Since the day it was established, the Armenian Apostolic Church has upheld the sacred teachings of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, remaining as the beacon of faith of the Armenian people in the Motherland and the Diaspora. Despite a number of challenges, the Armenian Church, as a result of the collective efforts of the reverend clergy and the faithful flock of Christ, remains an unshakable fortress and a refuge. The Armenian Christian identity, the inherited values of an Armenian Christian family and the loyalty to the sacred traditions of the Armenian Apostolic Church is preserved within her blessed walls.

It is with this conviction in our ancestral faith that the faithful community of Holy Resurrection Armenian Church greeted His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America, adding another exciting chapter in the life of the Armenian community of Seattle, Washington.

The festivities commenced with the celebration of the Divine Liturgy by the Diocesan Primate. During the service Archbishop Derderian granted four minor orders of acolyte to altar servers Gevorg Stepanyants and Tigran Safaryan. Archbishop Derderian also called forth to the nave the students of Holy Resurrection Armenian Church and after delivering words of commendation and encouragement, the Primate extended to the youth his pastoral blessings.

At the conclusion of the service, Archbishop Derderian also performed the blessing of the veils ceremony of the choir members after which His Eminence led a processional to the site of the newly acquired property where he was welcomed with the traditional Armenian greeting of bread and salt. Archbishop Derderian performed the blessing ceremony of the property. Armenian Home’s grand opening was made official with the Primate’s symbolic cutting of the ribbon. Archbishop Derderian exhorted the faithful community to cherish and preserve the educational and cultural center of Holy Resurrection Armenian Church, encouraging them to wholehearted support its noble mission.

The rich cultural program included performances of traditional Armenian songs, dances as well as recitations. The students captivated the audience with their masterful performances of folkloric songs by Komitas Vardapet and inspirational poems by the legendary Hovhannes Tumanyan.