St. Nersess Seminary Prepares to Honor its Second Group of 12 Alumni
St. Nersess Armenian Seminary is proud to have an active alumni network of clergy and lay ministers who lead and serve the Armenian Church in North America, with love and humility.
To honor that service, the seminary will highlight the vocations of 12 clergy and lay ministers who studied at St. Nersess and St. Vladimir’s Seminaries, with a gala banquet on Saturday, November 4, 2023.
This will be the second in a series of tribute events featuring alumni of St. Nersess who serve the Armenian Church in various capacities. The first celebration took place in November 2021, and established the “12 Vocations” theme. The upcoming event will build on that idea, under the title: “12 Vocations: Broadening the Call.”
This year, the event will honor a seminary graduate who became a hierarch of the Armenian Church: Archbishop Avak Asadourian (priestly ordination in 1977, episcopal consecration in 1982), who recently retired after a long tenure as Primate of the Diocese of Iraq.
He will be honored along with seven clergymen and four lay ministers—listed here by ordination or graduation date:
Fr. Krikor Sabounjian (ordained 1998); Fr. Sarkis Petoyan (ordained 1998); Fr. Abraham Ohanessian (ordained 1999); Fr. Mikael Devejian (ordained 2000); Fr. Hovsep Karapetyan (ordained 2004); Fr. Aren Jebejian (ordained 2004); Fr. Bedros Kadehjian (ordained 2005); Mka. Valerie Goekjian Zahirsky (graduated 1974); Yn. Sirarpi Feredjian Aivazian (graduated 1978); Nancy Basmajian (graduated 1979); Shaké Ajamian Derderian (graduated 1989).
The celebratory evening will be filled with nostalgic reflections and special awards. Invitations will be mailed in August; information on how to include your warm wishes to the honorees in a commemorative keepsake booklet will be mailed soon. All donations will benefit St. Nersess Seminary and its ongoing mission.
For information on the November 4 banquet, please contact event co-chair Lynn Beylerian at lynnbeylerian@gmail.com or (201) 914-0354.
