Western Diocese

We are pleased to announce to the Parish Priests, Parish Councils, Ladies Auxiliary Committees, Diocesan Delegates, auxiliary bodies and the entire faithful that His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America has made the following appointments.

Rev. Archpriest Fr. Nareg Matarian Appointed as Parish Priest of Armenian Church La Verne

Rev. Archpriest Fr. Nareg Matarian served at St. Sarkis Armenian Church in East Los Angeles since 1995. Upon the sale of the building, he was appointed to temporary pastoral duties at St. Sarkis Armenian Church in North Hollywood.  On January 1, 2010, the Primate appointed Rev. Archpriest Fr. Nareg Matarian as the Parish Priest of the Armenian Church in La Verne. Fr. Nareg is also the Musical Director of the Western Diocese.

Rev. Archpriest Fr. Nareg Matarian - Short Biography

Rev. Archpriest Fr. Nareg Matarian was born on July 10, 1946 in Ayn El Arab, Syria. Upon his graduation from a local elementary school in 1960, he was accepted to the Seminary of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem. In 1962, he left the Seminary and returned to Aleppo. In 1965, the Matarian family established permanent residency in Yerevan, Armenia, where he continued his education in music.

Fr. Matarian married in 1969 and served in the army that year. Upon his discharge, continued his musical education in the Gomidas Conservatory of Music in Yerevan. In parallel to his studies, Fr. Nareg worked at the State Opera Ensemble of Armenia as a soloist and was the music instructor of school No. 105 in Yerervan. He graduated from the Conservatory in 1976.

In September 1979, he was accepted as a student in the Seminary of Holy Etchmiadzin as a candidate for married Priesthood. On February 24, 1980, he was ordained into the Priesthood at the St. Gayane Monastery by His Eminence Archbishop Housig Santourian. In April of 1980, he was assigned as the Priest-In-Charge of the Shoghagat Monastery, in Etchmiadzin.

From January 1981 until May 1992, he served as the Assistant to the Grand Sacristan in the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin, and at the same time, he served as a Music Instructor at the Seminary of Holy Etchmiadzin.

Fr. Nareg and his family moved to Los Angeles in the summer of 1992. He served as a Visiting Priest in the Western Diocese prior to his assignment as the Parish Priest of St. Sarkis Armenian Church in East Los Angeles.

 Rev. Fr. Haroutioun Tachejian Appointed as Parish Priest of Armenian Church in Ventura County

Rev. Fr. Haroutioun Tachejian has served as the priest of Holy Cross of Varak Armenian Apostolic Church in Arnouville Les Gonesse, France. With the appointment of the Primate, Fr. Haroutioun will serve as the Parish Priest of the Armenian Church in Ventura County and the Visiting Priest of the Armenian Church in Antellope Valley in Palmdale.     

 Rev. Fr. Haroutioun Tachejian - Short Biography

Rev. Fr. Haroutioun Tachejian was born is Aleppo, Syria in 1970. He received his elementary education at Sahakian School of Aleppo. In 1983, he was accepted to the seminary of the Armenian Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia. In 1988, he was ordained as a deacon by Bishop Vartan Demirdjian. Rev. Fr. Haroutioun Tashjian graduated from the seminary of Antelias in 1990.

From 1990 to 1991, he taught religion, Armenian history and Armenian literature at the Haigazian School in Aleppo. Furthermore, he worked in the editorial offices of "Kantsasar", the official publication of the Armenian Prelacy of Aleppo.

On February 29, 1992, he married Talin Tanachian and together they moved to Paris, France. He was ordained as a married priest on April 26, 1992 by Archbishop Kude Nakashian at St. John Baptist Armenian Church.

In 1992, he was appointed as the pastor of St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church in   Chaville, France and served at the church until June 2002. Later, Rev. Fr. Haroutioun Tachejian was appointed as the pastor of St. Mary Magdalene Armenian Church in Belgium.   

Fr. Tachejian is multilingual. He speaks French, English, Arabic and Turkish. From 1994 to 1995, he was the host of a religious program on Radio AYP which was broadcasted in English and French. Moreover, he wrote numerous newspaper and periodical articles about the Armenian churches and schools. In addition to his pastoral duties, he teaches Armenian language in Armenian schools.

Rev. Fr. Haroutioun Tashjian and Yeretzgin Talin are blessed with two children; Norayr 15 and Mayda 13. The Tashjians are naturalized citizens of France.

 Dn. Hovnan Vardanyan Appointed Deacon In Charge

We are pleased to inform the entire faithful that the Primate has appointed Priesthood-Candidate Dn. Hovnan Vardanyan as the Deacon In Charge of the Armenian Church of the Antelope Valley in Palmdale, California.

Dn. Hovnan Vardanyan was born in 1982 in Sisian, Armenia. From 1988-1996 he received his education from School No. 3. From 1992-1996, he served at St. John Armenian Apostolic Church in Sisian. From 1996-2000, he was a seminarian at the Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem. He served in the Armenian Army from 2000-2002. In 2003, he established and directed the Christian Youth Union of Sisian. That year, he was accepted to the Priesthood Preparation Academy in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. He graduated in 2005.

He was ordained to the Diaconate on May 28, 2006 by His Grace Bishop Abraham Mrktchyan, Primate of the Diocese of Syunik. In 2007, he established the "St. Gregory the Illuminator" religious and cultural periodical.

He married Alenoush Yeghnazar in 2007 in Los Angeles. From 2007 - 2008, he served in the Western Diocese at the Burbank Parish.

Dn. Hovnan is a continuing student as Claremont School of Theology.