In celebration of the Feast of the Discovery of the Holy Cross, H.G. Bishop Torkom Donoyan, Prelate of the Western Prelacy of the United States, presided over Divine Liturgy at St. Garabed Church in Hollywood on Sunday, October 25, 2021, and delivered the sermon. Attending were H.E. Archbishop Yeprem Tabakian, clergy, representatives of Prelacy Executive Council, and the faithful.
During the Divine Liturgy, the Prelate granted the honor of stole-bearer to acolytes Hovhaness Balian and Dikran Magarian. On the occasion, the Prelate said, “These days, people want to be seen by other people. The enviable, however, are those who are seen by the Creator.
“Today, these two young men have been seen by the Creator and, to honor their service, received the symbolic stoles of the Holy Cross of Jesus.” In appreciation, the Prelate said, “Dear Dikran and Hovhannes, my wish for you is that your love for the church of God increases. The past few years, I observed your reverence of the Divine Liturgy. At this moment, again, I observe your great love for the church and the Creator.”
On the occasion of the Feast of the Discovery of the Holy Cross, the Prelate congratulated the pastor of St. Garabed Church Archpriest Fr. Vicken Vassilian, the board of trustees, and the faithful who witnessed the young men’s entry into a new phase of service to the Church.
H.G. Bishop Donoyan, Prelate, also congratulated Archbishop Tabakian on his 80th birthday, extended appreciation and gratitude for his decades of service to the Armenian Church, specifically his spiritual, religious and national service to the Western Prelacy.
On the occasion of the Feast of the Discovery of the Holy Cross, H.G. Bishop Torkom Donoyan, Prelate, invited those present to exert effort to seek the cross of Jesus Christ, which, he said, “often stays buried in a corner of each of our souls.” He emphasized that we should not simply be searching for the cross; rather, have the goal to find and embody the Holy cross of Jesus Christ. In closing, the Prelate said, “Let us have great hope and faith that we will find the cross of Christ and lift it into our souls and lives—so much so that we embrace the cross every living day we spend on earth, as the Apostle Paul dictates.”
