More than 400 people participated in the Groundbreaking
ceremony of the church building of the Armenian Church. The vision of hard
working Armenian-American community of Las Vegas was realized on November 1st
2014 with the groundbreaking ceremony for a new church in the heart of the
community.
At 12:30p.m., Godfathers, donors, and faithful gathered
at the Pre-School building, which also serves as the temporary sanctuary of the
church, and were led in a procession to the site where the future church
building would be built. With the participation of Archpriest Fr. Arshag
Khatchadourian, Archpriest Fr. Nareg Matarian, and Rev. Fr. Nerses Hayrapetyan,
the Primate anointed the cross-stones and the foreheads of the Godfathers of
the Armenian Church of Las Vegas. Archbishop Derderian congratulated the
Godfathers on their God-pleasing endeavor as “church-builders.”
In his address to the faithful community, the Primate
said “Beloved faithful in Christ, this historic day marks a new milestone in
the life of the Armenian Church of Las Vegas. You have embarked on a God-pleasing
journey. You are the living testament of the resurrected Armenian nation. Your
commitment to the preservation of our ancestral Christian Faith, our rich
heritage and culture is the realization of the dream of our martyred ancestors.
I pray that you continue to uphold our sacred traditions and become exemplary
citizens of this blessed land of the United States of America.”
Renowned attorney Mark Geragos, who is also the Grand
Benefactor of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Las Vegas, concluded the
ceremonial rite with the breaking of the ground.
Diocesan Council Chairman Mr. Antranik Zorayan, Diocese’s
Executive Director Harout Markarian, the Rev. Fr. Avedis Torosian, the Rev. Fr.
Arsen Kassabian, the Rev. Samuel Agulian, the Rev. Kurt A. Sortland, Pastor of
The Lakes Lutheran Church, Father and Son Jerry and Danny Tarkanian
participated in the historic event.
The twelve Godfathers (“Pillars – Apostles”) are George
Gregory Meguerian, Vahag Stepanyan, Rouben Grigoryan, Vigen Kirakosyan, Edmond
Patvakanyan, Levon Akhsharumov, Stepan Gevorgryants, Mesrop Khachikyan,
Shavarsh Papazian, Haik Atamian, Gagik Sekoyan and Joseph Djavairian.
The four Godfathers (“Pillars – Evangelists”) are
Rouzanna Grigorian, Hovsep Shadarevian, Kevin Setanyan and Mihran Furnchyan.
In the artistic portion of the program, students of the
Armenian Dance School of Las Vegas (instructor Las Vegas Isabella Martirosyan)
delighted the crowd with exceptional performances of traditional Armenian
dances. Saturday School students recited poems by famous Armenian poets.
Renowned violinist Samvel Yervinyan displayed a masterful performance of the
string instrument.
The event was covered by Las Vegas Channel 13 and was
shown on local television at 8:30 p.m. on the same night.
Following the groundbreaking ceremony, guests were
treated to a reception. In his remarks, the Primate commended the selfless
dedication of Archpriest Fr. Nareg Matarian, Pastor of the host parish, the
Parish Council, Ladies’ Society, ACYO and all auxiliary committees of the
Armenian Apostolic Church of Las Vegas. The historic event concluded with
Archbishop Derderian’s benediction.
The Armenian Apostolic Church of Las Vegas: A brief
History
The Armenian Apostolic Church of Las Vegas was
incorporated as a mission parish of Western Diocese in 1992. Over the years,
with the significant growth of the Armenian-American population in the Greater
Las Vegas area, the Armenian community faced new challenges. The determined
spirit of the parishioners and the entire Armenian-American community of Las
Vegas realized their vision by taking the first step in establishing a cultural
center by purchasing a two acre property in 2011.
The focus of the Cultural Center is intensively directed
toward providing residents of the Greater Las Vegas area programs that are
specifically designed to address the spiritual, social, educational, and
cultural needs of the Armenian-American community in the Greater Las Vegas
area.
The cultural center will consist of three buildings, a
church, multi-purpose social hall, and an educational building. The center is
located in the heart of the Armenian-American community, 6820 Ponderosa Way at
the corner of Ponderosa Way and Santa Margarita Street.
The completion of the first phase of construction, the
educational building currently used for Saturday School classes and temporarily
for Sunday Service, injected a dynamic boost within the community and now
serves a maximum capacity of nearly 70 students.
Twenty two years after the formation of the mission
parish, the Armenian Apostolic Church of Las Vegas parish hosted the 87th
Annual Diocesan Assembly of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North
America in May 2014.
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