Eagle Tribune, MA
Published: September 28, 2008 01:33 am
‘The future is here’: Armenians break ground on new church
Armenians break ground on new church
By Jim Sullivan
Correspondent
HAVERHILL, Mass. ‘ The driving rain didn’t stop parishioners from
officially breaking ground on the new Armenian Church at Hye Pointe
yesterday.
In fact, it added to the ceremony. As he sank a shovel into the
softening earth beneath his feet, the Rev. Kevork Arakelian described
the rain as the "Tears of God, in joy and celebration."
The new church, the culmination of a merger between St. Gregory the
Illuminator Church in Haverhill and Holy Cross Armenian Apostolic
Church in Lawrence, marks the first time in United States history that
two Armenian congregations have come together.
"I knew I was going to be in for a ride," said Arakelian, who arrived
from California in March to oversee the church. "But the ride was well
worth it. Two communities have come together to build a new church. In
a sense, it’s a new creation."
"It’s been a wonderful ride," echoed parishioner Scott Sahagian. "Even
better than the ones at Canobie Lake Park."
"The church is an important part of our cultural identity," added
Sahagian’s wife, Nancy. "This is where our children can worship, as
well as us."
"We’re thrilled," Haverhill Mayor James Fiorentini said of the
22,000-square-foot building that will be built at 1280 Boston Road
(Route 125) on the Bradford/North Andover line. "The Armenian
community provides a lot to (the city). I’d like to keep that
tradition alive."
Jerry Diorio, director of operations for Channel Building Company of
Wilmington, said the building, with a projected cost of up to $5
million, will have "special meaning and purpose. This is one we’ll
look back at and will stay in our minds for a long time."
While the ground-breaking represents the beginning of the project’s
first phase, it also marks the end of a search for a site that Sub
Deacon Mark Kazanjian has been working toward since 1993.
"We’ve been talking about this for 15 years," he said. "Today’s the
day when it’s officially real.
"In a span of 24 hours, we had two sacraments and a ground-breaking,"
added Kazanjian, who performed a baptism yesterday morning after
presiding over a wedding Friday night. "It’s almost like a sign that
the future is here. As the winter begins, something new starts."