East Valley Tribune, AZ –
June 17 2005
Armenian pope, parish consecrate church ground
By Andrea Falkenhagen, Tribune
June 17, 2005
Men in gold and red robes carried crosses and swung smoking incense
holders, surrounding Karekin II, supreme patriarch and catholicos of
all Armenians, as he walked over a gravelfilled plot of land.
The pontiff, who leads the world’s 7 million Armenian Apostolic
Christians, was in north Scottsdale on Thursday evening to bless the
ground where Arizona’s first Armenian Church will stand.
An estimated 1,200 Armenians live in the Valley, with one-third of
them living in the north East Valley, said Scottsdale City Councilman
Kevin Osterman, who attended the ceremony at the Armenian Church
Cultural Center.
When Karekin II addressed the crowd in Armenian, he spoke of the growth
in Scottsdale’s Armenian community, as well as the survival of his
people in the face of genocide 90 years ago, explained parishioner
Hasmik Takoushian.
“Our ancestors adopted Christianity more than 1,700 years ago, and that
has been the color of our skin since. It is how we are recognized,”
he told the audience.
Karekin II is the 132nd successor of St. Gregory the Illuminator,
who converted Armenia to Christianity in 301, making it the first
nation to formally adopt the religion.
The ceremony attracted East Valley residents and clergy of other
faiths, too.
Scottsdale Rabbi Robert Kravitz told the audience there were
similarities between the Armenian and Jewish communities.
“We maintain our language and our cultures, even in the mix of modern
society that often erases tradition,” he said. “Both our peoples
maintain vibrant diaspora communities.”
Teresa and Burk Wurts of Scottsdale recently returned from a vacation
in Armenia and attended the ceremony. They said the architectural
drawing of the church reminded them of the many churches they saw
during their travels.
Parishioner Victoria Manoogian said the Armenian congregation has
met in Scottsdale since the 1950s, and having the resources to build
a church is a dream come true for many of its members.