As part of a series of events marking the 50th anniversary of the St. Mary’s Church in Glendale, a Golden Jubilee concert was held on April 19 at the church, presided over Western Prelate Archbishop Kegham Khacherian.

The concert was sponsored by Western Prelacy benefactor Meher Der Ohanessian and his children, in memory of their beloved wife and mother, the late Satik Der Ohanessian. The concert was organized by the church leadership under the direction of St. Mary’s Church Dean Very Reverend Zareh Sarkissian.

In attendance were former Western Prelates Archbishops Moushegh Mardirossian and Torkom Donoyan; members of the clergy, Consul General of the Republic of Armenia Anna Avetisyan; Western Prelacy Executive Council Chairman Vahe Hovaguimian and his wife Hasmig; members of the Executive Council; the sponsoring benefactor Mr. Mher Der Ohanessian and his family; representatives of community organizations; benefactors of the Western Prelacy; and a large audience of performing arts enthusiasts.

True to its name, the Golden Jubilee concert stood out for its elegance and musical diversity, under the artistic direction of Honored Artist of Armenia, tenor Berdj Kirazian. The evening featured a talented ensemble of professional singers and musicians who presented solo, duet, and choral performances of Armenian and international classical pieces, accompanied by pianists Armine Derderian and Hripsime Rshdouni.

The nearly two-hour program unfolded as a rich and artistic musical experience, opening with a moving choral prayer that included Magar Yegmalian’s “Amen, Holy Father” and Berberian’s “Christ is Among Us.” The program continued with folk and national songs by Gomidas, Parsegh Ganachian’s “Lullaby,” and selections from renowned international composers. The final segment of the concert returned to Armenian composers, Tigran Harutyunyan, Khachatour Avetisyan, Armen Tigranian, Gomidas, Ganachian, Aram Khachatourian, and Arsen Petrosyan, concluding with Hovhannisyan’s “Yerevan–Erebuni.”

A special highlight of the evening was the appearance of Armenia’s distinguished pianist and educator Svetlana Navasardyan, whose performances of Armenian works were met with warm and enthusiastic applause. The audience also enjoyed performances by young student singers who took the stage individually to present Armenian and international selections.

From the opening prayer to the final national choral piece, the concert held the full attention of nearly 1,000 attendees, who experienced both spiritual and artistic fulfillment and showed their appreciation for a thoughtfully and beautifully organized celebration of the 50th anniversary of St. Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church.
In his closing remarks, the Prelate praised the meticulous planning, presentation, and overall quality of the performances.

Archbishop Khacherian also praised the director of the concert and all participants, including the students, professional singers, and pianists, with special recognition given to Navasardyan.

The Prelate reserved his highest praise for the faithful congregation of St. Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church, noting that their faith, devotion, and presence continue to sustain and strengthen the church.

The Prelate concluded by encouraging the largest church of the Western Prelacy to continue its 50-year journey in the same spirit, expressing his hope that, through unity, faith, and collective effort, the leadership and faithful of the Armenian community will continue to build upon and enrich the Western Prelacy’s proud legacy in the years ahead.

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Catholicos Karekin II pins the “St. Sahag-Mesrop” medal on Baroness Caroline Cox in 2021

Caroline Cox, the founding member of Christian Solidarity International, an ardent advocate for Artsakh and a member of the British House of Lords in an open letter to European Union leaders raised urgent concerns about Armenian prisoners being held in Azerbaijan and the erosion of religious freedoms in Armenia.

Baroness Cox issued her letter on the eve of an EU-Armenian summit scheduled to convene in Yerevan on Sunday.

In her letter, she stressed that the continued detention of prisoners of war and hostages is incompatible with any genuine peace process, warning that “there can be no peace without justice.”

Baroness Cox called on Armenia, its partners, and the European Union to prioritize the immediate release of all Armenian prisoners, noting reports of treatment that violates international standards and fair trial rights.

Her letter also highlights concerns over freedom of religion and the protection of Armenian cultural and spiritual heritage, urging sustained international attention and action.

Below is the text of Baroness Cox’s letter.

Dear friends, colleagues, and all with an interest in Armenia,

In my public statement, dated 5th February 2025, I announced that I would be reducing some of my activities, but that I planned to continue to engage with causes to which I remain deeply committed. As a consistent supporter of Armenia since 1988 and having visited Armenia and Artsakh more than 70 times, it will be obvious that the Republic of Armenia, whose people I love so dearly, remains very close to my heart.

I remain equally committed, with an outpouring of love and support, to the people of Artsakh whose history, faith, suffering, and endurance remain inextricably linked to the wider history and lived experience of Armenia.

I welcome the fact that relations between Armenia and the European Union have progressed to the stage which allows the first Armenia-European Union summit to take place in Yerevan on 4th and 5th May 2026.

However, I remain deeply concerned about two issues, and I therefore feel compelled to write this letter in the spirit of St. Paul who calls upon each of us to “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). It seems to me that it is important to ensure, when we look to the future, that we do not forget the past. Of greater importance still is that we should never attempt to erase that past or somehow choose or encourage others to forget all that we know history has taught us. We must always remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice or suffered injury and loss or imprisonment whilst that history was being created.

My first concern is that of the hostage prisoners and Prisoners of War from Armenia and Artsakh who, to this day, remain in captivity in Azerbaijan. It is reported that many are still being treated in a manner which offends the European Union’s own laws and stipulations concerning the treatment of those in captivity, and the right to a fair trial. I cannot see that such issues can be put to one side by anyone who wishes, as I do, for a just and lasting peace. It has often been said that “there can be no peace without justice” and it is my hope that those words are kept clearly in mind by all those who are involved in shaping Armenia’s future.

I repeat that the past cannot simply be ignored or erased. It must be addressed. I respectfully call upon the government and people of Armenia, together with all interested partners, to ensure that this approach is given priority in a meaningful and purposeful manner until all hostage prisoners and POWs of Armenia and Artsakh have been released. The shared goals of lasting justice and peace and greater co-operation surely demand that the EU also give this issue their highest priority.

My second concern relates to the ongoing tensions in Church/State relations in Armenia. It is a source of great pain and sadness to me that Armenia, as the first country to adopt Christianity as its official state religion widely thought to be in 301AD, should find itself in the current situation. Inspired by the example of St Gregory the Illuminator, the founder and first head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, I pray that all those concerned should work together to ensure freedom of religion or belief in an atmosphere of mutual respect.

I humbly call upon the European Union to ensure that, in any engagement with any third country and as they have committed to do, it requests and requires of those concerned that they abide by the relevant U.N. resolutions and the relevant EU rules and stipulations concerning freedom of religion or belief including EU Guidelines on the Promotion and Protection of Freedom of Religion or Belief adopted by the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg on 24 June 2013. Equal attention must be given to the protection of religious sites and antiquities currently suffering destruction in Artsakh/Nagorno Karabakh.

I pray that God shall continue to love, bless, and protect the people of Armenia and Artsakh.

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ANCA Welcomes Committee Action Responding to Armenian Caucus Letter; Renews Call to Suspend U.S. Military Aid to Azerbaijan and Secure Accountability for Artsakh’s Genocidal Ethnic Cleansing
 
WASHINGTON – The House Appropriations Committee has advanced the Fiscal Year 2027 National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Bill with report language directing increased security assistance for Armenia and requiring State Department reporting on the proposed Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) — a direct response to advocacy led by the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) and the Congressional Armenian Caucus.
 
The Committee report directs that funds under International Military Education and Training and the Foreign Military Financing Program “be made available above the prior year levels for Armenia,” citing the need to “promote the strategic interests of the United States through efforts to enhance regional peace, stability, integration, and connectivity” in the South Caucasus.

On TRIPP, the report directs the Secretary of State to submit a report within 90 days of enactment detailing funding amounts, implementing partners, investment finance arrangements, and the role of federal agencies including the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and the Trade and Development Agency in the proposed corridor.
 
“The Committee’s action is a meaningful step forward — driven by the grassroots advocacy of Armenian Americans across the country and championed by Congressional Armenian Caucus Founding Co-Chair Frank Pallone and nearly fifty of his House colleagues,” stated ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.

“But our work is far from done. As long as Azerbaijan holds Armenian hostages, occupies sovereign Armenian territory, blocks the right of return for the Armenians it ethnically cleansed from Artsakh, and threatens further aggression — there is no justification, none, for a single American taxpayer dollar in military assistance to the Aliyev regime. Congress must finish what this Committee has started: suspend U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan, deliver real humanitarian relief for the Armenians forcibly displaced from Artsakh, and ensure rigorous oversight of any corridor framework that touches Armenian sovereign territory,” Hamparian added.
 
The Committee’s action comes in response to the ANCA-backed Congressional Armenian Caucus Foreign Aid Letter, co-signed by over 45 U.S. Representatives and led by Caucus Founding Co-Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ). That letter called on the Subcommittee to include $20 million in FMF and $10 million in IMET for Armenia, $100 million in humanitarian assistance for Armenians forcibly displaced from Artsakh, a full prohibition on U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan, Global Magnitsky Act sanctions accountability measures, and meaningful Congressional oversight of the TRIPP framework.
 
Rep. Pallone hailed the Committee’s action while pressing for further measures. “I’m proud to have helped secure increased security assistance for Armenia in the State Department’s proposed appropriations for Fiscal Year 2027,” stated Rep. Pallone. “I thank the almost 50 colleagues from the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues who joined me in a letter calling for greater investment in U.S.-Armenian cooperation and partnership. But I remain disappointed that the bill does not include additional funding for humanitarian aid for Nagorno-Karabakh’s tragically displaced populace nor additional restrictions on Azerbaijan’s destabilizing behavior. I look forward to working with my colleagues to further address these issues, and to continue building a fruitful relationship with the Republic of Armenia.”
 
Increased Security Assistance for Armenia
The Committee report directs that IMET and FMF funds “be made available above the prior year levels for Armenia,” reflecting the Caucus letter’s warning that additional assistance “would play a critical role in strengthening Armenia’s defensive capabilities and establishing a deterrent against Azerbaijan’s unabated expansionism and threats of aggression and use of force.” The Caucus had cautioned that “the Aliyev regime will seek to take advantage of Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine and turmoil across the Middle East to press its military advantage against Armenia during this critical stage in negotiations.”
TRIPP Oversight
 
The Committee report directs the Secretary of State to submit, within 90 days of enactment, a report to the appropriate congressional committees on “funding amounts for, and actions taken and authorities used to implement, the proposed Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP).” The report is to “identify implementing partners, including any providing investment finance, and describe the current or anticipated role of other relevant Federal agencies, such as DFC and the Trade and Development Agency, to help implement construction, development, and secure the successful operation of such corridor.”
 
The reporting requirement responds directly to concerns raised in the Congressional Armenian Caucus letter, which flagged that the TRIPP framework “raises concerns regarding Armenia’s sovereignty and ownership rights over its sovereign territory” and identified “unanswered questions regarding the security of the route, especially assurances that the route will not be used to facilitate military transportation or arms sales between Turkey and Azerbaijan, which would undermine Armenia’s security interests.”

The Caucus also expressed concern over “Azerbaijan’s solicitation of foreign investment to engage in the demolition, reconstruction and redevelopment of formerly Armenian-populated areas.”
 
Unfinished Business: Azerbaijan Accountability and Artsakh Humanitarian Relief
The Committee report does not include the Caucus-requested $100 million in AEECA humanitarian funding for Armenians forcibly displaced from Artsakh, the full prohibition on U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan, or the Global Magnitsky sanctions review the letter called for.

The ANCA is mobilizing Armenian Americans to press these priorities as the bill moves through the legislative process — pointing to the Caucus letter’s documentation that Azerbaijan’s 2023 invasion produced “the genocidal ethnic cleansing of the region’s entire indigenous Armenian population” following “a 10-month siege on the region, which saw Azerbaijan deliberately deprive over 120,000 ethnic Armenians access to food, fuel, medicine and other essential goods,” and that Azerbaijan continues to hold Armenian hostages sentenced “following lengthy sham trials, during which Armenian detainees were subject to abuse and torture, and deprived of their fundamental legal rights.”
 
The full U.S. House of Representatives is expected to take up the FY27 NSRP Appropriations Bill in the coming months. The U.S. Senate will soon begin consideration of its companion measure. Armenian Americans can engage their Senators and Representatives, and track legislative developments, at anca.org.

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