The 2024 Diocesan Assembly Awards Banquet was the culmination of a weekend of forward-looking optimism for the future.
The host parish, St. Mark Church of Springfield, MA, ensured that the banquet was an elegant stage on which to honor church leaders for their contributions to the life of the Eastern Diocese.
Diocesan Legate Archbishop Vicken Aykazian delivered the invocation. Words of welcome were given by parish council chair David Jermakian. Diocesan Assembly chair Diran Jebejian offered a toast, and Kristen Fraser served as Mistress of Ceremonies.
The splendid artists for the evening were violinist Samvel Arakelyan and pianist Nikki Stoia, who performed two sets of classical, contemporary, and Armenian pieces.
Primate Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan took the occasion to present three Springfield parish leaders—Anna Garabedian, David Jermakian, and Steve Omartian—with the Diocese’s “St. Vartan Award.”
Before Bishop Mesrop presented the evening’s main awards to the two honorees, each was given a special introduction outlining their distinguished backgrounds.
Fr. Hovsep Karapetyan, pastor of St. Mary Church in Washington, DC, and a member of the Diocesan Council, introduced the 2024 “Friend of the Armenians” award recipient the Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon, describing her leadership of the ecumenical organization Churches for Middle East Peace, and her outspoken advocacy for Armenian causes.
In receiving her award, Rev. Cannon gave enthusiastic remarks recalling her visits to Armenia on delegations led by Archbishop Aykazian, and the deep spiritual feeling she found in the church histories of Armenian saints like Hripsime and Gayane.
She noted the extensive connections she had made to individual Armenians and to Armenian causes over the course of her ministry, especially to the cause of peace in Artsakh. And she concluded by inviting all the listeners to support peace today in the Middle East and every desperate locale in the world.
To introduce the “Armenian Church Member of the Year,” Archbishop Aykazian took to the podium to offer admiring reflections on the 65-year ministry of the Rev. Fr. Mampre Kouzouian, this year’s award recipient.
He was followed by Der Mampre’s son, Fr. Vasken Kouzouian (pastor of Holy Trinity Church in Cambridge, MA), who offered recollections extolling his father’s seven decades of service to the Armenian Church. In addition, Kevork Atinizian II spoke tenderly about growing up under Der Mampre’s pastoral guidance.
When it came time for Fr. Mampre Kouzouian to speak, he implored listeners to realize that “the church is your home—it belongs to you.”
“I have served my Lord Jesus Christ for 66 years as a priest, and before that as a child and teacher,” he said. “What you give to Him, you will receive back.”
“God will repay you from His heart for what you give to Him,” said Der Mampre, as he give tearful words of thanks to the crowd.
To conclude the program, St. Mark’s pastor Fr. Nigoghos Aznavourian spoke graciously with words of thanks towards Bishop Mesrop, the parish committee, parishioners, and his wife Yn. Julianne. He also thanked his predecessor as pastor in Springfield, who started the preparations for the Diocesan Assembly, Fr. Sevak Gabrielyan.
At last, Bishop Mesrop offered his own words of gratitude and blessing on the honorees and the banquet attendees.
St. Mark’s Diocesan Assembly organizing committee, under the leadership of pastor Fr. Nigoghos Aznavourian and the parish council, included David Jermakian (parish council and hotel chair), Dale Diefenderfer (audio-visual co-chair), Talene Jermakian (banquet chair), Elaine Devine (registration chair), Senay Asik (clergy conference chair), Ani Jermakian (hospitality chair), Diane Boghosian (Wednesday dinner chair), Andy Fraser (transportation chair), Aroxy Meregian (Sunday brunch chair), Anna Garabedian (sponsorship chair), Jeri Humphries and Sue Elmasian (treasurers), and some 50 parishioner volunteers—all of whom contributed to a pleasant and hospitable weekend.
Click the following links to view photos of the Diocesan Assembly Awards Banquet, and to watch a video digest of the assembly and banquet proceedings (both by Mano Baghjejian).
Meet the 2023 Diocesan Award Winners
Every year the Eastern Diocese bestows its “Friend of the Armenians” and “Armenian Church Member of the Year” awards to express gratitude to people who have profoundly benefitted the church; to deepen existing relationships with important figures in the community; and to strengthen the honorees in their continuing efforts.
The 2024 honorees are people of extraordinary vision and determination, motivated by a belief in something greater, and a responsibility to share the fruits of their accomplishment with others.
This year’s “Armenian Church Member of the Year,” the Rev. Fr. Mampre Kouzouian, has served the church as a priest for more than 65 years, linking us to some of the great figures and events of the past, and standing as an inspirational example for the future.
Young Alexan Kouzouian embraced his calling at the age of 16, entering the Armenian Theological Seminary in Antelias, Lebanon. After graduating in 1954, he served for two years as principal of a local Armenian school in Basrah, Iraq.
In 1956, he arrived in New York to further his theological education at the General Theological Seminary. He reflects that as his individual history comes to life through the singing of the Divine Liturgy, so does the spiritual history of Armenia. “The theology of the Armenian Church is in the hymnal book. Our history, heroes, generals, saints, and our people are all venerated in our hymns. Whatever has happened through the centuries comes alive through every clergyman each Sunday. We are the inheritors of our past culture, a culture we must preserve for future generations.”
In February 1958 he was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Mampre Calfayan. As an honor for the young priest, the Primate gave him his own name. Fr. Mampre’s first pastoral assignment was St. Mary’s Armenian Church in Irvington (now Livingston), NJ. His early years as a priest were distinguished by his active involvement in the civil rights movement. As a forerunner among church leaders in this movement, Father Mampre, along with the Primate, Archbishop Torkom Manoogian, traveled to Washington, DC, in the early 1960s and marched in solidarity against poverty and racism as a member of the National Council of Churches Governing Board. Archbishop Manoogian later appointed Fr. Mampre the Canon Sacrist of St. Vartan Cathedral, pastor of St. Gregory the Illuminator Church, and Diocesan Director of Ecumenical Relations.
Fr. Mampre pastored the Holy Trinity Armenian Church of Greater Boston from 1977 until his retirement in 2001. Reflecting on his years at Holy Trinity, he said: “The church is a part of a world that is rapidly changing. While the foundation of the church is unchanged, the application of what we do changes. Social, moral, and ethical issues need our attention. People want to know where the church stands on such issues. We must provide answers and give guidance, as well as explore the ways we can remain faithful in a rapidly changing world to an unchanging Christ.”
During his pastorate at Holy Trinity Church, Der Mampre spearheaded numerous projects that greatly improved the church complex and addressed future needs of the community. Under his leadership, the parish hosted a Diocesan Assembly in 1988, and welcomed countless dignitaries and church leaders, including two Catholicoi and a future Catholicos; United States senators and governors; and renowned academics and speakers.
Fr. Mampre said, on his 40th anniversary: “I set out to be a priest in the image of Christ, to express the will of our Heavenly Father, to serve people, to give hope to people, to encourage people, and to be His ambassador. I don’t think I’ve deviated from this. If anything has changed, my feelings of service have grown. I believe in more service to the Christian community and to my parishioners. Reaching out and serving people is a joy.”
During his retirement Der Mampre served as visiting priest to several Armenian churches, including those in Chelmsford, Boca Raton, Orlando, Springfield, Charlotte, and Niagara Falls. These visits continued to fulfill his passion for ministering to those faithful most in need of his pastoral outreach, namely the elderly, sick and lonely.
In May 2017, Fr. Mampre was invited by His Holiness Karekin II, to visit the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and share his lifetime of pastoral ministry experience with the seminarians at the Gevorkian Seminary. He discovered two causes that became very close to his heart: the children at the Muratsan Chemotherapy Clinic of Yerevan State Medical University—a pediatric oncology clinic that treats children from all over Armenia—as well as the homeless in the Vagharshapat region surrounding Holy Etchmiadzin. “During my visit to the Muratsan Children’s Cancer Clinic, innocent young children living with cancer, without their hair because of their treatment, were with their parents on their routine visits. The children were in pain, suffering from this cancerous disease. I couldn’t stand it. After I said my prayers on each child, I came out of their rooms and cried like a child. I couldn’t accept what I saw. These children are God’s gifts to their parents, to our Nation, to our Motherland, and to our churches.”
He continued: “During that stay, I also went to visit homeless individuals and families. There were young children with one or both parents living in run-down, vacant buildings without water, electricity or bathrooms. For me, it was totally unacceptable to see human beings living in these conditions. Here too, I cried like a child feeling so sorry for our own people living in these conditions.”
Der Mampre was so profoundly affected by these two powerful experiences that he decided that gifts made to him on the 60th anniversary of his ordination would go to support both the cancer-stricken children at the Muratsan Children’s Cancer Clinic and the homeless of the Vagharshapat region. Throughout his 60 years of service to the church, Fr. Mampre Kouzouian has traveled extensively on behalf of the Eastern Diocese and has received many great honors and recognitions from Armenian and other church leaders.
With his beloved late wife, Yeretzgin Nuvart (d. 2007), Der Mampre was blessed with three children, Susan, Joyce, and Fr. Vasken, and their loving families.
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The 2024 “Friend of the Armenians,” the Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon, is the executive director of Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP), and an author, speaker, advocate, and academic historian who has written extensively about global poverty, racial justice, and the Middle East.
As the executive director of Churches for Middle East Peace, Rev. Cannon works diligently to educate both herself and others on the ongoing conflict between Armenian and Azerbaijan, including the displacement of more than 130k refugees from Nagorno/Karabakh. Under her leadership, CMEP has hosted several educational webinars educating U.S. Christians on the conflict and how they can engage in ways that promote peace and justice. The most recent was a mini-course called “Armenia at War: The Survival of the Church in the Oldest Christian State.” Part I panelists included Lenna V. Hovanessian and Amb. John M. Evans former U.S. Ambassador to Armenia from 2004-2006. Carla Khijoyan, the Program Executive for the Middle East at the World Council of Churches, and Sonya Nersessian, an attorney, spoke about Artsakh and its historical and present-day significance to Armenians during the second session.
In September 2022, Cannon led a delegation of leaders from Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) to Armenia at the invitation of CMEP board representative Archbishop Vicken Aykazian. Their travels coincided with the bombings along the border between Armenia and Nagorno/Karabakh that week. The group had the privilege of meeting with His Holiness Karekin Il, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians. In addition, Cannon and the delegation met with Christian leaders, Armenian government officials, and others to learn about the realities affecting displaced communities from Artsakh and to advocate on behalf of the sustainability of the Christian community, cultural heritage, and democracy in Armenia and the surrounding region.
Rev. Cannon has also spent significant time with the Armenian community in Beirut, Lebanon, and has been mentored by Rev. Dr. Gilbert Bilizekian, former president of Haigazian University. In January 2024, she returned with an executive leadership delegation of pastors and leaders to Beirut and spent time with Rev. Dr. Paul Haidostian, learning about the significant impact of the Armenian community in Beirut and throughout Lebanon.
She received her first doctorate in American History with a minor in Middle Eastern studies at the University of California (Davis), focusing on the history of the American Protestant church in Israel and Palestine, and her second doctorate in Ministry in Spiritual Formation from Northern Theological Seminary. Rev. Cannon holds an M.B.A. from North Park University’s School of Business and Nonprofit Management, and an M.A. in bioethics from Trinity International University, and an M.Div. From North Park Theological Seminary. Cannon completed her Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Chicago in History, Philosophy, Social Studies, of Science and Medicine.
She is the author of Beyond Hashtag Activism; co-editor of Evangelical Theologies of Liberation and Justice; editor of A Land Full of God: Christian Perspectives on the Holy Land; author of Social Justice Handbook: Small Steps for a Better World, and Just Spirituality: How Faith Practices Fuel Social Action; and co-author of Forgive Us: Confessions of a Compromised Faith.
Her work has been highlighted in The New York Times, CNN, Chicago Tribune, Christianity Today, Leadership Magazine, Newsweek, and other international media outlets. She was the recipient of the North Park Theological Seminary Alumni Award for 2024.
Rev. Cannon is an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC). Her professional background includes serving as the Senior Director of Advocacy and Outreach for World Vision-US, the executive pastor of Hillside Covenant Church (Walnut Creek, California), Director of Development and Transformation for Extension Ministries at Willow Creek Community Church (Barrington, Illinois), and as a consultant to the Middle East for child advocacy issues for Compassion International.