Leadership

Get Involved: Karnig and Karen Durgarian

Karnig and Karen Durgarian were presented with the St. Gregory the Illuminator Medal – the Armenian Church’s highest lay honor – for being not only strong supporters of the Eastern Diocese but for their work as promoters of their local parish, the Armenian Church of the Holy Translators in Framingham, MA. The couple was one of the Godparents during the church’s consecration on October 19.

“They’re both wonderful people. I’ve known him since I was 13,” said Fr. Kirkor Sabounjian, pastor at the Armenian Church of the Holy Translators. “If you walk into our parish, they’re there to greet you. They scrub the floors; they paint; they do everything and anything. They were both brought up in the Armenian Church, so from a young age church was always part of their lives. They care so much because they want their children to have the same experience.”

The couple met through the Armenian Church Youth Organization of America (ACYOA) and now are working to raise their children in the life of the church. To that end, they were instrumental in the committee that searched for a campground and eventually bought the Ararat Youth and Conference Center for the Diocese.

“My parents were extremely active in the church. That was something in their lives, a strong part of their lives. And it’s something I would like in the lives of my children as well,” said Karen.