Las Vegas Church and Cultural Center Becoming a Reality
Asbarez
Jan 8th, 2010

The weekend of December 17th, 2009, was a momentous one for the
Western Prelacy as the parish community of the Armenian Apostolic
Church of Las Vegas celebrated a milestone, the purchase of a property
that will house the future church and cultural center. This historic
step was achieved through the diligent efforts of the parish council
and a generous donation.

The property is located at 2054 East Desert Inn, Las Vegas, Nevada
89169, and will soon undergo renovations to convert it into a church
and cultural center.

On this occasion, on Sunday, December 20, Western Prelate Archbishop
Moushegh Mardirossian, and Executive Council Chairman Dr. Garo Agopian
visited the parish where the Prelate celebrated Divine Liturgy.
Assisting at the altar were Very Rev. Father Nerseh Shekhougian, (Dean
of the Venezuela Armenian Prelacy who was on a brief visit to the US)
and Rev. Father Avedis Torossian. Members of the Prelacy Ladies
Auxiliary Guild were also in attendance.

Following the church service, the Prelate and Dr. Agopian met with the
parish council and community members, congratulating them on this
accomplishment. The Prelate saluted the church’s grand benefactor
Larry Barnes, expressing his gratitude to Barnes for his $400,000
donation to honor the memory of his late wife Seda Der
Garabedian-Barnes and the memory of Der Garabedian family members,
among them Seda’s two brothers who perished in the Genocide.
Appropriately, the church will be named St. Garabed and the dome will
be a replica of the church on Akhtamar, given that the Der Garabedian
family was originally from Van.

The Prelacy announced that due to the benefactor’s generosity and the
collaboration of community members, the property was bought with no
outstanding balance.

How The Dream Was Realized

The Las Vegas parish community has for years dreamt of having its own
church and center. Three years ago, with the parish’s re-establishment
and re-organizing headed by Adroushan Armenian, this dream was once
again put on the agenda. A few months earlier, the parish council
began looking for a suitable property that could be converted into a
church, and their efforts paid off when they found such a location.

On Sunday, December 20th, following Divine Liturgy, a requiem service
was offered on the first anniversary of Seda Der Garabedian-Barnes’
passing. Later during his meeting with parish members, the Prelate
lauded the decades-long devotion and service of the late Mrs. Barnes
to the Armenian community, who until her passing worked towards the
dream of the Las Vegas community having its own church. And now, her
dream is becoming a reality.

The Next Phase

The property is in need of renovations and remodeling to convert it to
a church and center. In its present state, the property consists of
two major sections, one of which will soon be converted to the
cultural center and its hall temporarily used for church services. The
second phase of the project involves converting the other section into
a church, which will require more time and resources.

The Prelacy has no doubt that the community will continue to
financially and morally support and encourage this project until its
successful completion.
From: Baghdasarian