Youth

Get Involved: Gregory Manuelian

Saying he is “a leader who truly exemplifies the loftiest spirit of dedication to our church and heritage,” Archbishop Khajag Barsamian presented Gregory Manuelian, of Holy Martyr’s Armenian Church in Bayside, N.Y., with the St. Nersess Shnorhali Medal and Pontifical Encyclical of His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians. Manuelian, a deacon, is not only active in the parish, but at the Diocesan level, as well.

“I’ve served my church and diocese since I was a kid with all my heart and soul,” said Manuelian, who credits his late mother Diane and father Charles for instilling in him a love of the Armenian Church.

Mr. Manuelian and his wife Anie have two children, Talar and Gregory. As a young recipient of this honor, he urges the Armenian youth of today “to continue the work of their ancestors who came to this country with pennies in their pocket.”

“I feel really that if we get stronger here as a community,Armenia will get stronger. We, here, need to unite as a culture for our own future and for the future of our Motherland,” Manuelian said.