Archpriest Fr. Vazgen Boyajyan Meets With Armenian-American Community In Spokane, Washington

On his inaugural pastoral visit to Spokane, Washington, a city located in the eastern part of the state and home to an estimated 300 to 500 Armenians, on October 21, 2025, Archpriest Fr. Vazgen Boyajyan met with members of the local Armenian community to convey his readiness to provide spiritual guidance and pastoral care on behalf of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America.

Fr. Vazgen commenced his visit with a meeting with Mr. Mirak Kazanjian, a young Armenian entrepreneur and proprietor of Skewers Restaurant. Together they visited St. Gregorios Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, where they were cordially received by the parish priest, Rev. Fr. Michael Hatcher. Noting that a number of Armenian families attend services at St. Gregorios Church, Fr. Vazgen expressed his sincere appreciation to Fr. Hatcher for his Christian fellowship and pastoral care extended to the Armenian faithful.

In a spirit of fraternal love and ecumenical unity, Fr. Hatcher extended a gracious invitation to make available his church for the celebration of the Armenian Divine Liturgy. Fr. Vazgen warmly welcomed this generous offer, acknowledging it as a profound expression of Christian solidarity and the unity of the one Body of Christ.

Later that evening, Fr. Vazgen met with members of the Armenian community at Skewers Restaurant. During the gathering, he shared the purpose of his pastoral visit and affirmed his commitment to make regular visits to Spokane to celebrate the Divine Liturgy and to minister to the spiritual needs of the faithful.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Fr. Vazgen conveyed the blessings and paternal greetings of His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese. His Eminence expressed his heartfelt desire to visit Spokane in the near future, to personally meet the members of the Armenian community, and to learn more about their spiritual life and aspirations.

Fr. Vazgen extended his gratitude to all who participated in the gathering and offered special thanks to Mr. Mirak Kazanjian for his warm hospitality and dedicated efforts in organizing the meeting.

May this pastoral visit mark the beginning of a renewed spiritual presence and growth for the Armenian faithful of Eastern Washington.