About Us - Our Creed
A voice of one crying in the wilderness, preparing the way of the Lord. This is how the Gospels, quoting the Book of Isiah, describes St. John the Baptist, also known as St. John the Forerunner, in Armenian Ս. Կարապետ, Garabed/Karapet.
A Historic Overview of Saint Garabed Church Parish & Cultural Center
St. Garabed Church building was the result of a very generous donation contributed by Mr. Larry Barnes in memory of his late wife Seda Der Garabedian-Barnes who had also faithfully served in the Armenian Apostolic Church, paired with funds raised over previous years. The Las Vegas Parish Council was able to purchase the property located at 2054 East Desert Inn Road on December 18, 2009. The first course of action included making necessary repairs, and ensuring the first Holy Liturgy (Soorp Badarak) along with the Washing of the Feet (Vodenleva) were able to be held on April 1, 2010. Prior to the purchase of the church building, the Las Vegas Parish Council had ensured church services were held in various rented churches within the Las Vegas metro area from 1988-2010.
To honor the memory of late Seda Der Garabedian-Barnes, and her parents who had faithfully served the Armenian Apostolic Church, the sanctuary and the complex were named the “St. Garabed Armenian Apostolic Church and Cultural Center.”
From April 2010 through December 2013, Archpriest Father Avedis Torossian was assigned to serve as the full-time pastor of the Las Vegas Parish.
On October 20, 2011, His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Holy See of Cilicia, paid a Pontifical Visit to the Armenian community in Las Vegas, Nevada and performed a groundbreaking service for the complex and the construction of the dome cross, done according to Armenian church traditions dating back thousands of years. The actual construction phase began on August 24, 2012. On October 5, 2012, an important milestone was reached when the cupola was raised by a crane draped with both with the U.S and Armenian flags after receiving a blessing prayer by Prelate Mardirossian.
On December 2, 2012, the Prelate visited our parish while the construction was still in progress and celebrated the first Divine Liturgy in the semi-finished church. Construction continued on schedule and Saint Garabed church received her Certificate of Occupancy on February 21, within only 125 business days from the start of the construction. While interior details were being finalized, Holy Week services were held in the new church in order to accommodate the large number of parishioners attending Easter services.
The weekend of April 13-14, 2013, St. Garabed Church was consecrated by H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, during Divine Liturgy.
On November 22, 2013, Prelate Mardirossian visited the Las Vegas parish and introduced Rev. Fr. Arsen Kassabian, who was assigned as the new pastor.
The weekend of October 18-19, 2014, was a momentous one for members of St. Garabed Church of Las Vegas who celebrated the grand opening of the Cultural Center and Koujakian Hall, signifying the successful completion of the project which had begun in December of 2009 with the purchase of the building.
The weekend’s festivities commenced on Saturday, October 18 with a celebratory banquet held at Cili Restaurant at Bali Hai Golf Course. The official opening of the new complex was conducted by H.E. Archbishop Mardirossian, Prelate, on Sunday, following Divine Liturgy. The Executive Council members participated in the events.
On Sunday morning, October the 19th 2012, the Prelate celebrated Divine Liturgy and delivered sermon at St. Garabed Church, assisted at the altar by Parish Pastor Rev. Fr. Arsen Kassabian. His Eminence began his address by congratulating and commending the parish members on their latest achievement, in particular Mr. Larry Barnes, The Dream Fund at UCLA, and the Fattal, Yemenidjian, and Koujakian families whose generosity was vital to the success of Project completion
On August 1st, 2018, Archpriest Fr. Vahan Gosdanian was appointed as the new pastor of St. Garabed Church, succeeding Rev. Fr. Arsen Kassabian who had served as Pastor since 2013.
In late 2020, having introduced deacon Sevag Badoyan to St. Garabed Church Parish through Archpriest Fr. Vahan Gosdanian as a candidate for priesthood, His Grace Bishop Torkom Donoyan ordained the deacon renaming him Rev. Fr. Artsakh Badoyan on January 24, 2021.
Present Board of Trustees
Garabed Bayramian, Chairman
Yeghia Yeghiayan, Vice-chair
Araxi Demirjian, Treasurer
Deacon Tommy Gerjekian, Vice-treasurer
Krikor Darakjian, (2021- April, 2023 Secretary)
Hagop Havanjian, Secretary
Present Ladies Auxiliary Members
Arpy Bedrossian, Chairlady
Rose Saatjian, vice chairlady
Arpine Hovhannessian, vice chairlady
Siran Nersessian, Treasurer
Manoushag Ourfalian
Rose Chamlian
Arpy Karkouzian
Maissaa Missakian
2019-2021 Board of Trustees
Arpi Khachadourian-Hicks, Chairperson
Garabed Bayramian, Vice Chair
Lila Darakjian, Secretary
Araxi Demirjian, Treasurer
Yeghia Yeghiayan, Advisor
Hagop Havanjian, Advisor
Jasmen Sharoyan, Advisor
Levon Gulbenkian, Advisor
Garabed Bedirian, Advisor (Deceased)
Former Board of Trustees
Garabed Bedirian, Chairman
Yeghia Yeghiayan, Vice Chairman
Adroushan Armenian, Secretary
Hagop Havanjian, Treasurer
Arpi Khachadourian-Hicks, Advisor
Avo Jabourian, Advisor
Maria Demirjian, Advisor
Tamara Avetisyan, Advisor
Garo Maknissian, Advisor
First Parish Council Members (appointed)
Hovik Abrahamyan
Armen Anooshian
Seda Der Garabedian- Barnes
Mihran Bedrossian
Hriyr Dadaian
Tro Alex Danielian
Koko Darakjian
Shahe Demirjian
Giro Dolmayan
Levon Gulbenkian
Rose Hasacorzian
Sarkis Jamgochian
Abe Kassamanian
Hagop Khermandayan
Goldie Krauss
Sarkis Mahserejian
Catherine Sarkhanian
Diane Sousani
Toros Sousani
Ida Strauss
Varoujan Yozgatlian
Past Ladies Auxiliary Members
Shake Ajamian
Taleen Constantine
Chake Dolmayan
Rita Havanjian
Seta Kassamanian
Michelle Keylian
Maro Maknissian
Vania Maknissian
Catherine Sarkhanian
Diane Sousani
Georgette Tavitian
Arsho Yeghiayan
Christianity in Armenia can be traced back to the age of the Apostles. The Apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew were the first evangelizers of Armenia and, according to tradition, were martyred there. There is historical evidence of the existence of a Christian community and clergy in Armenia prior to the fourth century. The church historian Eusebius of Caesaria (c. 260-c.339) refers to Meruzhanes, a bishop of Armenia in the middle of the third century. It was at the beginning of the fourth century, in 301, that Christianity was first proclaimed as the official religion of Armenia. This proclamation was the result of the missionary activity of St. Gregory the Illuminator (240-332). The fifth century historian Agathangelos recounts the works of the patron saint of the Armenian Church. St. Gregory, a relative of the Armenian king Tiridates (c. 238-314), was brought up as a Christian in Caesarea in Cappadocia. The pagan Tiridates had St. Gregory imprisoned for nearly fifteen years in Khor Virab (“deep dungeon”) in Artashat. Several years later, a group of Christian nuns, led by St. Gayane and fleeing persecution in Rome, came to Armenia. King Tiridates was attracted to one of the women, St. Hripsime, who resisted his attempts to possess her. In his anger, Tiridates had the women killed. After the martyrdom of the women, Tiridates was struck by an illness that turned the king into a wild boar. After all other attempts at curing him failed, the king’s sister St. Khosrovidoukht told her brother that only St. Gregory could cure him. Fifteen years had passed since Gregory’s imprisonment in the dungeon so he was presumed dead. But he was still alive and was released from the dungeon. Gregory cured Tiridates and converted the king and the royal family to Christianity. At this time, Gregory had still not been ordained. In 302, he left for Caesarea, which was an important see at the time, where he was ordained a bishop by Leontius, the Archbishop of Caesarea. Gregory returned to Armenia, baptized the king and the royal family, was installed as the first Catholicos, or chief bishop of Armenia, and continued to convert the Armenian people.
Another important event associated with St. Gregory was the vision that he had in Vagharshapat of Christ descending from heaven and striking the ground with a golden hammer. It is at this spot that the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin (“the Only Begotten descended”) was built. Nearby were built the churches of St. Hripsime and Gayane, where the relics of the martyred nuns are kept.
With the support of the royal family, Christianity was able to spread quickly throughout Armenia and within just a few centuries to permeate all aspects of Armenian life and culture. Furthermore, Armenian missionaries were sent among the Georgians and Alans, who also subsequently established their own national churches.
St. Gregory’s son, Aristakes, succeeded his father as Catholicos. Aristakes had been the representative of the Armenian Church at the Council of Nicaea (325). The Council of Nicaea, the first ecumenical council, set forth the orthodox Christian doctrine of the Trinity. This doctrine is formulated in the Nicene Creed (Havadamk), which is professed every Sunday during the Divine Liturgy. Under Catholicos Nerses the Great (c. 326-373; Catholicos from 353 to 373), monasteries and various charitable institutions were first established throughout Armenia
CREED OF THE ARMENIAN CHURCH. THE PROFESSION OF FAITH OF THE ARMENIAN CHURCH BY ST. NERSES SHNORHALI. BOSTON: BAIKAR PRESS, 1941; PP. 60 – 61. PROFESSION OF ORTHODOX FAITH (A LATER CREED, BY GREGORY OF TATHEV)
We confess and believe with all our heart in God the Father, uncreated, unbegotten, and without beginning;
He also being the Begetter of the Son
and the Source of the Holy Spirit.
We believe in God the Word,
uncreated, begotten and originated of the Father before eternity.
He is neither posterior to nor younger than the Father,
but as long as the Father is Father,
the Son is Son with Him.
We believe in God the Holy Spirit,
uncreated and timeless.
Not begotten but proceeding from the Father;
coexistent with the Father and sharing the same glory with the Son.
We believe in the Holy Trinity,
one Nature,
one Godhead,
not three gods
but one God,
one Will,
one Kingdom,
one Power;
Maker of things visible and invisible.
We believe in the Holy Church,
the forgiveness of sins, and the communion of Saints.
We believe that One of the Three Persons,
God the Word, begotten of the Father before the ages,
in the course of time came down into the Mother of God, Mary the Virgin, and taking blood from her united it with His Divinity.
He was content to be for nine months in the womb of the Immaculate Virgin;
and thus He became Perfect God and Perfect Man
in soul, mind and body;
one Person,
one Hypostasis,
and one united Nature.
God became man without change and without alteration,
by immaculate conception and incorruptible generation.
There is no beginning to His Godhead nor to His humanity.
For Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yea and forever.
We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ walked upon the earth,
and after thirty years He came to be baptized.
The Father bore witness of Him from above, saying:
“This is my beloved Son” and the Holy Spirit as a dove descended upon Him.
He was tempted of the devil but overcame him.
He preached Salvation to men.
He labored bodily, was fatigued, became hungry and thirsty,
suffered by His own Will, was crucified and died in the body,
but lived by the Godhead.
The body was placed in the tomb, being united with the Divinity;
by the Spirit He descended into hell, being indivisible from the Divinity.
He preached unto spirits, devastated hell, and freed the spirits.
After three days He rose from the dead and appeared to the disciples.
We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven in the same body
and sat at the Right Hand of the Father.
He also is to come in the same body to judge the quick and the dead
and give resurrection to all men.
We also believe in the recompense of deeds,
in the everlasting life of the righteous,
and in the everlasting suffering of the wicked.