A Day of Joy and Ordinations
Our celebration of St. Sarkis Feast Day on Sunday, February 16 2025, was by far one of the most joyful, memorable, and spiritual Nameday celebrations in our church history. During the Divine Liturgy celebration, Archbishop Anoushavan Tanielian administered the sacrament of ordination for John Hovig Megerian to the rank of Deacon, and for 12 of our altar boys to the rank of Acolyte, to include: Haig Anastasian; Alessandro Felice; Aris Givelekian; Andrew Gorgissian; Eddy Hazarian; Gregory Keshishian; Anthony Marino; Raffi Megerian; Ari Megherian; Armen Megherian; Erik Nalbandian; and Avedis Terterian. Congratulations to Deacon Megerian and our newly ordained Acolytes!
Following Badarak, over 150 parishioners gathered for an inspiring reception in the church banquet hall. Master of Ceremonies, Deacon John Megerian, beautifully and inspirationally spoke of the importance of faith and the Church in his life and his journey of faith guided by his dear mother, Srpazan Anoushavan, and Der Nareg. After some words from Der Nareg and Board of Trustees Chair Annita Nerses, Archbishop Anoushavan presented certificates to all those that were newly ordained. The celebration included incredible performances from our talented youth, including: a youth choir singing sacred hymns and solo vocal performances by AnnMarie Hazarian, Hasmik Mouradian, and Sarafina Yazicyan, accompanied by Mrs. Haikouhi Megerian; Guitar performances by Shahen Faisel, Armen Megherian, and Ari Megherian; a piano solo by Avedis Terterian; and Tonee Marino singing his hit “Hayastan”, with Andrew Gorgissian, Aram Nenejian, Levon Nenejian, and Gary Nercessian performing Armenian dancing. A big thank-you to Nicholas Yacizyan for providing sound system support. Many parishioners expressed their excitement as this being one of the most joyful St. Sarkis celebrations ever!
Our deepest gratitude to our dedicated volunteers who planned and provided support during the event, including: Yn. Annie Terterian, Zepiur Ardzivian, Lena Felice, Alina Kochoumian, Jeanette Nenejian, Yvette Feisel, Ani Feisel, Nyrie Bedrossian, Meline Yazicyan, and the amazing, dedicated mothers of our ordained acolytes who also contributed the cake and desserts: Veron Anastasian, Lena Felice, Annette Givelekian, Hilda Gorgissian, Madlen Hazarian, Pamela Keshishian, Nazik Marino, Salpie Megerian, Seta Megherian, Satik Nalbandian, and Yn. Annie Terterian. We also wish to extend a very special thank-you to Mrs. Yester Garabedian for preparing and donating the delicious St. Sarkis halvah.
Two of our newly ordained Acolytes, Tonee Marino and Andrew Gorgissian, have shared their thoughts on Sunday’s experience in the hope of inspiring others around them.
Tonee Marino: “I congratulate everyone that’s being officially ordained. I thank Srpazan Anoushavan for welcoming us as ordained members of the church. I thank Der Hayr for being so welcoming to all of us, and making us feel so at home at church and on the altar. Since I started serving here, my faith has genuinely been taken to another level. I really look forward to serving on the altar every Sunday. There’s no other place that I’d rather be. The sense of community at our church is so strong, and I love that everyone is so passionate. It’s inspiring and it’s truly a family here. I feel like it’s very important attend church on sundays, to maintain and strengthen our relationship with God, and that here’s no better way of doing so than by actually serving the church in some capacity. I’m proud to be a member of this church, and I’ve made it a goal to hopefully inspire others to embrace their faith on a higher level, to emphasize the importance of attending church, and to attend with purpose. I want to thank you Der Hayr and also the deacons and sub deacons who’ve made this place a home for all of us. I look forward to continuing my journey with faith in this church.”
Andrew Gorigissian: “Ordination is a special step in a man’s life, marking the moment when he answers his call from God to serve his church and his community. This past Sunday, February 16th, I along with 11 other clergy members were fortunate enough to accept this sacred calling. John Megerian was ordained into a deacon. Together, we were called to be the future leaders of our community, inspiring the next generation to follow our footsteps. This enlightening service consisted of us being given the power to take care of the church and clean it after services. Anoushavan Srpazan also granted the honor upon Mr. Megherian of reading the Gospel and further assisting Der Nareg during Sunday services. Through service on the altar, attending church has become seamless because of the familial connection we have made with each other and the deacons. Hours of attending church has inspired us to further our faith, and sitting through Der Nareg’s sermons has taught us how to use faith to guide us in our daily lives and prepared us to be strong fathers and leaders in our community. It was a truly fulfilling experience to take this step in my faith alongside childhood friends. I hope to continue growing my faith and make a lasting impact on my local church community.”