The 37th annual Assembly of the Women’s Guilds of the Eastern Diocese ran from April 30 to May 2, 2026, with 24 delegates representing 14 Diocesan parishes, including six members of the Women’s Guild Central Council (WGCC). The delegates, some of whom were first-time attendees, arrived eager to work together, share, and learn from each other.
Like the 124th Diocesan Assembly and Clergy Conference that ran concurrently, the Women’s Guild gathering took place in Milwaukee, WI, hosted by the city’s St. John the Baptist Armenian Church. This year marked the 40th anniversary of the Women’s Guild Central Council, which began in 1986.
In a departure from past practice, the meeting’s yearly W.O.W. Luncheon, honoring a local “Woman of Wonder,” met during the Friday sessions, to allow more delegates from the general Diocesan Assembly to attend. This year’s honoree was Ramelann Kalagian, a devoted member of St. John the Baptist Church, and a member of our host parish committee.
Parish Guild delegates heard two presentations from WGCC: the first was “Leading with Purpose: Fundraising that Drives Change,” presented by Laurie Onanian and Melanie Dadouria. The second was by Fr. Mardiros Chevian on the new “Senior Gen” ministry program.
Bree Carriglio of the Fund for Armenian Relief and Sarah Stites of FAR’s Ayo! crowdsourcing platform spoke to the assembly, screening an engaging video about the “She-Can” program in Armenia, which is bringing education, respect, and income to talented women in the homeland, many of whom are displaced from Artsakh.
The WGCC supports two charities in Armenia: the Children of Armenia Sponsorship Fund (CASP) and the Vanadzor Old Age Home (VOAH)—both under the umbrella of the Fund for Armenia Relief. The guilds contribute to these causes in part through Diocesan-wide events held on Saintly Women’s Day.
Formal business sessions focused on WGCC elections, reports from local parishes, and discussions on the challenges guilds share and the solutions they have found.
“The meetings brought the delegates closer as ‘sisters’ from a large family living in different places,” said Donna Hortian of St. Leon Church in Fair Lawn, NJ. “It was wonderful to see old friends from past years, make new ones, and bond over our common purpose: to strengthen our church communities, share the faith, and keep alive the traditions of our beloved Armenian Church.”