Prominent Armenian religious figure visits Fresno for first time in 14 years

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – A major religious figure in the Christian and Armenian communities is in Fresno for the first time in 14 years.

His Holiness Aram I Catholicos of the Holy See of Cilicia is in the middle of a trip across California and stopped in Fresno after visiting Los Angeles and before he departs for San Francisco. His visit comes during a celebratory time for Fresno’s oldest Armenian church.

“This visit is spiritual nourishment for our community,” Parishioner Armen Bedrosian said.

Earlier in the day, the Catholicos visited Fresno State to see and bless the Armenian Genocide Monument. “The visit of His Holiness is a privilege and an honor for our campus and for the Armenian studies program to host him,” Berberian Coordinator for Fresno State’s Armenian Studies Program Barlow Der Mugrdechian said.

This is His Holiness’s first visit to Fresno in 14 years and his first visit to Fresno State’s Armenian Genocide Monument. “It’s important to see that again, that there are high ranking people in the world, Armenians that come to Fresno. It shows that Fresno is an important place,” Der Mugrdechian said.

Later in the day, the Catholicos visited the Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church.

“This is an exciting day for our church that happens every once, every decade or longer to have a pontifical visit. He is the equivalent to the pope of the Catholic Church,” Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church Board President David Sarabian said.

One of America’s oldest Armenian churches is celebrating the completion of renovations. “All these benches were redone, all the cushions are redone, the floors new, the curtain, the carpets new,” Bedrosian said.

His Holiness re-consecrated the newly renovated sanctuary, filled with churchgoers for the first time in six months. “It’s amazing for a Wednesday night to have this many people at church. I’ve never seen it this busy before. Maybe Easter on Sunday is the only thing that I can compare it to,” Bedrosian said.

It’s a celebratory year for both the pontiff and Fresno’s church.

“Two incredibly exciting opportunities coming together. His 30 years of consecration itself and 125th anniversary of the establishment of this, one of the oldest churches in the Western hemisphere. I thank God for the blessings,” Honorary Consulate of Armenia in Fresno Berj Apkarian said.

His Holiness will visit the Charlie Kenyan Armenian School in Fresno on November 6 before traveling to San Francisco on Nov. 7.