On Tuesday, August 13, 2013, a special reception was organized by St. Sarkis Church Board of Trustees and Ladies Guild to bid farewell to Parish Pastor Rev. Fr. Khoren Babochian and officially welcome new Parish Pastor Rev. Fr. Boghos Baltayan. The event was presided over by H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate, at the Pasadena Armenian Center.
In attendance were Executive Council Chair Mrs. Rima Boghossian and members, parish delegates, Board of Trustees, Ladies Guild, deacons, choir members, altar servers, St. Sarkis Church benefactors Mr. and Mrs. Sarkis and Suzan Kitsinian, sponsors, ARF Lernavayr Gomideh representative Mr. Shahe Jierian, and members of sister organizations.
The evening began with the blessing of tables by the Prelate.
Board of Trustees Chair Mr. Hagop Avedikian welcomed the guests. Board of Trustees Secretary and the evening’s Master of Ceremonies Mr. Koko Panossian then one by one invited Mrs. Rima Boghossian, Mr. Sarkis Kitsinian, and Mr. Shahe Jierian to deliver their remarks and well wishes. Throughout the evening well wishes were conveyed by members of sister organizations.
In his address, the Prelate first commended Rev. Fr. Khoren Babochian for his dedicated service within the Prelacy and presented him with Yergir 2 Yergir: A Journey to Historic Armenia, a photo-book by Hrair “Hawk” Khatcherian on the ruins of historic Armenia. Rev. Fr. Khoren reflected with thankfulness on his service to St. Sarkis Church over the last nine years.
The Prelate then officially welcomed Rev. Fr. Boghos Baltayan, his wife Nazik, and their children Hagop and Vartan. He presented an overview of their service as a family to the Armenian Apostolic Church, and urged them to continue their service to our Lord, our Church, and our nation with utmost faith and devotion. On this occasion, the Prelate presented Fr. Boghos with a hand-cross, wishing him a successful ministry within the Prelacy.
Fr. Boghos expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve within the Western Prelacy, and conveyed his readiness to humbly and devotedly serve the St. Sarkis Church and parish community.
The reception came to a close with the Prelate’s benediction and the Cilician anthem, after which guests had the opportunity to become better acquainted with Fr. Boghos and his family.
