Archbishop Barsamian celebrated the Divine Liturgy with
the assistance of the Very Rev. Fr. Mamigon Kiledjian, parish pastor. In his
sermon, the Primate reflected on the season of the Holy Cross, and his recent
experience celebrating the Divine Liturgy at Holy Cross Church of Aghtamar,
during the Diocese’s September 2012 pilgrimage to historic Armenia.
He also spoke on the generations of Armenian faithful who
have born the cross with devotion and humility. It was in this spirit that the
late Mr. Kevork Hovnanian built the St. Stepanos Church, Archbishop Barsamian
said.
“While he was unquestionably a man of genuine stature in
American life, and a great figure in Armenian life on an international scale,
to this parish Kevork Hovnanian was a true father: a man of gentleness and
love, of wonderful good humor and touching tenderness to those around him,” the
Primate said. “He built this church as his beautiful memorial to his
parents.”
A requiem service followed the Divine Liturgy on the
occasion of the third anniversary of Mr. Hovnanian’s passing. A world-class
business leader, Mr. Hovnanian was the founding chairman of the Fund for
Armenian Relief, spearheading the Eastern Diocese’s outreach and development
effort to the Republic of Armenia following the 1988 earthquake. He was also a
generous supporter of causes in the greater New York area.
A committee of parishioners, led by Mrs. Amanda Haytaian,
organized an evening gala at the Oyster Point Hotel in Red Bank, NJ, to honor
Mr. Hovnanian’s wife, Mrs. Sirvart Hovnanian. Attendees included Dr. Edgar
Housepian, vice chair of the Fund for Armenian Relief; U.S. Congressman Frank
Pallone, Jr.; and Mrs. Susan Doctorian-Kyrillos, wife of New Jersey State
Senator and U.S. Senate candidate Joe Kyrillos.
Mrs. Aida Kado, chair of the St. Stepanos Church parish
council, welcomed guests and invited speakers to convey messages of
congratulations to Mrs. Hovnanian.
Ara Hovnanian, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Hovnanian and
chair and CEO of Hovnanian Enterprises, spoke about his mother’s nurturing role
in the Hovnanian family, and recalled how she supported her husband as the
family set down roots in America.
Archbishop Barsamian spoke about the strength of the
Hovnanians’ commitment to each other. “It was a partnership that extended to
every aspect of life, and will always stand for me as a beautiful example of
the tenderness of the Christian sacrament of marriage,” he said. “It was as
partners that Mr. and Mrs. Hovnanian became a force for progress, compassion,
and dignity in the Republic of Armenia.”
Congressman Pallone read the Congressional citation
issued in Mrs. Hovnanian’s honor. “A dedicated and loving wife and mother,
Sirvart Hovnanian truly exemplifies what it is to live the American dream,” he
said.
Mrs. Kyrillos read a resolution passed by the state
Senate congratulating the parish on its 25th anniversary. “St. Stepanos Church
has grown from its humble beginnings to its present vital and dynamic state due
to the steadfast devotion and tireless commitment of many dedicated persons,
both religious and lay, including Sirvart Hovnanian and her beloved late
husband, Kevork,” she said.
Fr. Kiledjian said that the parishioners of St. Stepanos
Church share a close bond, and work together to continue the legacy established
by Mr. Hovnanian. “We are not a large parish, but we are a great one,” he said.
“It’s not numbers that have made us great. It is our people—their faith and
their love of our community—that have helped us to flourish.”
The program also included a performance by the Arev
Children’s Choir. In addition to Mrs. Haytaian, the organizing committee was
comprised of Rose Froonjian, Sylva Terjanian, Diane Pekmezian, Aida Kado, and
Ashkhen Tadevosian.
###
Photos attached.
Photo 1: Fr. Mamigon Kiledjian and Archbishop Khajag
Barsamian congratulate Mrs. Sirvart Hovnanian.
Photo 2: U.S. Congressman Frank Pallone presents Mrs.
Sirvart Hovnanian with the Congressional citation issued in her honor.
Photo 3: Ara Hovnanian raises a glass to his mother.
PublicRelations [publicrelations@armeniandiocese.org]
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