Building More Armenian Houses of Worship

They're found in the sunny climates of Florida and the white snowdrifts of Minnesota, up in the historic Armenian centers in Massachusetts and surrounded by the burgeoning populations in Georgia.  In 2002, the Diocese helped local communities to build new church sanctuaries and to strengthen growing Armenian communities.

Much of the help from the Diocese came under the direction of Fr. Simeon Odabashian, director of the its Mission Parish Program.  The Diocese also provided these and other parishes with fundraising and communications advice, training for altar servers and choirs, and guidance on youth and educational programs.

"These are locales without a traditionally organized Armenian community, but with families who want to raise their children and grandchildren in the Armenian Church," Fr. Odabashian said.  "Our goal is to give them the support they need as local leaders to build strong parishes."

Work Pays Off

The Armenian community of St. Paul, MN, choked back tears of joy on September 7, 2002, when the state's first Armenian Church was consecrated in a poignant service, during which Archbishop Barsamian transformed the redesigned sanctuary of St. Sahag Armenian Church from a Presbyterian to an Armenian sanctuary.

Armenian families have been moving into the area for more than 100 years.  Today the Armenian community numbers about 350 and continues to grow.  With a new church building, the St. Paul mission parish is now working to gain full-parish status.

"We are Armenians, so we have that inner voice telling us that the first thing we need is our church," said Chaké Yeterian Scallen, a leader of the St. Paul community who, along with her brother Massis Yeterian, generously helped fund the building's purchase.  "For the first time in 100 years the Armenians in the Twin Cities have a church.  It's our home now."

Blessing the Future Site

In August 2002 Archbishop Barsamian traveled to Atlanta, GA, for a ground blessing ceremony, as the Atlanta mission parish took another step towards building that state's first Armenian Church. 

After years of effort by local leaders to generate momentum for church construction, the Atlanta mission parish bought a 2-acre site in 2002 and is now raising the $1 million needed to build a sanctuary. 

"Who could have imagined an Armenian Church would be built in Atlanta 10 or 15 years ago?" Archbishop Barsamian asked.  "But this is going to happen because of people taking steps and participating and having the faith needed to build a church.  And we will continue to be there to support them on this journey."

Buildings Cement Communities

In St. Petersburg, FL, a grand, artistic sanctuary will soon replace the prefabricated building used as a house of worship by the St. Hagop Church parishioners.  After receiving full-parish status in 2001, the parish kicked off a fundraising campaign to raise $1.5 million for a delicately decorated, 250-seat sanctuary and a 4,500-square-foot multi-purpose center that will house classrooms, church offices, and a banquet and kitchen facility.  A 10,000-square-foot cultural hall could also be built on the parish's 9-acre site at a later date.

The larger space is needed, says parish pastor Fr. Nersess Jebejian, who has seen recent expansion of the parish Sunday and Armenian schools from five to 25 children, the creation of a Men's Club, and increased activity from the Women's Guild.

"We're trying to start more programs.  However, without the proper facilities it's quite difficult.  There's not enough classroom and other space," Fr. Nersess said.  "When there's an actual building, it just changes the whole color of the community.  As soon as there's a building and facilities, things immediately speed up and get enhanced."

Similarly, in Jacksonville, FL, generous gifts from Varsenig "Mable" Altoonjian and others have propelled the quest for their own church closer to reality for that mission parish.  The community in the northeast part of Florida, which has also seen growth in the past few years, spent the end of 2002 scouting properties to purchase for its first church building.

Joining Forces in Historic Communities

In 2002, two well-established Armenian parishes worked to join forces and follow through with plans to build an exceptionally beautiful Armenian-style church.  St. Gregory the Illuminator Church in Lawrence, MA, combined with its sister parish eight miles away, Holy Cross Church of Haverhill, MA, to form a new community presently called the Armenian Church of "Hye Point".

The newly formed parish bought nine acres of land and is in the process of selling off its two existing churches to pay for the construction of an Armenian Church.  Until the new sanctuary gets built, the parish rotates weekly services and meetings between the two existing churches.

Through the new building is not yet started, the "Hye Point" parish is finding new energy.  Instead of 10 to 12 people going to services in each of two churches, now 50 to 60 people are coming.  And where just five children were in each Sunday School five years ago, now 40 to 50 come on a regular basis.

"A lot of people weren't attending because they didn't see there was a future plan," said Scott Sahagian, parish council chairman at "Hye Point".  "And what they're seeing now is, Yes, there is a plan.  And they realize that you can't just be sitting on the sidelines and expect that plan to come true without doing some work on it yourself."