On Sunday, August 16, 2020, the Armenian Apostolic Church observed the Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God, the fourth of the five tabernacle feasts in the Armenian Church calendar. 

At St. Leon Armenian Cathedral, the day's celebrant and homilist was His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America. Present at the service were Diocesan Council Vice-Chair Mr. Derik Ghookasian, members of the Board of Trustees of Providence St. Joseph Medical Center and hundreds of Diocesan faithful.

In his homily, Archbishop Derderian reflected on the significance of the Feast of the Assumption, highlighting the humility St. Mary, the Holy Mother of God. “The celebration of the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Holy Mother of God, empowers us all with one of the greatest lessons radiating from the Gospels. The key message is humility. What we see in the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary is her humility and readiness to respond to God’s call with love,” said the Primate. “The Blessed Virgin Mary is the source of inspiration through her humility not only for mothers alone but equally for the people of the world,” he added.

In March, the Western Diocese partnered with Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center on the Emergency Services Minutes Matter Campaign. The COVID-19 pandemic vividly demonstrates the need for a state-of-the-art emergency department and urgent care designed to safeguard the lives of our heartfelt community members. 

For this reason, the Primate led the formation of the Friends of Providence Saint Joseph Circle. With this partnership, the Western Diocese will raise awareness of the God-pleasing mission of Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center and its emergency services expansion plans. The Emergency  Services  Minutes  Matter  Campaign  is  an  effort  to  build  a  new  state-of-the-art emergency department and urgent care facility by 2022 – a project that is well underway. "It was almost a year ago when I met with the officials of Providence St. Joseph Medical Center and there I was briefed about a major project for the benefit of the community. For decades, the Armenian community has benefitted from the compassionate care of Providence St. Joseph Medical Center and we are grateful to all for the opportunity to take part in the expansion of the God-pleasing mission of the Medical Center," said Archbishop Derderian.  

The Diocesan Primate also acknowledged the presence of Kelly M. Linden, Chief Executive of Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center; Michael and Kathy Hastings, Burbank Committee Co-Chairs of the Emergency Services Campaign and Providence Saint Joseph Board of Governor member; Nat and Alma Rubenfield, Burbank Committee Co-Chairs of the Emergency Services Campaign and Providence Saint Joseph Board of Governor member; Steve Papazian, Entertainment Committee Co-Chair of the Emergency Services Campaign and Providence Saint Joseph Board of Governor member; Zizette Mullins, Burbank City Clerk and member of the Emergency Services Campaign Burbank Committee of Providence Saint Joseph Foundation, and Angela Khurdajian, Philanthropy Officer at Providence Saint Joseph Foundation. Archbishop Derderian highlighted the Diocese’s humanitarian mission to support the only hospital in Burbank to ensure a legacy of compassionate care for future generations.

The Primate also introduced Deacon Garen Hamamjian to the congregation, a Diocesan priesthood-candidate and the newest seminarian at St. Nersess Armenian Theological Seminary. Archbishop Derderian blessed the young deacon, wished him well in his theological studies and commended his zeal in serving the flock of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.