9Th Annual Ecumenical Prayer Service Held At The Western Diocese

The ninth annual ecumenical prayer service was held at the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America on Tuesday, December 4, 2018.

An established Diocesan tradition, the ecumenical prayer service was established by the Primate shortly after the consecration of St. Leon Armenian Cathedral in 2010. In accordance with tradition, the ecumenical prayer service honors institutions or individuals who have strengthened the community either through mission or individual achievements.

The event commenced with the welcoming remarks by Rev. Fr. Vazken Movsesian. Prayers in English from the Book of Hours of the Armenian Apostolic Church were read and were followed by performances of liturgical hymns (Hayr Mer, Kristos ee mech mer haytnetsav, Soorb, Soorb) by the Choir of St. Leon Armenian Cathedral. Liturgical hymns were also performed by the Greek Orthodox Choir.

This year’s honoree was the Very Rev. Fr. John Bakas, Dean of St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral. The Rt. Rev. Alexei Smith, Ecumenical Officer of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, expressed words of commendation and appreciation highlighting the dedication and zealous Christian spirit of the honoree.

In his remarks, Fr. John Bakas expressed his gratitude to the Almighty for entrusting him the pastoral duty of guiding the flock of Christ on the path to righteousness. Fr. Bakas stressed the importance of faith in today’s world and reminded that each of us is a member of the Body of Christ. Fr. Bakas thanked his spouse for the love and support she has provided throughout the years and vowed to serve with renewed dedication and zeal.  

His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos, Metropolitan of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco shared with the congregation the honoree’s love for serving the people of God and commended Fr. Bakas’ pastorate praying for God’s blessings and continued success in his ministry.

 In his remarks, Archbishop Derderian reflected on the valuable service of Fr. Bakas in the ecumenical life. “As a man of immense faith, you have reached out to all levels of our society starting from the highest levels of government, to reaching out to the less fortunate of the community. You have personally been a close friend of the Armenian Apostolic Church and have attended most of our historic events.” As a token of his gratitude, Archbishop Derderian presented the Very Rev. Fr. John Bakas a pectoral cross.

During the evening, a special prayer was held for the soul of Mr. Levon Paronyan, the late father of Dr. Aramayis Paronyan, the Grand Benefactor of St. Leon Armenian Cathedral as well as the victims of the cataclysmic earthquake in Armenia which claimed the lives of more than 25,000 and left 500,000 homeless on December 7, 1988. This year marked the 30^th anniversary of the devastating earthquake.

The evening service was followed by a light reception organized by the Good Samaritans of St. Leon Armenian Cathedral whose mission is to provide support to needy families in the Diocese as well as in Armenia.

Earlier in the day, the Western Diocese welcomed members of the Faith and Order Commission of Southern California’s Christian Forum and Southern California’s Christian Forum for ecumenical fellowships and discussions. 

The Primate commended the Diocese’s Ecumenical Officer Mr. Hayk Madoyan for his years of dedicated service and contributions to the ecumenical life.