Western Diocese

On Friday, January 15, 2010, His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate, met with Rev. Fr. Krikor Zakaryan, Parish Priest of Armenian Church of the Desert, the members of the Parish Council and the Construction Committee.

With the assistance of Rev. Fr. Krikor Zakaryan and Dn. Vartan Zargarian, the Primate presided over the blessing of the Main Dome Cross. Following the ceremony, the Primate delivered his message and expressed his sincere appreciation to the Parish Priest, members of the Parish Council and the Construction Committee for their dedication during the construction efforts. Several Parish Council, Parish members and parishioners were in attendance to witness this momentous occasion. The Blessing Service was followed by a dinner banquet. The consecration date of the church is scheduled for October 2010.

Banquet

The Primate offered the blessing of the tables after which Carolon Nigosian, Chair of the Parish Council welcomed the guests of the evening. She expressed her gratitude to the Primate for his special attention to the Parish as well as the Parish Council and the Construction Committee for their support during the construction efforts. Rev. Fr. Krikor Zakaryan also expressed his gratitude to the Primate for his guidance and support.

The banquet concluded with the Primate's closing message and prayer.          

Raising of the Main Dome

On January 16, 2010, the Main Dome Cross was secured on the Main Dome by Chuck Simonian, the architect who designed and built the Cross for the Armenian Church of the Desert.  Then, the entire Main Dome structure was craned up to rest on top of the church sanctuary building. This long awaited and historical event was enjoyed by everyone in attendance.