Western Primate Archbishop Hovnan Derderian was re-elected to an eight-year term on May 5
The Western Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church convened its National Representative Assembly on Friday and overwhelmingly re-elected Archbishop Hovnan Derderian to serve as the Primate for another eight years, the Diocese reported.
The Friday meeting was preceded by a convention of the Diocesan Women’s Auxiliary Guild and Religious Council, which adopted a resolution in support of Archbishop Derderian.
At the start of the National Representative Assembly, the participants observed a moment of silence in memory of the late former Western Primate Archbishop Vache Hovsepian, who passed away earlier this year and played a critical role in the advancement of the Western Diocese.
A pontifical message form His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, was read.
During the discussions at the National Representative Assembly, the participants, who represented all the parishes of the Western Dioceses commended Archbishop Derderian’s service to the community and the church. They emphasized the Primate’s undeniable impact on the Western Diocese during his 20-years at Primate.
“It is important to stress that the planned and conceived achievements under the leadership of the Archbishop Hovnan Derderian have provided new impetus and have elevated the spiritual life within the Western Diocese, which has had its benevolent impact within the church’s spiritual arena, beginning with the various parishes in the Diaspora all the way to the homeland and the currently wounded Artsakh,” said a statement by the Diocese.