Western Diocese

On Holy Saturday, April 11, 2009, His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate, accompanied by the Very Rev. Fr. Baret Dz. V. Yeretsian, Cathedral Project Special Assistant to the Primate, paid a pastoral visit to the Armenian Church of Arizona in Scottsdale. Starting at 5:00 PM, a procession of chanting clergy and deacons, including Parish Priest Rev. Fr. Zacharia Saribekyan, headed by His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian entered the rising St. Apkar Armenian Church in Scottsdale, Arizona. St. Apkar Armenian Church of Arizona is built according to traditional Armenian Ecclesiastical architectural standards.

St. Apkar Armenian Church of Arizona will be consecrated by His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian on September 20, 2009. St. Apkar is located at 8849 East Cholla St., Scottsdale, Arizona 85260.

In 1957, a group of Armenians from Arizona held their first official gathering, which marked the beginning of the Armenian community. There had been articles in the local newspapers indicating Armenian presence in the Valley of the Sun, dated back as early as 1800's.

The first clergy who visited this community was the current Patriarch of Jerusalem (then-Primate) His Beatitude Archbishop Torkom Manoogian, who celebrated the Divine Liturgy for the first time at the Hosepian's residence in 1963. During the Divine Liturgy, a symbolic fundraising occurred and as a result a small amount was collected which became the seeds for the future developments.

Few years later, The Hosepian family graciously donated the property inspected earlier by His Eminence Archbishop Vatche Hovsepian to the Armenian Church of Arizona.

In the following years, the Parish Council in collaboration with the other Committees diligently worked towards the realization of their God-pleasing mission. In 1992, the Armenian Church Cultural Center was built - including the Melikian Hall. Alongside the hall, the Alex and Marie Manoogian classrooms were established and later on, the Nikit and Eleanora Ordjanian library was completed.