Western Diocese

On March 11, 2008, His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, accompanied by several Diocesan clergy and staff, visited the Twin Towers Correction Facility in Los Angeles.
Chief Sammy L. Jones, Head of the Twin Tower Correction Facility, and Mr. Tevan Aroustamian greeted His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian. The Primate and the accompanying group were then led to the chapel where a special church service was held for the prisoners, on the occasion of Holy Week and Easter. Los Angeles County Sheriff Leroy D. Baca also participated in the church service.
His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian addressed the inmates, proclaiming the Good News of the Resurrection of Christ our Lord. The Primate encouraged the inmates to pause and ponder about the significance of the Resurrection and the promise of salvation of our Lord Jesus Christ and that we all should follow His example in our daily lives. The spiritual message was delivered by Fr. Vazken Movsesian who in his remarks reminded the inmates that the whole of humanity is imprisoned in that we all share the same struggles in recognizing the promise of the Salvation.
Sheriff Baca expressed his appreciation and gratitude to the Primate for the visit and Fr. Vazken Movsesian for his inspiring words. Sheriff Baca lauded the crucial importance of the cooperation between the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church in bringing peace and tranquility to the community.