St. Nersess Armenian Seminary will celebrate the vocations of 12 alumni—three bishops, seven priests, a deacon, and a lay minister—with a gala banquet on Saturday, November 22.
This will be the third in a series of tribute events featuring alumni of St. Nersess who serve the Armenian Church in various capacities. The prior celebrations in 2021 and 2023 established the “12 Vocations” theme—which will continue in the upcoming event, titled: 12 Vocations: Variety of Gifts, One Spirit.
This year’s honorees will include the following—listed here by ordination or graduation date: Bishop Vahan Hovhanessian (ordained 1990), Bishop Nareg Berberian (1992), Bishop Daniel Findikyan (1997), Fr. Vartan Joulfayan (1998), Fr. Hovhan Khoja-Eynatian (2010), Fr. Ghevond Ajamian (2013), Fr. Samuel Rith-Najarian (2014), Fr. Yeghishe Ksachikyan (2015), Fr. Avedis Kalayjian (2016), Fr. Armash Bagdasarian (2016); Dn. Rubik Mailian (graduated 1998), and Maria Derderian (2007).
The celebratory evening will be filled with nostalgic reflections, special awards, and entertainment by Dottie Bengoian who will present “God’s Gift: Humor and Hope.”
Invitations will be mailed in September, and information on how to include a message to the honorees in a commemorative keepsake booklet will be shared in August. All proceeds from the event will support the ongoing mission of St. Nersess Seminary. For questions, contact co-chair Lynn Beylerian at lynnbeylerian@gmail.com or (201) 914-0354.