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Name Day of St. Gregory Armenian Church of San Fransisco

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  • Name Day of St. Gregory Armenian Church of San Fransisco

    WESTERN PRELACY
    OF THE ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC CHURCH OF AMERICA
    Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate
    Tel: 818-248-7737/8, Fax: 818-248-7745, E-mail:
    [email protected]



    On the Name Day of St. Gregory Armenian Church of San Francisco


    Reaffirmed by the faith of our Spiritual Father St. Gregory the Illuminator,
    let us be prepared for the second coming of Christ


    Declares H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate


    According to the calendar of the Armenian Apostolic Church, on the
    34th day of Great Lent we commemorate the descent of St. Gregory the
    Illuminator into the Pit. Armenian faithful worldwide celebrate this feast
    with deep love and respect, remembering Christ's loyal soldier who for 13
    years prayed in the depths of the Pit for the enlightenment of the Armenian
    nation and people.
    On this occasion, special Holy Mass is conducted in all Armenian
    churches, with churches bearing the name of St. Gregory the Illuminator
    organizing celebrations and Blessing of the Offerings (madagh). It is
    particularly a day of spiritual joy for the Catholicosate of the Great House
    of Cilicia, where pilgrims flock to the Holy See of Cilicia to kiss the
    relic forearm of St. Gregory the Illuminator.
    With this same enthusiasm, the faithful of San Francisco's St.
    Gregory Church celebrated the Feast of St. Gregory and the name day of their
    church. The Prelate, His Eminence Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian was
    present along with members of clergy and Executive Council.
    On Saturday evening, the Prelate and members of the Executive
    Council met with Parish Priest Rev. Avedis Torossian, and the Board of
    Trustees and Delegates to hear their concerns and to discuss future plans.
    On Sunday morning, the Prelate conducted Holy Mass, joined by Very
    Rev. Fr. Muron Aznikian and Very Rev. Fr. Barthev Gulumian at the altar.
    The Prelate entered the church with the singing of `Hrashapar' and guided by
    H.M.E.M. scouts. Prior to the sermon, the hymn `Oorakh Ler' was sung as the
    Pontifical Encyclical was brought forth to the altar in a procession. The
    Encyclical, which was read by the Prelate, grants Rev. Torossian the
    privilege of wearing an ornament pilon. The Prelate congratulated the
    Pastor, after which he delivered his sermon. In his sermon, the Prelate
    spoke of St. Gregory's immaculate life and his devotion in spreading the
    light knowledge of God to the Armenian nation and people, thus calling on
    those present to take example from his life and reaffirmed by his faith to
    be prepared for the second coming of Christ, and to make a vow to live a God
    pleasing life from this day forward.
    At the conclusion of Holy Mass, the Blessing of the Offerings took
    place, after which the parishioners joined the clergy members in singing
    `Cilicia', `Ee Veh Partsants', and `Mer Hayrenik'.
    Following church services, a reception took place at
    `Khatchadourian' Armenian Community Center `Saroyan' Hall, with more than
    200 guests in attendance. Remarks were made by the host Pastor Rev. A.
    Torossian, Board of Trustees Chair Mr. Nerses Teshoian, and Executive
    Council Chair Mr. Hrair Balian. On this occasion, the Prelate handed
    certificates to Pontifical Visit Welcoming Committee members for their
    invaluable work during the Pontifical Visit of His Holiness Aram I,
    Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, to San Francisco.
    In his closing remarks, the Prelate commended the members of the
    Executive Council who were in attendance both for Holy Mass and also the
    reception. He expressed thanks and wished success to the Pastor, Board of
    Trustees, and Delegates in all of their endeavors. He then announced that
    during Holy Week, the parish community will be blessed with the presence of
    H.E. Archbishop Suren Kataroyan, former Prelate of the Diocese of Aleppo,
    and urged everyone to attend Holy Week services. The Prelate also praised
    Mr. Henry Khatchadourian, who on this special occasion donated $25,000 to
    the Prelacy Building. Accordingly, he read the Pontifical Encyclical
    addressed to Mr. H. Khatchadourian in which the Catholicos honored his long
    time service to the church, community, and school with the insignia of
    `Prince of Cilicia'. Let us remember that during His Pontifical Visit His
    Holiness personally presented Mr. Khatchadourian with the aforementioned
    medal. Mr. Khatchadourian expressed his thanks for the honor.
    The reception came to a close with the recitation of `Bahbanich'
    prayer and the singing of `Cilicia'.
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