RELIGIOUS LEADERS OF THE AREA GATHER AT ST. VARTAN

By Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan

The religious leaders of the area, with whom we share not just a geography but also a commitment to love and service, joined together in St. Vartan Cathedral to extend a warm welcome to me in my new role as the newly ordained bishop of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America.

Their presence was a testament to the unifying power of faith and the collaborative work we all aspire to undertake for the glory of God and the betterment of His people. We prayed together at St. Vartan Cathedral and then gathered at the Diocesan Center for lunch. We broke bread, exchanged thoughts, and envisioned a future of collective growth in faith, love, and service.

Gatherings like these remind us that although we may belong to different denominations and traditions, our core mission remains the same: to manifest God’s love in the world. The call for ecumenical bonds is more urgent in a world divided by conflict and strife. We are charged to be architects of peace, to sow unity in a fragmented world.

I want to express my heartfelt thanks to the hierarchs of our sister Orthodox churches and to the representatives of various church jurisdictions in the ecumenical community in the Tristate area. I look forward to working with you to serve our communities and bear witness to our faith in this great city—where many faiths, cultures, and languages come together in harmony. I pray our collective work will be a living testament to the transformative power of faith and unity.