On December 18, 2022, Paul Mardoian of Sts. Joachim and Anne Church in Palos Heights, IL, was presented with the “St. Nersess Shnorhali Medal,” in recognition of his many years of service to the Armenian Church, the Eastern Diocese, and his home parish.
The “St. Nersess Shnorhali Medal” is a rare distinction and one of the highest awards our church bestows. It was established at the order of His Holiness Vasken I, of blessed memory, the 130th Catholicos of All Armenians. It is accompanied by a special encyclical, or gontag, from the Catholicos himself—an official copy of which is placed in the archives of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin for posterity. The medal is named after St. Nersess the Graceful, the beloved 12th-century catholicos, who was one of the most influential figures in the history of our church.
This medal is bestowed on exceptional lay members to acknowledge their long years of service to the church. Typically, a diocese will petition Holy Etchmiadzin regarding a worthy candidate, and these petitions are reviewed by the Supreme Spiritual Council, and then presented to the Catholicos for approval.
The presentation of the medal to Paul Mardoian occurred during the parish’s 64th anniversary dinner. During the presentation, parish pastor Fr. Tavit Boyajian spoke about Paul’s exemplary Christian character, noting his always-friendly smile; his outgoing, positive, can-do attitude; and his humble, prayerful devotion to the Lord Jesus.
“Paul is a devout Christian man, who loves the Armenian Church and works to help her prosper,” Fr. Tavit said. “He is a very hard worker, and a genuine leader in our community. But he is also an attentive and caring listener, who treats everyone, and every idea, with dignity and respect. He is knowledgeable in many matters, including church governance; and he lovingly, patiently shares that knowledge with others.”
“Above all, he seeks to build consensus and understanding,” he added. “Paul is a peacemaker. His legacy of service has been exemplary in our parish, our Diocese, and our entire church.”
A special guest for the occasion, Bishop Daniel Findikyan, conferred the medal on Paul on behalf of His Holiness Karekin II, and read the encyclical from the Catholicos.
Diocesan Primate Fr. Mesrop Parsamyan sent his greetings and and blessings, and conveyed his warm congratulations.
Paul has served for 12 years on the Sts. Joachim and Anne parish council (five of them as chairman), and continues to serve as a Diocesan delegate for the parish. His service to the Diocese is extensive, beginning with three, four-year terms on Diocesan Council—including six years as vice chairman. He was elected by the Diocesan Assembly to represent the Eastern Diocese as a delegate to the Ecclesiastical Representative Assembly, at Holy Etchmiadzin. He currently chairs the Diocesan “Dues to Stewardship Pilot Program” committee; sits on the Clergy Benefits Committee, and was the architect of the Clergy Disability Plan; developed the Diocesan 403b Retirement Plan, for the clergy and staff of the Diocesan Center; and has been actively involved in managing the organizational and financial affairs of our Diocese, and being centrally involved in developing an equitable parish assessment formula.