Western Diocese

On May 21, 2008, His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate, participated in the Southern California Religious Leader Council, held in the United Church of Christ in Pasadena.  

His Eminence briefed the council about the recent visit of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI in Vatican. His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America, along with several other high-ranking Armenian Clergy from throughout the world had accompanied the Pontiff during the trip. The Khachadourian Choir’s recent pilgrimage to the Holy Land to celebrate the Holy Easter according to the Julian calendar –headed by the Vicar General of the Western Diocese, Very Rev. Fr. Dajad Dz. V. Yardemian; the upcoming pilgrimage of youth groups to Armenia – supervised by Archpriest Fr. Vartan Kasparian and finally the Primate’s participation in the blessing ceremony of the Holy Chrism on September 28, 2008, at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, were some of the other topics pertaining to the life of the Western Diocese discussed  by His Eminence during the meeting.