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PRESS RELEASE
Monday, March 15, 2010
St. Gregory the Great Order Bestowed Upon AGBU Central Board of
Directors Member Vahe Gabrache
Rome – Vahe Gabrache, member of AGBU’s Central Board of Directors and
vice president of AGBU Swiss Corporation, was honored as Knight of
St. Gregory the Great order by His Holiness Benedict XVI, Pope of the
Roman Catholic Church, in recognition of his longtime devoted service
to the Catholic Church, as member of the Holy Cross parish of the
Armenian Catholic Church in Paris. The award was presented by His
Beatitude Nerses Bedros XIX, Catholicos Patriarch of the Armenian
Catholic Church, on Sunday, February 28, following mass at the
Armenian Catholic Convent.
The Order of St. Gregory the Great, which is named after Pope Gregory
XVI who instituted it in 1831, is the second highest medal presently
awarded by the Vatican.
A native of Lebanon, France and Switzerland, Mr. Gabrache is the CEO
of Cofinor SA, as well as the owner of Société Gabrache SA, a hotel
and real estate company. He is also a controller for the Genevese
Liberal Party of Pregny-Chambésy. Coming from a long tradition of AGBU
benefactors, Mr. Gabrache was one of the founders of the AGBU Swiss
Chapter in 1986. For over 20 years, he has been the president of the
Armenian Union of Switzerland. Moreover, he presides over various
Armenian foundations in Switzerland.
Two other prominent Armenians from France, Bedros Terzian and Vahe
Jazmadarian, both of whom are members of the "Hayastan" All-Armenian
Fund’s Board of Trustees, received the same award. The former is
chairman of the Fund’s French affiliate, while the latter is president
of Armenian Business Forum and an Honor Member of AGBU. Starting from
his youthful years spent in his birthplace, Cairo, Mr. Jazmadarian
became a devoted member of AGBU HMEM-Nubar Athletic Club in Cairo and,
later on, treasurer of AGBU District Committee of France.
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Armenia to Italy,
Ruben Karapetian, Armenian Catholic bishops and priests were among the
distinguished guests from various countries who attended the awards
ceremony.
Established in 1906, AGBU () is the world’s largest
non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City, AGBU
preserves and promotes the Armenian identity and heritage through
educational, cultural and humanitarian program, annually touching the
lives of some 400,000 Armenians around the world.
For more information about AGBU and its worldwide programs, please
visit