Armenian pontiff arrives

Elia Powers

Aram Zorian held the bowl of salt. Arlene Hacatoryan palmed the plate

of bread.

The two turned to each other and smiled as the highest-ranking

leader in the Armenian Apostolic Church stepped out of a black

Cadillac and onto a makeshift red carpet.

For the first time in its history, St. Mary Armenian Apostolic

Church welcomed its pontiff, His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of

All Armenians, to Costa Mesa on Thursday evening.

Zorian, 16, and Hacatoryan, 15, two members of the church’s choir,

were taking part in a traditional Armenian ritual. Karekin II blessed

the food, and the teenagers said they felt His Holiness’ spiritual

presence.

“A lot of us met here seven or eight years ago,” said Hacatoryan,

a Newport Beach resident who wore a traditional purple velvet dress.

“This is like our second home, and this event is our climax.”

Church bells rang as children waved American and Armenian flags.

Parishioners and clergymen formed two lines that led into the church.

Flanked by top officials from the Western Diocese of the Armenian

Church of North America, Karekin II walked on the carpet, shaded by a

holy umbrella, and took time to bless each child in the line.

Tears streamed down Dikris Karakesis’ face as the pontiff stopped

to greet her daughter, Gasia, who turns 2 next month.

“It was so moving, like nothing I had seen before,” Karakesis

said. “When he came up to my daughter, it gave me hope for her life

and for her health.”

Karekin II, who was elected Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of

All Armenians in 1999, had visited Southern California in May 2001.

But on that trip, he didn’t make a stop at the Costa Mesa church.

This was the first official stop on the pontiff’s 20-day tour of

California, where he will lead prayer services, visit schools and

bless the cornerstones of the “Mother Cathedral,” a church in Burbank

that will serve as the seat of the Western Diocese.

On Sunday, Karekin II will appear at the Roman Catholic Cathedral

of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles to lead a service.

Hundreds of parishioners and Western Diocese officials packed the

candlelit sanctuary Thursday where the pontiff spoke.

“He gave his blessing to the community and he spoke about the

surviving spirit of Armenian people throughout the ages,” said Father

Moushegh Tashjian, pastor of St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church.

At the special service, Karekin also honored parishioner Aram

Bassenian for his service to the church and community.

Tashjian’s wife, Sylvia, who is chairwoman of the cultural

committee, said this was a culmination of months of planning.

“It’s a major, major event,” Sylvia Tashjian said. “This is the

pope of the Armenian Orthodox church. We are blessed to have him

visit.”

She acknowledged that this was the largest event at the church

since it moved to its current location in 1992.

Sylvia Tashjian said there are anywhere from 20,000 to 25,000

Armenians in Orange County and nearly 700,000 in the state. According

to census data, the Armenian population in the county grew about 39%

from 1990 to 2000.

For many, Thursday was a chance to meet an Armenian pontiff for

the first time. That wasn’t the case for parish council member Armen

Asik, who met Karekin I on a 1998 pilgrimage to Armenia.

But parish council chairman Ara Karakesis said the ceremony was

most important for the Armenian youth in attendance.

“In many cases, young people are losing interest in their own

religion,” Karakesis said. “When we see them participating, we are

happy there is involvement.”

* ELIA POWERS is the enterprise and general assignment reporter.

He may be reached at (714) 966-4623 or by e-mail at

elia.powers@latimes.com.