin II,
Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of all Armenians. Many call him the
"Armenian pope."

It was a special visit that many consider a once-in-a-lifetime
experience. It has been 47 years since an Armenian religious leader
has visited Racine. For some Racine Armenians, like Joe Gabrielian
and Michelle Ouzounian, they were too young to remember the last pope
who visited.

Gabrielian hoped his son Jacob understood the significance of such
a visit.

"He knows this is something important, but I don’t know if he knows
this may never happen again," Gabrielian said.

Jacob Gabrielian, 8, a third-grader at Racine’s Dr. Jones Elementary
School, prepared himself to greet the religious leader, an honor he
shared with two others.

"I’m not nervous. I’m happy," Jacob said shortly before the pope
arrived.

Jacob and Zaven Ouzounian, who both attend Racine’s St. Mesrob Armenian
Apostolic Church, helped welcome Karekin with a traditional Armenian
offering of bread, salt and flowers.

The boys were chosen because they had the best Sunday school
attendance.

Zaven, 8, a third-grader at Gifford Elementary, was just as excited
to be a part of Tuesday’s event. He looked forward to telling his
classmates about how he spent his day off from school.

Shortly before 2 p.m. Tuesday Karekin II’s plane touched down, and
as he stepped from the plane, the group cheered. As he walked toward
the crowd he invited them to gather around him, where he greeted them
in Armenian.

During a short news conference afterward, Karekin II said he was
proud to visit America.

"I’m very happy to see in their hearts is living the love of God and
the church and their spiritual father," Karekin II said. "And that
the Armenian life is vibrant here. I’m very proud of my people."

The Rev. Yeprem Kelegian, a pastor at St. Mesrob, said Tuesday’s visit
was significant for local Armenians, including the 284 members of
his church, because Karekin II chose to include Racine in his visit,
which includes larger cities like Chicago and Detroit.

"I’m excited for them. It’s an exciting event," Kelegian said. "It’s
going to be inspirational that he’s coming to their church."

Kelegian said many local Armenians have been active in helping Karekin
II with one of his outreach efforts in Armenia – building homes with
Habitat for Humanity International.

The churches in the diocese that includes Racine planned to donate
roughly 100 homes in connection with the pope’s visit.

For Charles Hardy, 68, a deacon at St. Mesrob, it was another chance
to greet the leader of his church. Hardy, a lifelong Racine resident,
was a high school student when His Holiness Vaken I visited.

During that visit, Hardy gave two recitations in Armenian during a
reception at The Racine Hotel.

Tuesday was a proud moment for local Armenians like Hardy, whose
parents emigrated from Armenia. Hardy was honored that Karekin II
would visit his church later Tuesday evening and that other members
of his church would share in the experience.

"This church is one of the oldest churches in the diocese," Hardy
said. "It’s exciting to me to see their excitement. It is a real
blessing for all the (Armenian) people in the Midwest."