ST. JOHN OF MILWAUKEE CELEBRATES 80TH ANNIVERSARY

On Sunday, Nov. 13, 2022, St. John the Baptist Armenian Church of Milwaukee observed its 80th anniversary with Bishop Vahan Hovhannesian, former primate of the Armenian Church Diocese of France, celebrating the Divine Liturgy.

St. John Parish was established 82 years ago with the original Parish Council approved by the late Diocesan Primate His Eminence Archbishop Karekin Hovsepian (Later Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia). Two years later, the original church was constructed and consecrated by Archbishop Hovsepian.

Sahag Mouradian, main Godfather and benefactor of the parish desired that the church be named in memory of his Father Hovhannes (John) and his paternal uncle Megerdich (Baptist), thus the name St. John the Baptist Armenian Orthodox Apostolic Church.

Following liturgy, a Requiem Service was conducted for all the departed souls of St. John, especially the founders of the parish, Godfathers, clergy who served at St. John over the years and parishioners responsible for constructing the current sanctuary in 1986. At the conclusion of the church services, Bishop Vahan, representing the Diocesan Primate the Very Reverend Fr. Mesrop Parsamyan, presented church leader Ara Cherchian with the highest award of the Armenian church, the St. Nersess Shnorhali Medal of Honor and encyclical awarded by His Holiness Karekin II for his selfless service to the church.

The banquet and program followed in the culture hall with the singing of the Armenian National Anthem, God Bless America, and invocation by His Grace. Master of Ceremonies, Parish Council Chairman Lyle Dadian, welcomed the community for joining this auspicious celebration in the life of the parish and offered a toast encouraging everyone to follow in the footsteps of the founders of St. John’s in keeping the Armenian Church community vibrant for generations to come.

An eight-minute presentation, “A Walk Through St. John’s Memory Lane,” featuring photographs from the community’s early days through present day was screened. Also read were letters of congratulations from former St. John parish priests, including Rev. Fr. Tateos Abdalian, who presided over the new church’s construction in the late 1980s, and Rev. Fr. Untzag Nalbandian who served in the early 1980s.

During the program, Alice Matosian was recognized as Woman of the Year with the Diane Blinka Service Award for her nearly 80 years of service.

One of the afternoon’s highlights was a performance by Hamazkayin Sardarabad Dance Ensemble of Chicago, as audience members applauded in rhythms.

St. John’s pastor Rev. Fr. Guregh Hambardzumyan read a congratulatory letter from our primate, Very Rev. Fr.  Mesrop Parsamian. In his message the primate offered the following thought “You have accomplished so much here over these eight decades, under many worthy pastors.  And I know that in recent years, under the spirited leadership of Der Guregh, this elder parish of our Diocese has seen a new burst of youthful energy and activity among its faithful.  I am confident that many more excellent developments are on the horizon.”

Fr. Guregh offered his own remarks about the “great and awesome responsibility” of community members to continue the work of the past 80 years. He ended his remarks by singing “Lake Sevan,” accompanied by Jan Avakian Kopatich on piano.

The afternoon concluded with comments by Bishop Vahan, the community’s singing of Der Getso lead by Fr. Nareg, and the benediction.