Fr. Mardiros Chevian Visits Western Diocese

February 12, 2013

“St. Nersess Armenian Seminary has a vital role and mission to realize in the life of the faithful communities of the Armenian Church of North America, namely to proclaim the Word of God to the hearts and minds of the faithful who strive to live the life of Christ in their spirituality and relive the Christian Faith as conveyed to us through the vision and wisdom of the Church fathers and the children of the Armenian Church.

St. Nersess calls on us all to be a partner in the Holy Work of God in support of a sacred mission: Training new pastors of the Church. Investing in the sacred mission of St. Nersess is equal to becoming an apostle of Christ and an ambassador of the Armenian Apostolic Church.”

~ His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian
Primate of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of America

At the invitation of His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of America, Rev. Fr. Mardiros Chevian, Dean of St. Nersess Armenian Seminary, traveled to California on January 16 to spend time in the Western Diocese. During his five day trip, Fr. Mardiros had the opportunity to meet privately with Archbishop Hovnan Derderian on two occasions, where they spoke openly about St. Nersess Seminary, its new campus, and its expanded mission. Archbishop Hovnan gave his unequivocal support to Fr. Mardiros and the seminary’s mission.

Fr. Mardiros also met with the Western Diocesan Council during its regularly scheduled meeting as well as with Armenian clergy in local parishes. He visited four Armenian Day Schools – Arshag Dikranian School, the St. Gregory Hovsepian School, the AGBU Vache and Tamar Manoukian School, and the AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian School – where he had an opportunity to discuss the seminary and religious vocations with the school principals and the students in the upper grades. Fr. Chevian presented St. Nersess Armenian Seminary during a talk to the Men’s Monthly Forum at St. Gregory Armenian School in Pasadena, as well as to the children of the St. Ghevontyants Saturday School of St. Leon Armenian Cathedral.

Western Diocese Supports St. Nersess

At the conclusion of his trip, Fr. Mardiros celebrated the Divine Liturgy on Sunday, January 20th and gave the sermon at St. Leon Armenian Cathedral preaching on “The Call to Ministry in the Armenian Church”. Following Divine Liturgy, he was the main speaker at the Annual Stewardship Luncheon held at Nazareth and Sima Kalaydjian Hall in the Diocesan complex.

A well-organized visit, Fr. Mardiros enjoyed warm hospitality and received clear support from the Primate, clergy, and lay leaders, who are ready to embrace St. Nersess and its expanded mission. In October 2013, at the invitation of Archbishop Hovnan, Fr. Mardiros will return to the Western Diocese to participate in an annual clergy gathering to further discuss vocations and support for the seminary.