Armenian Church

GLENDALE— A 23-year-old Glendale man who allegedly used a sledgehammer to smash a religious monument outside St. Mary's Armenian Apostolic Church pleaded not guilty Thursday to felony vandalism, officials said. Victor Petrescu appeared in a Los Angeles County Superior Court in Glendale to answer to a list of charges that included felony vandalism of religious property — with an enhancement charge for damages exceeding more than $50,000 — a misdemeanor count of possessing a sledgehammer with the intent to commit vandalism and graffiti, and having a suspended and revoked driver's license, Glendale Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz said.

Archpriest Father Hovsep Hagopian, parish priest of the Armenian Apostolic Church of La Cañada Flintridge, will discuss peacemakers from a passage in the Bible (Matthew 5:9) at the 10:30 a.m. service on Sunday, July 16 in Lanterman Auditorium, 4491 Cornishon Ave., LCF. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called Sons of God," is the full passage that Father Hagopian will base his sermon on. "I am going to talk about peace and the peacemakers," the father said. "Peace is a precious legacy from Christ.

Armenians from the La Crescenta and La Cañada area gathered in Lanterman Auditorium (which serves as the site of the Armenian Apostolic Church every Sunday) on Easter Sunday to celebrate the glorious resurrection of Christ. The service commenced at 10:30 a.m. and ended at 1:30 p.m. and was led by Archpriest Hovsep Hagopian. He also led a special prayer at the end of the service blessing the four corners of the Earth. After his sermon, the archpriest read Archbishop Hovnan Derderian’s Easter message, preaching, “the celebration of the Resurrection of Christ our Lord offers the vision to embrace the Gospel of the Lord with its message of salvation, which enlightens our mind and soul with divine love.

GLENDALE — A week and a day after Nataline Sarkisyan was taken off life support, about 250 mourners gathered Friday at St. Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church and then Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills for the 17-year-old Northridge resident’s funeral. Thousands of roses and colored carnations molded into decorative sculptures sat behind Nataline’s white coffin, which was flanked by many of the same friends, family and well-wishers who protested outside Cigna HealthCare’s Glendale office last week, urging the company to reverse its decision to deny a doctor-recommended and potentially life-saving liver transplant.

FOREST LAWN, GLENDALE -- Catholicos Aram I, the spiritual leader of the Armenian Apostolic Church, will deliver an address at 8:30 a.m. today at Forest Lawn, Glendale during a program commemorating the 1,700-year anniversary of the church. The pontiff will speak to more than 700 students of Prelay Armenian Church School. His appearance at Forest Lawn will mark the second day of a five-day tour of Southern California. On Wednesday, Aram I addressed the congregation of St. Mary's Armenian Apostolic Church in Glendale.

Slowly but surely, two priests of the Armenian Church and a 4-foot-high cross ascended 45 feet into the evening sky -- powered not only by their faith and the hopes of parishioners but also by the motor of a yellow crane. And then came the moment of truth. With some twisting and turning, the cross was placed on the rooftop dome of the St. Ashken and St. Dertad Chapel, part of the Armenian Church's new Western Prelacy building, which His Holiness Aram I -- the pontiff of the Great House of Cilicia -- blessed Saturday night.

His Holiness Aram I will visit the St. Garabed Armenian Apostolic Church in Hollywood Thursday. The Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia and spiritual leader will tour the Western United States the following 20 days, where he has speaking engagements lined up at the University of California, Los Angeles and at various churches and venues. His first stop at the St. Garabed Armenian Apostolic Church on 1614 N. Alexandria Ave. will start at 6:00 p.m. and includes a "Achachampouryr" blessing service.

Gary Moskowitz PASADENA -- It's a time for renewal. This weekend, St. Gregory Armenian Church of Pasadena will receive the flame that has traveled all the way from Armenia to Southern California just in time for the Feast of Theophany, or the Armenian tradition of celebrating the birth of Christ and the Nativity. St. Gregory's will have a 10 a.m. Mass Saturday in celebration of the Nativity and Baptism of Christ. The church will have a 10:30 a.m. Mass Sunday to celebrate the arrival of the Armenian flame.

Well, here we go again. It seems Mr. Gomez has caused far more damage than he will take responsibility for. Indeed, now he ignores all of us citizens of this city, and the great monument debate is on and will hold the council and city hostage for who knows how long. Let the monument be put at the beautiful Armenian church on Central Avenue. Let whomever wants to pay for it, pay (not our city). Mr. Gomez's monument should be a desk from wherever he came from.