To advance the activities of the newly-consecrated Holy Archangels Church in La Crescenta a gala banquet was held on August 30 at the Palladio Banquet Hall in Glendale under the auspices of Western Prelate Archbishop Kegham Khacherian, hosted by the church’s founding benefactors Mr. and Mrs. Varant and Hoori Melkonian and organized by a committee chaired by Mr. Melkonian.
The Holy Archangels Church, which was established in 2005, was officially renamed the Holy Archangels Church in honor of Varant Melkonian’s mother, Angel Melkonian.
Thus, it was especially moving when Varant and Hoori Melkonian’s son, Arman, took the stage to deliver remarks on behalf of the Melkonian family.
Melkonian family matriarch Angel Melkonian with her familyThe new generation of Melkonians
He began by honoring the memory of his grandfather, the later Melkon Melkonian, and praised the spiritual and human virtues of his grandmother, Angel Melkonian, who was in attendance at the banquet.
Arman Melkonian explained that the love of church was engrained in him at the home of his grandparents, where they had raised seven children with Armenian-Christian values.
Today, he said, the Melkonian family, with its 21 grandchildren, is rejoicing together as the banquet dedicated to the completion of the construction of the Holy Archangels Church, which perpetuates the name and memory of his grandparents.
Arman Melkonian also praised his parents’ boundless love of the church and their many philanthropic endeavors, saying that it was not his father’s financial contribution that makes the Holy Archangels Church a reality today, but rather it is the faith and love of the many children of the Melkonian family and the community toward God and the Armenian Church, all for the preservation of the spiritual and national identity and cultural values of the Armenian people.
Varant Melkonian, who was joined on stage by his wife, Hoori, delivered moving and inspiring remarks, sharing his personal journey and some insights into the family’s decision to become benefactors of the church and the fundraising efforts for the construction project and ensuring that the new church would have the unique Armenian characteristics.
It became apparent from his remarks that the Melkonian family, from the very first day until that evening, had donated $2 million for the construction and advancement of the church. Melkonian explained that in organizing the gala, he had personally contacted community benefactors and leaders, whom he knew, and was able to raise an additional $2 million from them without hesitation.
Mr. Melkonian expressed the Committee’s gratitude to all the donors and announced that he and his wife, Hoori, were making an additional $1.5 million donation toward the construction of the Holy Archangels Church. The announcement was met with thunderous applause.
Melkonian added that the fundraising activities were not over and they will continue to ensure the daily operation of the church, and encouraged the community and other donors to contribute.
In his remarks, banquet committee vice-chairman Dikran DerSarkissian reflected on the origins of the La Crescenta Church parish, which was established in 2005 during the tenure of former Prelate Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian. He explained that from 2010 until 2023, the church was operating out of the Western Prelacy headquarters.
DerSarkissian explained that during the tenure of former Prelate Archbishop Torkom Donoyan the current church compound, located across the street from the Vahan and Anoush Chamlian School, was purchased with a generous donation by the Melkonian family.
During his pontifical visit to the California last year, His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, consecrated the Holy Archangels Church.
He then praised the Melkonians for their dedication and unwavering efforts. DerSarkissian also thanked the supporters and volunteers, congratulating the community on their effort to make the La Crescenta Church parish a success during its more than two decades of service.
In his remarks, Prelate Khacherian reflected on Catholicos Aram I’s message during the consecration event last year, reminding the attendees that the pontiff had stressed that building a church and a school is part of the centuries-old virtues of the Armenian people. He said that the stronger the church becomes, the more the future generations of Armenians will be empowered to preserve their Armenian identity.
The Prelate specifically thanked the Vahan and Anoush Chamlian School Board and family, who since the purchase of the compound have assumed the payment of the mortgage and will continue to bear that responsibility.
Welcoming remarks by Mistress of Ceremonies Tamar Tovmassian were followed by the singing of the American and Armenian national anthems by renowned tenor, Berdj Kirazian. After the Prelate blessed the tables, the attendees were treated to a video presentation chronicling the history of the La Crescenta Church parish and the establishment of the Holy Archangels Church.
Also attending the gala banquet were former prelates Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian and Torkom Donoyan; the current and former parish priests of the Holy Archangels Church, Reverent Ghevont Kirazian and Very Reverent Ardag Demirdjian, as well as clergy from other parishes; chair of the Western Prelacy Executive Council, Vahe Hovaguimian, who was accompanied by other members of the body; the chair of the Cilician Catholicosate Central Executive Council, Stepan Der Bedrossian, and his wife, who were visiting Los Angeles; member of the Cilician Catholicosate Central Executive Council, Gaidzag Zeitlian, and his wife, Dzovig, who is a member of the Prelacy Executive Council. Also present were community benefactors, among them Aris Stamboulian and Meher Der Ohanessian.
