Chapel Dome Cross Consecrated

On July 27, High School Summer Conference B participants were fortunate to participate in and witness the seminary’s chapel dome cross consecration by Abp. Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Eastern Diocese and President of the St. Nersess Board of Directors.

During his visit that day, Khajag Srpazan spent time speaking with the students and then led them to the Karekin I Theological Center where the St. Hagop Chapel dome cross was consecrated. This beautiful Armenian cross was hand sculpted by artist Yossi Vardan, who also donated the cross to St. Nersess Seminary. The theological center and chapel were generously donated by Mr. and Mrs. Haig and Elza Didizian, whose generous gift enabled St. Nersess to purchase the land for the new campus.

Following the consecration, a local tree service company, Westchester Treelife, Inc., donated its services to lift the cross and return it to the dome, where the students watched in awe.

This year, two High School Summer Conferences sessions were directed by the Rev. Fr. Ghevond Ajamian, pastor of St. Sarkis Armenian Church in Dallas, TX. Students who attended Session A and B had the opportunity to learn from visiting clergy and church lay leaders, some of whom are graduates of the seminary. A few of the topics presented over the course of each 10-day conference were the Golden Age in Armenian History, Sacred Spaces, and the History, Meaning, and Structure of Sharagans. Last year, the seminary introduced a new four-year curriculum for the Summer Conferences to help prepare these young students to become leaders in the Armenian Church, including future Sunday School teachers. The Post High School Summer Conference will begin on August 1.