Western Diocese

On April 21, 2007, His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian attended the Genocide Commemoration of the AGBY-AYA. With many esteemed government officials and members of the Armenian-American community in attendance the Primate offered his remarks in quoting Christ from the Gospel of Matthew (10:24), “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul,” and Jerry Costello, “With faith and courage, generations of Armenian have overcome great suffering and proudly preserved their culture, tradition and religion and have told the story of the genocide to an often indifferent world.”

His Eminence addressed the crowed by saying, “Our Martyrs sacrificed their gift of life without fear, embodying the message of Christ. They transmitted a strong message to the generations that followed that the Turks were not able to kill in the spirit. That same message of Christ remains for us all a source of inspiration. We should all understand that spiritual values are more important than material ones.”

The Primate then offered his sincere words of appreciation to the scouts and those in attendance for their inspiring dedication and service. Following the program a candlelight vigil was held.