Catholicos consecrates St. Leon Cathedral of Western Diocese

Burbank, Calif. – On September 11 at 2:30 p.m., His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians consecrated the St. Leon Cathedral in Burbank, California.

The Pontiff was assisted by His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate; His Eminence Archbishop Vatche Hovsepian, former Primate; His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Eastern Diocese; His Eminence Archbishop Avak Asadourian, Primate of the Diocese of Iraq; His Eminence Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, Legate of the Eastern Diocese in Washington D.C.; His Eminence Archbishop Yeprem Tabakian, Member of the Brotherhood of the Great House of Cilicia, His Eminence Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Member of the Brotherhood of the Great House of Cilicia, His Grace Bishop Bagrat Galstanyan, Primate of the Diocese of Canada; His Grace Bishop Ashot Mnatsakanyan, Primate of the Diocese of Egypt; His Grace Bishop Armash Nalbandian, Primate of the Diocese of Damascus; His Grace Bishop Arakel Karamyan, Primate of the Diocese of Kotayk, Armenia; His Grace Bishop Markos Hovhanissyan, Primate of the Diocese of Gegharkunik, Armenia; and Rev. Fr. Ktrij Devejian, Foreign Communications Director of the Catholicosate of All Armenians.

The Pontiff’s overhead canopy holders were Grand Benefactors of the Cathedral Dr. Aramayis Paronyan, Mr. Armen Hampar, Chairman of the Diocesan Council; Mr. Gerald Turpanjian, and Mr. Jack Kalaydjian.

The Primate led the procession to the St. Leon Cathedral where he consecrated the holy altar. According to the traditions of the Armenian Holy Apostolic Church, The Primate and guest Archbishops from around the world consecrated the cross-stones placed on the columns of the Cathedral in the name of each of the Evangelists.

We are pleased to inform that having accepted the invitation of the Primate, the following Ecumenical guests were present during the consecration: His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos from the Greek Orthodox Church; the Very Rev. Fr. John Bakas from the Greek Orthodox Church; His Grace Bishop Manuel Batakian from the Armenian Catholic Church; Fr. Armenag Bedrossian from the Armenian Catholic Church; Rev. Kathy Black from Claremont School of Theology; the Right Rev. J. Jon Bruno from the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles; Rev. Albert Cohen from the Southern California Ecumenical Council; Rev. Gwynne Guilbord from the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles; Rev. John Huber from the Lutheran Church; Senior Advisor to the Mayor of Los Angeles Rev. Leonard Jackson; Bishop Dean Nelson from the Southwest California Synod Evangelical Lutheran Church; Rev. Jan Olav Flaaten from the Arizona Ecumenical Council; Rev. Fernando Santillana; His Grace Bishop Serapion from the Coptic Church; the Very Rev. Fr. A. Shara from St. Ephrim Syriac Church; the Right Rev. Fr. Alexei Smith from the Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Br. Shakeel Syed from the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California; Pastor George Terian from the Armenian Evangelical Union and His Grace Bishop Maxim from the Serbian Orthodox Church.

His Excellency Tatoul Markaryan, Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia in Washington joined by His Excellency Grigor Hovhannissian and Consul General of the Republic of Armenia in Los Angeles were among the distinguished guests present during the consecration. Other distinguished guests included Mr. Berge Setrakian, President of the Armenian General Benevolent Union, Dn. Dr. Varoujan Altebarmakian and Mr. James Kalustian, Members of the Supreme Spiritual Council, Mr. Oscar Tatossian, Diocesan Council Chairman of the Eastern Diocese, Mr. Ara Boyajian, Diocesan Council Chairman of the Diocese of Canada.

By the organization of Archpriest Fr. Zareh Zargarian, Pastor of the Holy Trinity Armenian Church in Toronto, Canada, 20 parishioners arrived in Burbank to witness the consecration. Ten parishioners of St. Apkar Armenian Church in Arizona witnessed the consecration by the efforts of Rev. Fr. Zacharia Saribekyan, Pastor of St. Apkar and twelve parishioners joined Fr. Serop Azarian from the Armenian Church in Las Vegas.

Having accepted the invitation of the Primate, the following governmental officials were present during the consecration. Hon. Antonio Villaraigosa, Mayor of Los Angeles; Hon. Ara Najarian, Mayor of Glendale; Hon. Frank Quintero, Member of the Glendale City Council; Hon. Jess Talamantes, Vice Mayor of Burbank; Hon. Dennis Zine, Member of the Los Angeles City Council; Hon. Paul Krekorian, Member Los Angeles City Council; Rita Hadjimanoukian representing Los Angles County Board Supervisor Michael Antonivich; Hon. Wendy Greuel, Controller of the City of Los Angeles; Hon. Leroy Baca, Sheiff of the County of Los Angeles; Hon. Mike Gatto, Assemblyman of the 43rd District; Hon. Kevin de Leon, Member of the Assembly with Representative Baydsar Thomasian and Avak Keotahian; Hon. Anthony Portantino, Member of the Assembly; His Excellency Jacob Dayan, Consul General of Israel in Los Angeles, Hon. Laura Friedman, Member of the Glendale City Council; Hon. Carol Liu, State Senator with Joan Agajanian Quinn; Hon. Congressman Brad Sherman, Representative of the House of Represetatives, Hon. Carmen A. Trutanich, Los Angeles City Attorney; Hon. David Weave, Member of the Glendale City Council and Mr. Ron Hartwig, Vice President of The Getty Museum.

In his remarks, the Primate expressed his appreciation to the Pontiff for bestowing upon the faithful of the Western Diocese the gift of his Pontifical visit. The following is an excerpt from the Primate’s speech:

“Your Holiness,

On this blessed day of the consecration of the St. Leon Cathedral the Almighty God speaks to our hearts with a strong message to rekindle within us a renewed commitment to keep our faith evergrowing. And with your presence we all feel deep in our hearts the movement of new life always making God the destiny of our life.

The history of the Western Diocese dates back to the last decade of the 19th Century. Later on in the year 1927 the Western Diocese has been established by the then Catholicos Kevork the Fifth. Today we celebrate a new milestone in the life of the Western Diocese with the construction of the Cathedral.

In his spiritual message, the Pontiff reflected on the importance of the Feast Day of the Holy Cross and the immense leadership of His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian. The following is an excerpt from the Pontiff’s spiritual message:

On this holy day of the Eve of the Feast of the Holy Cross, we have gathered to consecrate and seal with the Holy Chrism and give the name of Saints Ghevondiants to the newly built cathedral for the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America. We greet you with a joyous spirit and with words of praise and song from the hymn, we offer our appeal to heaven, so that this holy sanctuary, crowned with the all-sustaining divine cross, which became for us salvation and a sign of victory, brings new light to the spiritual vibrancy and strength of the national life of our sons and daughters in America.

On this soul-fulfilling day of the Feast of the Holy Cross, we once again express our high appreciation and pontifical blessings to His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, for his diligent and benevolent leadership and his patriotic spirit. We convey our high appreciation and blessings also to His Eminence Archbishop Vatché Hovsepian who initiated the construction of the cathedral. We convey our high appreciation and pontifical blessings to the noble benefactors and builders of the Saints Ghevondiants cathedral, to the conscientious clergy who serve in the Western Diocese, to the Diocesan Council, and those working with devotion in educational and national institutions and to you all – faithful and true scions of our Church.

Following the spiritual message of His Holiness Karekin II, the Honorable Antonio Villaraigosa, Mayor of Los Angeles approached the holy altar and accepted the consecrated cross stone in honor and in memory of the victims of the September 11 attacks.

Amidst the jubilant voices of the Khachadourian Choir led by Dn. Stepan Gozumian, the Pontiff exited the St. Leon Cathedral with a procession while bestowing Pontifical blessings to the faithful.

Source: