H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate, the Religious and Executive Councils announce the appointment of Rev. Fr. Boghos Baltayan as Pastor of St. Sarkis Church in Pasadena.
Fr. Boghos and his family arrived in Los Angeles from Greece on Tuesday, July 30, 2013. He will begin his service on August 1st, 2013, and will celebrate his first Divine Liturgy at St. Sarkis Church on Sunday, August 4. The Prelate will preside over the service.
Fr. Boghos, baptismal name Vatche, was born in 1968 in Beirut, Lebanon, where he received his primary education. From 1982 to 1995 he served as a Sunday School teacher and director at various churches in Lebanon. For 10 years he also served at the “Zvartnots” Center for mentally impaired children.
From 1994 to 1997 Fr. Boghos attended the Seminary of the Catholicosate of Cilicia where he graduated from the priesthood program. He married Nazik Yessoian and they were blessed with two boys, Hagop and Vartan, who are active members of the Armenian Church.
On February 4, 1997, he was ordained a priest by Archbishop Vartan Demirjian at St. Hagop Church in Lebanon and renamed Boghos. For the following six months he served at Forty Martyrs Church in Bourj Hammoud.
In August of 1997, with the blessing of H.H. Catholicos Aram I and the invitation of then Prelate Archbishop Sahag Ayvazian of blessed memory, he was assigned to the Eastern Macedonia and Thrace region of northern Greece, where he served Armenian communities of six cities in the region for over fifteen years, until his arrival in Los Angeles.
In Greece, Fr. Boghos and Yeretsgin committed themselves to providing Armenian education to children in various cities of northern Greece. They taught Armenian language, history, and religion, led Bible studies, and also the youth groups.
We welcome Fr. Boghos and his family to our Prelacy and wish him success in his new mission at St. Sarkis Church.