PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Karine Abalyan
Tel: (212) 686-0710; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
November 17, 2009
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ST. GEORGE CHURCH OF WAUKEGAN, IL, MARKS 50 YEARS
Last month, parishioners at St. George Armenian Church marked the 50th
anniversary of the parish’s establishment with the ordination of young
acolytes and a banquet, where speakers reflected on the past five decades
and looked forward to a new chapter of community building at the Waukegan,
IL parish.
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church
of America (Eastern), visited St. George Church on the weekend of October 24
and 25. The anniversary celebration began on Saturday evening as the Primate
ordained four young parishioners as acolytes: Rayen and Steve Kelekian, Alex
Dayenian, and Avet Markarian.
During the ordination service, parishioners also received a surprise visit
from the Rev. Fr. Mardiros Chevian, dean of St. Vartan Cathedral in New
York, who served as the parish’s deacon-in-charge some 30 years ago.
"The occasion gave me the opportunity to thank the community for helping me
in my growth and development as a priest of the Armenian Church," Fr.
Chevian said.
He served at St. George Church for three years shortly after completing two
years of study at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin in 1978. "The parish
was very nurturing and allowed me to develop my skills and put them to use,"
Fr. Chevian added.
"This is a parish with a long tradition of service, and strong memories of
its past," Archbishop Barsamian said. "Its future is also bright, as shown
by the young souls ordained this weekend."
Following the ordination service, the Primate performed the Home Blessing
ceremony and a kheyma dinner was served in the church hall. The meal of raw,
seasoned ground beef and bulgur is a longstanding tradition at the church,
where it was once served on a weekly basis. "A lot of people enjoy the
kheyma the way it is prepared here," said parish council chair Nishan
Paparigian.
Leadership from within
On Sunday, Archbishop Barsamian celebrated the Divine Liturgy. In the
afternoon, 160 people gathered for a banquet at the nearby Glen Flora
Country Club, where they were greeted with a multimedia presentation of old
photographs and footage documenting various events at St. George Church over
the past five decades.
Guest speaker Rachel Goshgarian, Ph.D., who grew up in the St. George Church
parish and now serves as the director of the Diocese’s Krikor and Clara
Zohrab Information Center, reflected on the parish’s many achievements since
its establishment in 1959.
"Even though Armenians were a part of the huge immigrant wave that entered
the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, even though
they were but a sliver of the immigrant population here in Waukegan, by the
1960s the Armenian community had a church in Waukegan and the mayor of
Waukegan was an Armenian," she said.
Goshgarian went on to speak about the community’s commitment to building a
church in the late 1950s, and recalled how the parish’s warmth and guidance
shaped her own experiences growing up at St. George Church.
"The lessons I learned here, within the four walls of St. George Armenian
Church, have helped me at every stage in my life, both within the Armenian
community and outside of it," she said.
Goshgarian added that "leadership in our church has to come from within,"
and stressed the importance of carrying forward the legacy handed down by
the parish’s founders. "I look around this room today and I see faces that
will lead this church into the 21st century," she said. "I see faces that
will teach steadfastness, modesty, and service to the younger generations."
Also during the celebration, Archbishop Barsamian announced that the Rev.
Fr. Paren Galstyan, who was interning at St. George Church, would become its
interim pastor.
"Having experienced the love and warm embrace of many parishioners during my
first months in the community, I feel especially privileged and grateful to
have the opportunity to serve the St. George parish, and share the happiness
of this momentous anniversary," Fr. Galstyan wrote in a letter published in
the 50th anniversary booklet.
During his internship at the parish, he helped train the young men ordained
by the Primate that weekend. Thanks to the efforts of Fr. Galstyan and Dn.
David Ohanian, the four acolytes learned the basics of serving on the altar
of the Armenian Church, noted parish council chair Nishan Paparigian.
Fr. Chevian recalled his time at St. George Church, emphasizing how the
small but strong community helped him develop his ministry. He said he was
pleased to "see children of those years now in leadership positions in the
Waukegan parish or on other parish and Diocesan levels."
Maestro Khoren Mekanejian, coordinator of Music Ministry at the Diocese, the
Very Rev. Fr. Aren Jebejian, and Mrs. Zaghik Kelekian performed a selection
of Armenian songs.
Later in the afternoon, eight parishioners received the "St. Vartan" award
for their years of devoted service: Steve Dayenian, Diane Hagopian, Sophie
Mardoian, Lisa Markarian, David Ohanian, Ana Paparigian, Nishan Paparigian,
and Martin V. Simonian.
The 50th anniversary celebration was chaired by Diane Hagopian, who also
co-chaired the banquet with Sophie Mardoian. Parishioners from nearby
churches attended the event, including Diocesan Council chair Oscar Tatosian
and member Paul Mardoian (son of the aforementioned Sophie Mardoian) who
grew up in the parish.
Also during the weekend, Maestro Mekanejian led a deacons training workshop
and a choir workshop for Midwest choir members and organists.
Small but proud
Armenians began settling in the Waukegan area in the early 1900s, where they
found work at the Washburn-Moen wire mill, which would later become the
American Steel and Wire Company.
In those years, visiting clergy celebrated the Divine Liturgy and conducted
other services at the Christ Episcopal Church. With the establishment of a
sizeable ACYOA chapter following World War II, plans were underway to build
a house of worship. In 1956, the ACYOA and the parish council jointly
purchased a club house, where various parish organizations met and held
events.
In December 1957, Diocesan Primate Archbishop Mampre Calfayan consecrated
the grounds on which a new church would be built. Nearly two years later, on
September 27, 1959, the succeeding Primate, Archbishop Sion Manoogian,
consecrated St. George Armenian Church. The sanctuary was named in memory of
Kevork Simonian, the late brother of Mr. Vahan Simonian, who served as the
godfather of the new church.
The Rev. Fr. Diran Papazian served the parish in the first months following
the church’s consecration. In March 1960, the Rev. Fr. Arsen Barsamian
became the first full-time pastor of St. George Church.
Today the community remains small, but it prides itself on church members
who are energized and devoted to preserving the Armenian Christian heritage.
The parish runs a Sunday School and a training program for young altar
servers.
Looking back on last month’s celebration, Nishan Paparigian said the event
was very much a community affair, where participants felt part of a larger
effort to uphold and carry forth the parish mission. "It was a beautiful
day," he said.
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Photos attached.
Photo 1: Archbishop Khajag Barsamian hands a candle to young parishioners at
St. George Church, symbolizing one of their new responsibilities of holding
candles during services as acolytes in the Armenian Church.
Photo 2: Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Rev. Fr. Paren Galstyan, and "St.
Vartan" award recipients pose for a group photo at the banquet.
Photo 3: Nicole Hagopian Hedesman, 50th anniversary chair Diane Hagopian,
and guest speaker Rachel Goshgarian.
Photo 4: Newly ordained acolytes with the Primate, Diocesan clergy, Maestro
Khoren Mekanejian, and deacons.
www.armenianchurch.net