St. Garabed Church in Las Vegas Consecrated
Friday, April 19th, 2013
The St. Garabed Church in Las Vegas
Dedication Of `Koujakian’ Hall
Parish Council Chair Adroushan Armenian Awarded Prelacy `St. Dertad
The King’ Medal
LAS VEGAS – After years of hard work and perseverance, on April 13 and
14 new life was breathed into the parish community of Las Vegas as
they rejoiced in the fruit of their efforts, which culminated in the
consecration and dedication of St. Garabed Church by Western Prelate
Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian.
Parishioners from across California and nearby states assembled in Las
Vegas to witness this historic occasion and to join the community in
celebrating the construction of the first Armenian Apostolic Church in
the state of Nevada. The consecration of the Church, which was
conducted in stages over two days, was a deeply moving and truly
poignant experience, and throughout the weekend sentiments were echoed
that this momentous occasion is one that will live on in the hearts of
all those present for years to come.
Dedication Of `Koujakian’ Hall
The festivities began on the evening of Saturday, April 13 with the
dedication and official opening of `Koujakian’ Hall, which was
sponsored by the Fattal, Yemenidjian, and Koujakian families in memory
of their parents Verjine and Abraham Koujakian. The Prelate welcomed
the guests and began the service with the Lord’s Prayer. With the
unveiling of the hall plaque and the ribbon cutting by the sponsor
families, the hall was officially opened and the Prelate entered as
deacons and choir members sang the `Aysor Yergnayink’ hymn. Inside the
hall, the Prelate conducted the blessing of salt, bread, and water
assisted by Very Rev. Fr. Muron Aznikian, Parish Pastor Archpriest Fr.
Avedis Torossian, and St. Mary’s Church of Glendale Pastor Rev. Fr.
Vazken Atmajian. A requiem prayer for the souls of Verjine and Abraham
Koujakian followed.
Archbishop Mardirossian says Mass
The Prelate greeted the guests, stating that it is a day of great
spiritual joy for the entire Prelacy family. He noted how touching the
ceremony was for the sponsor families especially who immortalized the
memory of their parents with this hall. His Eminence remembered
Verjine Koujakian’s active involvement in the community from its very
first days, and specifically her role in the founding of the Saturday
School. In following her example, the Prelate noted `I am sure her
family will continue to bring their enduring support to this community
and will continue to be a lasting presence with their moral and
financial support’. He then blessed the members of the families, and
the ceremony came to a close with the Lord’s Prayer and the Cilician
anthem.
Opening Of The Portals
Following the dedication of the hall, as deacons sang the `Hrashapar’
hymn the Prelate was led in a procession to the Church main entrance
for the Opening of the Portals service (Terenpatsek). Kneeling in
front of the closed door, the Prelate knocked three times singing,
`Open unto us, Lord, the gate of Your mercy’. With the official
opening of the doors, the Prelate entered the Church and ascended the
altar where the service continued with hymns, Scripture readings, and
prayers for the Lord to bless and sanctify the stones and wood so that
`whoever shall greet this house or shall bow down unto it may be
considered to have bowed down not to unclean stone and wood, but unto
You and Your Holy Name’.
The Prelate then consecrated with Holy Chrism the side Trinity altar,
which was sponsored by Charles Sulahian in memory of his father
Alexander, and the Baptismal Font, sponsored by Marie Sulahian in
memory of her parents Garabet & Azadouhie Baylayan.
The Prelate began his sermon with the words from the order of blessing
of a new church recited earlier, `O merciful God, we beseech You with
all our hearts. Accept our entreaties which we offer up unto You and
let the grace of Your Holy Spirit abide in this house which we have
established and built in Your name. Bless and sanctify the stones and
wood…Send down Your Holy Spirit and bless this font, as You blessed
the River Jordan by descending upon it, typifying the font from which
men are born again.’
He continued, `Praise be to God for making us worthy of this blessed
day as we have gathered for the consecration and dedication of this
Church we have erected for His name, glory, and dominion. Earlier
during the Terenpatsek service, we beseeched the Lord to open the
doors of His mercy, and I am sure each of you joined in with your
prayers asking for the Lord to open the doors of His mercy for your
individual families and for our collective family of church, nation,
and community. We prayed for Him to bless and sanctify the stone and
wood this Church is built from and which symbolize Him and His Holy
Name, for this Church was not built for the glory of man, but rather
for the praise and glory of Almighty God. We convey our gratitude to
the sponsors who donated to this project for His glory. Jesus went
into the River Jordan and sanctified it, and whoever is baptized in
this font will be purified and will become a new person in the Holy
Spirit.
Tomorrow we will continue the ceremony with the consecration of the
sixteen pillars, which signify that we built this Church on the
pillars, on the strong foundation of the faith of the apostles,
evangelists, and St. Gregory the Illuminator. May God bless the memory
of the Fattal, Yemenidjian, Koujakian, and Sulahian faithful departed,
and may God bless the families as they continue their service for the
glory of God and our people. We are overjoyed to have with us large
numbers of faithful from across California, including Catholicosate
Central Executive member Khajag Dikijian, almost all the members of
the Prelacy Executive Council, and deacons and choir members from
Fresno and Los Angeles area Churches, all of whom have come to express
their solidarity and support of this community. Congratulations to
Parish Pastor Archpriest Fr. Avedis Torossian, Parish Council Chair
Adroushan Armenian and members, Building Committee, and the entire
parish community on this great accomplishment. May the Lord grant us
all renewal of spirit and rebirth of faith so that we can see Him
through the eyes of our soul and praise His Holy Name now and always.’
At the conclusion of the service, guests were hosted to a reception at
`Koujakian’ Hall hosted by the Parish Council, and faithful departed
from the Church in joyful anticipation of the following day’s
ceremonies.
Consecration
Sunday, April 14 will forever be remembered as a momentous day for the
Western Prelacy family as the Prelate consecrated the altar and
sixteen pillars of St. Garabed Church of Las Vegas and officially
named the Church. Guests in attendance included the Consul General of
Armenia the Honorable Grigor Hovhannissian with his wife Victoria,
Congresswoman Dina Titus, Central Executive and Prelacy Executive
Council members, clergy from local evangelical, Maronite, and Syriac
Churches, benefactors, and a standing room only crowd of faithful.
The ceremony began in the morning with the official procession of His
Eminence into the Church, joined by the sixteen pillar Godfathers,
clergy, and the many deacons participating from various Prelacy
Churches. The Prelate was led from the courtyard to the entrance of
the Church with the `Khorhoort Khoreen’ hymn, followed by the
`Hrashapar’ hymn as he entered the Church and ascended the altar to
begin the Holy High Mass. The congregation followed the service
attentively and with reverence as Fr. Muron and Rev. Vazken washed the
unadorned altar with wine and water. The Prelate then consecrated the
top, right, left, head and front of the altar in the form of the
Cross, and blessed sponsors Arpine Koutnouyan and her son Aram who
dedicated the altar in memory of their husband and father Aram
Koutnouyan. This was followed by the blessing, anointing, and
sanctifying of the sixteen pillars. With each Godfather standing next
to his respective pillar, the Prelate conducted the consecration and
blessed them. The Blessing of the Four Corners of the World (Antasdan)
followed, during which the church was officially named St. Garabed.
The Prelate ascended to the altar where he was presented with four lit
candles which he placed on the altar. The curtain closed as the
service continued, to be reopened a few minutes later beautifully
adorned with intricate tapestry, candles and flowers.
The Prelate began his sermon with the following passage from the
Antasdan service, `Blessed and protected and providentially preserved
be this Church, established in the name of St. Garabed’. He continued,
`Earlier you heard these words as we prayed and beseeched Almighty God
to bless, protect, and preserve St. Garabed Church established for His
glory in the name of St. John the Baptist. Today is a historic day of
unbridled joy. It is truly a day to rejoice for the entire Prelacy
family as we conducted the consecration of the first Armenian
Apostolic Church in the state of Nevada. Praise and glory to Almighty
God for granting us this blessed day to come together and collectively
celebrate this historic occasion. This dream was realized through much
hard work, dedication, and united efforts; and now a new chapter has
begun for this parish.’
The Prelate spoke of the symbolic coincidence that the Church is being
consecrated on the third Sunday of Eastertide, which in the Armenian
Church is known as Sunday of the World Church and Green Sunday. This
Sunday commemorates the establishment in Jerusalem of the first
Christian Church by the apostles, and is called `Green’ to symbolize
the idea of new life. By the Resurrection of our Lord, the whole world
became green and flowered, and Christianity spread and blossomed. The
Gospel readings of Green Sunday are particularly meaningful for the
occasion as they convey the message of spiritual rebirth, new life,
and the example of St. Paul who was rejected by the disciples but
continued to boldly preach the Good News of the Risen Christ
throughout Jerusalem, and through whose efforts the Church prospered
and multiplied. `How very fitting and symbolic that we are
consecrating this new Church on the day which we commemorate the
establishment of the first Christian Church in the world, celebrate
the idea of new life, and when the Gospel readings convey to us the
inspiring message of rebirth’, stated the Prelate.
`Indeed today this parish community is commencing a new life, which is
a rebirth of faith. For the last few years you dedicated yourselves to
reaching this stage. Now that the Church is complete and consecrated,
you are entrusted with a new mission. It is your duty to ensure that
this parish continues to advance and progress, that the members of
this community continue to work together in unity and with the same
diligence you have demonstrated thus far, so that coming generations
reap the bountiful harvest of the seeds you have planted.’ The Prelate
greeted the large number of guests and faithful who had come to share
in the joy of the day, and commended all those who had a hand in
making the day a reality. He conveyed gratitude to main benefactor
Larry Barnes for his most generous contribution in tribute to his late
wife Seda Der Garabedian-Barnes and her ancestors, to the Dream Fund
at UCLA for their benevolence, and his appreciation to the Godfathers
and all the sponsors and friends for their financial and moral
support. He commended the Pastor, Parish Council, and Building
Committee members for their diligence, and thanked all those present
who had travelled from near and far to show their encouragement and
backing of this community. `As we begin this new chapter, this new
life, let us renew in ourselves our commitment to our faith and to the
Armenian Apostolic Church, and in the example of St. Paul, let us
boldly continue to preach the Gospel to those around us, let us engage
the younger generation and encourage them to become active
participants in our community life by instilling and cultivating in
them love and reverence for our faith and heritage. For only through
harmonious collaboration and cooperation, can our Church, nation, and
people prosper. We praise the Lord for blessing us with this new house
of prayer. May the Holy Spirit empower us all as we move forward in
our service for His glory and for the advancement of the Armenian
Apostolic Church and nation.’ The Prelate then announced that he would
be returning on May 19 to consecrate the sacred paintings and stained
glass windows, and invited faithful pilgrims from California, Arizona,
and other regions to once again join the community on that special
occasion, during which a statue dedicated to mothers will be unveiled.
The Liturgy continued until the Kiss of Peace. It was a moving moment
as the Prelate called on the faithful to feel the presence of Christ
as they received their first greeting in the newly blessed Church. The
Prelate connected this first greeting in the new Church with the
greeting of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I who had sent a letter of
blessing on this occasion. His Holiness conducted one of the
milestones in October of 2011 when he blessed the foundation stone and
consecrated the dome cross, and today our Pontiff is with us in spirit
conveying his greetings through his letter, stated the Prelate, and
continued to read the message of His Holiness. During this first Kiss
of Peace in this consecrated Church, let us greet one another as
brothers and sisters for we are all children of the same Father,
Almighty God, concluded the Prelate and the Liturgy continued
At the time of `Der Voghormya’ Fr. Vazken announced that memorial
prayers would be offered for the souls of Seda Der Garabedian-Barnes,
Diramayr Marie Mardirossian on the fourth anniversary of her passing,
Fattal, Yemenidjian, Koujakian, Koutnouyan loved ones, and in memory
of Kirk Kerkorian’s sister Rose.
The service concluded with the confession and Holy Communion, after
which the procession of Prelate, Godfathers, clergy and deacons headed
to the courtyard with the singing of `Oorakh Ler’, where the ceremony
came to a close with the Cilician and Armenian national anthems, and
the benediction by the Prelate.
Celebratory Luncheon
In the afternoon, 250 guests gathered at the Tropicana Hotel `Cohiba’
Ballroom for the Consecration Celebratory Luncheon. A warm and
friendly atmosphere reigned over the celebration, with speeches filled
with humor and lightheartedness.
The hall echoed with applause as Master of Ceremonies Mrs. Anna
Kabadian announced the procession of the Prelate, who was joined by
the Consul General of Armenia, Congresswoman Dina Titus, and Councils
members. Following the anthems of the United States and Armenia, the
MC invited Congresswoman Titus to convey her remarks.
Congresswoman Titus stated that she was honored to be a part of the
celebration and proud to have St. Garabed Church in the heart of
District 1 which she represents. She noted that she has been part of
the many milestones of the Church, and today is the fulfillment of the
community’s at least two decades long dream. She remarked that St.
Garabed is a beautiful Church full of light and love which will
nourish the body and soul not just on Sundays but every day, and
expressed joy that the Armenian population, as a growing force in the
community, now has its very own Church as a safe haven. The
Congresswoman thanked Mr. Larry Barnes, the Dream Fund, and the
Yemenidjian family, congratulated the parish community, and on this
occasion presented a congressional certificate to Chairman Mr.
Adroushan Armenian, who accepted on behalf of the Parish Council.
Congresswoman Titus approached the head table where she formally met
the Prelate and personally conveyed her greetings and well wishes to
His Eminence.
The MC invited the Prelate to deliver the invocation and bless the
tables. His Eminence also thanked Congresswoman Titus for her presence
and her supportive remarks.
Alex Yemenidjian also welcomed the guests and congratulated the parish
community. He conveyed gratitude to the Prelate, `without whose
leadership and inspiration this wouldn’t have been possible’, saluted
the presence of the Consul General and thanked him for his
participation, stated that the community owes a big debt of gratitude
to Larry Barnes and the Dream Fund for making this project financially
possible, and expressed appreciation to architect and engineer Levon
Gulbenkian, and Adroushan Armenian and Council members stating, `we
are the beneficiaries of their hard work’. In conclusion, Yemenidjian
noted that with benefits come responsibilities, thus it is everyone’s
responsibility to make sure to support and serve our Church with
dignity and make the Prelate proud.
The remarks continued after lunch.
The first to speak was Adroushan Armenian, who began by noting that
this important milestone is the result of a handful of Armenian who
came together from different cities and countries to build a Church.
He conveyed words of thanks and appreciation to all those who
contributed to the realization of the endeavors, specifically Mr.
Larry Barnes and the Dream Fund for their generosity. He recognized
Lakes Lutheran Church Pastor Kurt Sortland for allowing services to be
held at his Church for four years, thus giving the community the
opportunity to strengthen and organize. Mr. Armenian stated that
without the blessings, support, and guidance of the Prelate which
would have been very difficult. He also thanked Executive Council
member and Prelacy Building Committee Chair Vahan Bezdikian for his
countless visits and supervision, and to his fellow Parish Building
Committee members Levon Gulbenkian and Koko Darakjian. He also thanked
the Tropicana Hotel for providing the facility, and all the committees
and individuals who organized the luncheon. In conclusion, Armenian
stated that there are still some items which require sponsors before
the Prelate’s return on May 19 to consecrate the paintings and stained
glass, and announced a number of new donations received in the past
few hours.
Consul General Grigor Hovhannissian congratulated the parish, noting
that this is the birth of community life because a community becomes
truly Armenian when it has its own Church. He noted that the day was
an emotional experience for him as he was present from the beginning,
during the dedication of the hall in 2009, and how impressed he was
with the speed of the construction. Having previously promised the
community a painting, the Consul General announced that in less than a
month he would be donating that painting in recognition of their
wonderful work. In conclusion, he stated that the consecration of the
Church is the culmination of painstaking effort, and now is the time
for more participation and more involvement by the people to
strengthen and maintain the Church.
Catholicosate Central Executive member Khajag Dikijian began his
remarks by citing the words of His Holiness Aram I from October of
2011 when he stated that the Church belongs to the people, the people
are the Church. `St. Garabed will be the people, serving all Armenians
without exception’, said Dikijian. Building a church speaks volumes
about our faith, about the efforts of all the people involved, and
about the generosity of sponsors. At one time we built 1,001 churches
in one city; today we are very proud to have one more, stated Dikijian
as he concluded by conveying the well wishes of His Holiness and
Central Executive.
On behalf of her fellow Executive Council members, Chairlady Rima
Boghossian wholeheartedly congratulated the community on this
occasion, a day which she stated is historic for Las Vegas Armenians
as it is their first Church, and a day which is historic for the
Prelacy with the consecration of this newest Church. She wished that
all our parishes are inspired from the example of the Las Vegas
community and will soon have their own Churches as well. Boghossian
acknowledge the diligent supervision of the Prelate throughout all the
phases of the project over the past three years, and commended the
Pastor, Parish Council, Committees and benefactors for their hard work
and support. Boghossian expressed hope for a school to be built in the
future next to the Church, because our Churches and schools together
preserve and foster our Armenian identity, and in conclusion wished
that the community always works together for the flourishing of St.
Garabed Church.
A cultural program followed, with Gohar Markaryan and Izabell
Mardirosyan presenting a traditional Armenian dance.
Thus it was time to formally acknowledge and commend all the hard
workers involved in this project. The MC invited to the podium His
Eminence for the presentation of plaques to members of the Parish
Council, Building Committee, and Ladies Guild. The names of the
individuals who contributed their time and efforts for the realization
of this endeavor were called one by one by Mr. Vahan Bezdikian as they
approached the stage to receive their plaque from the Prelate.
The celebration and festivities of the last two days came to a close
with the Prelate’s message. `Today is a day of great celebration. It
is the day we have been joyfully anticipating. It is said that vision
without action is merely a dream. Years ago, a group of individuals
had a vision; a dream to provide this growing community with a church
and cultural center to call their own. The community rallied behind
these visionaries, and together, this initiative, this idea was put
into action. Ideas are valuable only when they are implemented, and
that is just what this community did. They took action and turned
dream to reality. And today, we are here celebrating the fruit of
their vision and labor.’ With a grateful heart and profound spiritual
joy the Prelate greeted the distinguished guests and dear friends who
had come from various cities to share in the blessed occasion of the
consecration and dedication of the first Armenian Apostolic Church in
the region. `St. Garabed Church is now the heart of this community.
Alongside the Cultural Center, it will become the beacon, the
lighthouse from where our faith, our language, our heritage and our
history will radiate throughout our community of faithful, keeping our
spiritual and cultural legacy and spirit alive and strong. The
realization of this tremendous venture was achieved through hard work,
perseverance, and collaborative efforts. At this time we would like to
acknowledge all the individuals who joined hearts and hands to bring
this dream to life.’
The Prelate first and foremost conveyed gratitude once again to main
benefactor Larry Barnes for his incredible generosity which, in
addition to being the greatest contributor to the success of this
project, forever memorialized his late wife Seda Der Garabedian-Barnes
and her ancestors. He noted that in 2010 Mr. Barnes was awarded the
`Knight of Cilicia’ medal by His Holiness, and today the benefactor
was being acknowledged once again for his remarkable support. He
conveyed his deep appreciation to the Dream Fund at UCLA for believing
in this mission and lending their generous support, and thanked
representative Lindy Schumacher who was in attendance. He commended
the Parish Pastor Archpriest Fr. Avedis Torossian, Parish Council
Chair. Adroushan Armenian and members, Building Committee members, and
also Vahan Bezdikian for their tireless efforts and steadfast
determination from the inception of this endeavor until this very
moment. Finally, he thanked all the members of the community, all the
sponsors, volunteers, and friends who shared in this vision and lent
their enduring encouragement. `You all labored hard over the past few
years to reach this point. Today, we salute you and we applaud you.
You have indeed brought great pride and joy to our hearts. As you
embark on your new journey of service, we pray for the divine wisdom
and guidance of our Lord to be upon you, leading your path to infinite
successes. May you continue on this righteous path and serve with
renewed vigor and determination, and most importantly with love,
unity, and harmony, for the splendor of the Armenian Apostolic Church
and this community.’
Here the Prelate stated that he had some special announcements. His
Eminence announced that Mr. and Mrs. Adroushan and Nora Armenian, who
humbly had asked for their name not to be announced in the
commemorative booklet, had donated $25,000 as the banquet hosts. He
joyfully announced that the Fattal, Yemenidjian, and Koujakian
families with a $50,000 donation had sponsored Koujakian Hall in
memory and honor of their parents and loved ones, in addition to which
they were donating $10,000 to establish a new scholarship fund at the
Prelacy also in memory of their parents and loved ones. The Prelate
also announced the establishment of another new scholarship fund at
the Prelacy, this one by Mr. and Mrs. Vahe and Lucie Fattal in memory
of Vahe’s father Joseph and mother Eugenie, whom he had recently lost
nearly forty days ago. And finally, the Prelate announced that Mr. and
Mrs. Alex and Arda Yemenidjian were graciously undertaking the
sponsorship of the remaining sacred paintings and stained glass
windows noted by Mr. Armenian earlier. Each of these announcements
were received with great applause and appreciation by the guests. His
Eminence had one more surprise announcement, an announcement which
drew loud applause and cheers. In commendation of Mr. Adroushan
Armenian and his painstaking efforts over the years, the Prelate was
awarding him with the Prelacy `St. Dertad the King’ medal. He became
the first ever recipient of this award, which was recently established
by the Prelacy to honor individuals who have made a difference in our
community life with their service. Mr. and Mrs. Armenian received a
standing ovation as they approached the stage to receive this honor.
Fr. Avedis read the Prelate’s letter of blessing as the Prelate
presented them with the medal. With this wonderful surprise, the
celebration came to a close on a high note with the benediction by the
Prelate and the Cilician anthem.
From: A. Papazian
http://asbarez.com/109532/st-garabed-church-in-las-vegas-consecrated/