Work on Armenian church winding down
Pasadena Star-News (Pasadena, CA)
07/22/2007
By Emanuel Parker, Staff Writer
PASADENA – A flurry of activity and noise surrounds St. Gregory the
Illuminator Armenian Apostolic Church as dozens of workers scramble to
meet a September deadline to complete a massive renovation project.
Construction crews unloaded trucks stacked with marble floor tiles
Friday, while other workers hauled sacks of cement, fused metal parts
with torches and noisily hammered steel pieces into place.
Scheduled to be completed two years ago, the sanctuary is now on track
to be consecrated Sept. 8 and 9. On Oct. 1, His Holiness Karekin II,
Catholicos of All Armenians and head of the worldwide Armenian Church,
will visit St. Gregory, 2215 E. Colorado Blvd., to consecrate the main
altar.
The Rev. Baret Yeretzian, who was recently appointed to head the church,
is charged with making sure the sanctuary is finished on time.
"Well, management, of course, and the financial situation – things like
this have been the main reason for the delay," he said. "It should
have been finished almost two years ago. But it wasn’t, so I’m the new
pastor. I’m working very, very hard to make sure we (meet) the new
deadline."
Construction began in 2005 and was scheduled to be completed by year’s
end. The original budget was $2.2 million, but Yeretzian said the final
cost will be nearly $5 million.
But, he said, for Pasadena’s Armenian population of between 25,000 and
30,000 residents, it is worth it.
"The Armenian church is the fortress of our faith," he said. "Without
the Armenian church, the Armenian people would not survive. It’s linked,
intermingled together – the church and our people."
Designed by John Byram of Pasadena, St. Gregory’s will be the largest
Armenian church in Southern California once the renovation is completed.
Its dome will stand 94 feet high, second only in height to the one atop
City Hall. It will be crowned with a 7-foot-tall cross.
Original plans called for a 16,000-square-foot building, but Yeretzian
said the finished structure will be slightly smaller than that.
The church has been in Pasadena since 1948, first on Michigan Avenue and
then at the Colorado Boulevard location on the corner of Craig Avenue.
St. Gregory has a core membership of several hundred worshipers, but
annual celebrations attract visitors from as far away as San Bernardino
and Fresno, swelling attendance to between 1,500 and 2,000 people.
Contact the author of this article:
Email: [email protected]
(626) 578-6300, Ext. 4475
Article web link –
MAIN PAGE PHOTO CAPTION: "HOUSE THAT FAITH BUILT" — PLACE OF WORSHIP:
The Rev. Baret Yeretzian stands inside Saint Gregory the Illuminator
Armenian Apostolic Church, which is nearing completion, at 2215 East
Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena on Thursday. The church will be
consecrated September 8-9, 2007. On October 1, His Holiness Karekin II,
Catholicos of All Armenians will visit the church and consecrate the
main altar. (SGVN/Photo by Walt Mancini/SXCity)
Photo web link –
A slide show of 11 photographs featuring the newly constructed St.
Gregory Armenian Apostolic Church can be viewed at this web link:
lder.asp?event=304408
Album Name: St. Gregory the Illuminator
DATE: 7/20/2007
PHOTOGRAPHER: Walt Mancini
EVENT ID: 304408
St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Apostolic Church in Pasadena is
nearing completion after two to three years of construction.