Following his visit to the Myrtle Beach mission parish, Diocesan Primate Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan spent time among the faithful of the Armenian Church of Atlanta, at Hye Doon, on Saturday and Sunday, March 22-23.
Deacon Arin Parsanian, a seminarian from St. Nersess Armenian Seminary, also joined in on the visit. The Primate’s visit began on Saturday evening at the welcoming home of Markos and Larisa Baghdasarian.
Bishop Mesrop led the parish in prayer and offered his encouragement for a bright future for the Atlanta community and church, which left everyone feeling hopeful and motivated. A Lenten dinner prepared and served by the Armenian Church of Atlanta Women’s Guild was followed by live performances by Ruzanna Poghossian, singing traditional Armenian songs.
During the conversations between many of the attendees and Bishop Mesrop, the community members expressed their thoughts about having an Armenian Church and full-time priest in Atlanta. Gregory Avedissian, Atlanta’s parish council chair, described some of the ambitions of the Atlanta community. “Our current facility, known as ‘Hye Doon,’ can no longer support the needs of our growing community. We need a church, a large hall, and classrooms,” said Avedissian. “Bishop Mesrop pledged to continue his efforts to preserve the Armenian faith and heritage for our children and future generations.”
The following morning, everyone attended a beautiful Divine Liturgy led by Bishop Mesrop at Hye Doon. “His sermon was deeply inspiring, offering thoughtful reflections that resonated with everyone present,” described the council chairman. “To our delight, the children from the Armenian School of Atlanta treated the congregation to a performance in Armenian showcasing their talent and adding a heartwarming touch to the service.” After the service, the community enjoyed a Lenten lunch prepared and served by the Women’s Guild.
Journey of a Cross, from New York to Atlanta
During this day, the Primate also took the time to acknowledge the new cross installed in its new cradle at Hye Doon, facing East with the bright sun shining over it every morning. The story of this cross is quite impressive, as it originally served as the second cross to stand atop the dome of St. Vartan Cathedral.
St. Vartan Cathedral was consecrated on April 28, 1968. The original cross was replaced in 1993 after gracing the dome for a quarter century. This second cross continued to stand atop the cathedral as the shining beacon of the Armenian Christian faith for 31 years–until it was replaced by the current third cross on June 30, 2024.
“For us in Atlanta, it all started after hearing the news about the second cross being taken down,” explained Avedissian. “Members of the Armenian Church of Atlanta parish council contacted the Diocese. By April of 2024, the parish council had already begun planning the journey for this mighty cross with the blessings of Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan.”
The cross had to travel over 950 miles from St. Vartan Cathedral to reach its new home at Hye Doon in Atlanta. That journey started on August 27, 2024, with many stops on its way until it reached Atlanta on September 7, 2024. It wasn’t until this past Friday, March 21, that it was finally placed in its new cradle at Hye Doon.
“The year 2024 marked the 20th anniversary of the Armenian Church of Atlanta at Hye Doon, our spiritual and cultural center in Roswell, Georgia” Gregory Avedissian said. “We pray this cross will guide us down the right path, help us reignite that desire we all have held onto for so long, and grant us the ability to reach our goal of building a church in the coming years.”
To view photos of the visit and the cross, click here.