Western Diocese

Once again, with great spiritual joy, and with sincere thanks to our Lord Jesus Christ, we are pleased to announce the appointment of Dn. Arsen Hayrapetyan by the Primate as the Parish Priest of the Armenian Church of Santa Clarita and the Armenian Church of Antelope Valley, upon his ordination and consecration to the Priesthood. Dn. Arsen Hayrapetyan will be ordained and consecrated to the Priesthood by His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate, on Thursday, October 16, 2008, beginning at 6:30 PM, at St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church in Pasadena (2215 East Colorado Blvd. Pasadena, CA 91107, Tel: (626)449-1523). Dn. Arsen Hayrapetyan is currently a full-time graduate student at the Claremont School of Theology.

The calling rite to the Priesthood will take place one day before, on Wednesday, October 15, 2008, beginning at 7:30, at the same location. The ordination and consecration ceremonies on Thursday, October 16^th, will be followed by an official banquet at the Aghajanian Hall of the church. For more information please call St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church at (626)449-1523 or the Diocese at (818)558-7474.

Dn. Arsen Hayrapetyan - A Biographical Piece

Dn. Arsen Hayrapetyan was born on July 7, 1981, in Ararat, Armenia. From 1988 to 1998, he attended the local elementary and secondary schools, namely, ‘School No. 1' and "Targmatchatz" School. In 1998, he was admitted to the Vazkenian Theological Seminary in the province of Sevan, Armenia. After graduation, he pursued his advanced theological studies at the Kevorkian Theological Seminary in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. On December 25, 2003, he was ordained to diaconate by His Grace Bishop Sion Adamian in the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin. In 2004, He graduated from the Kevorking Theological Seminary and was assigned to serve at the Department of Finance and Economy of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin (2004-2006). In 2005, Dn. Hayrapetyan submitted his seminary thesis for examination, titled: "The New Age Movement and the Root Causes."    In 2006, he was assigned as the Staff-Bearer for the Pontiff and served in the same capacity until 2007 when he was reassigned as the Staff-Bearer Assistant, before moving to the United States in June 2007. He married Miss. Araksya Krkhyan in December 2007. In September 2008, under the instruction of His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America, Dn. Arsen Hayrapetyan was enrolled in a Master of Arts program for religious studies at the Claremont School of Theology and is expected to graduate in three years. After ordination and consecration to the Priesthood, he will resume his service in a pastoral capacity for the Armenian churches of Santa Clarita and Antelope Valley.