The Western Diocese » Our Parishes » St. James Armenian Church, Sacramento
St. James Armenian Church, Sacramento
- Address
- 3240 B Street
Sacramento CA, 95816 - Phone
- (916) 443-3633
- Fax
- (916) 443-4067
Parish Priest
Fr. Asoghig Jamgochian
- Phone
- (916) 443-3633
- Fax
- (916) 443-4067
- derasoghig2000@yahoo.com
Staff
Vartan Gilian, Parish Council Chair
About St. James Armenian Church, Sacramento
The first Armenians who settled in Sacramento, Mr. and Mrs. Arshag Sarkisssian and family, moved from Fresno in 1919. Currently there are 325 Armenian families in the Capital City. In January 1929 a group of ten women organized the Ladies’ Society of the Armenian Apostolic Church. One year later on January 10, 1930 His Grace Bishop Karekin Khatchaturian, the first Primate of the Armenian Churches in California, visited Sacramento to preside over the meeting of the Ladies’ Society and to celebrate the first Divine Liturgy of the community, in the Episcopal Church.
Until the construction of the present sanctuary, church services continued in Episcopal churches. Visiting clergy including the late Rev. Fr. Theodore Isaac of Fresno and Rev. Fr. Bedros Hagopian of Oakland celebrated Divine Liturgy on Christmas, Easter and special occasions. Not having enough membership to form a Parish Council, Mr. Arshag Sarkisian performed those duties for several years. In 1951 arrangements were made for Rev. Fr. Bedros Kassardjian, Pastor of St. Vartan Armenian Church in Oakland, to celebrate Divine Liturgy once a month at the Armenian Church of Sacramento. In July 1951 in a joint meeting of the Ladies’ Society and the Parish Council presided by Fr. Kassardjian it was decided to purchase the current site located on “B” Street. A committee was elected under the leadership of Sarkis Shirinian, Architect, to perform the necessary renovations.
On May 10, 1953 the consecration of St. James Armenian Church took place, providing the Armenians of the community with a permanent place of worship. Since then the parish has enjoyed the spiritual leadership of Very Rev. Haigasser Bairamian, Very Rev. Samuel Aghoyan, Very Rev. Fr. Sasoon Zumrookhdian, and Very Rev. Fr. Asbed Balian. The current Pastor of St. James Armenian Church is the Rev. Fr. Yeghia Hairabedian.
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