By the ordinance of His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, and the request of H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate, on Sunday, September 4, 2016 Crescenta Valley Church parish pastor Rev. Fr. Ghevont Kirazian was granted the honor of wearing a pectoral cross. The ceremony was held during Divine Liturgy, which was presided over by the Prelate and celebrated by Fr. Ghevont.
During the service, as the choir sang “Oorakh Ler,” deacons brought forth the Pontifical Encyclical of His Holiness for the Prelate to read. Afterward, His Eminence commended Fr. Ghevont for his dedicated service in the past five years and conveyed his congratulations to him, his family, and to the parish family. His Eminence emphasized that ranks and privileges awarded to priests, such as the right to wear a pectoral cross, are not simply embellishments, rather a symbol and commendation of a clergymen’s worthy service. In return, Fr. Ghevont expressed gratitude to His Holiness and the Prelate for deeming him worthy of the privilege of wearing the cross, which he referred to as a heavy yet sweet yoke.
The Prelate thereafter delivered his sermon on the day’s Gospel reading from Mark 7:31-37 which recounts Jesus healing a deaf-mute. “The man who had been deaf and mute from birth was healed of his physical ailments; his ears were opened to the Lord’s promise of salvation and he personally witnessed the power and miracles of God. Let us too open our spiritual ears and eyes to His Truth, become witnesses of his promise of salvation, and spread His goodness within our surroundings,” stated the Prelate. In conclusion, His Eminence prayed for peace for the world, for the Middle East, Armenia and Artsakh, and the Diaspora, stating, “more than ever, we are in need of the mercy of blessings of God.”
A reception hosted by the Board of Trustees in honor of Fr. Ghevont followed the service.
