San Diego’s Armenian parish gathers for ground blessing

Ceremony marks site of future church complex

by Lory Tatoulian

Published: Tuesday December 16, 2008

San Diego, Calif. - Saint John Garabed Armenian Church of San Diego has recently purchased 18 acres of land in the city's Del Mar Heights area for a new church. The purchase was made possible by a $2.5 million trust fund established by the late Dr. Sam Markarian for the express purpose of securing property for a new church.

The Building Committee of the church set out to find the most suitable piece of property in San Diego County. It sought a location that was central and had enough land for a church, adjoining facilities, and a sizeable parking lot.

"Our goal was to find the best possible location," said Building Committee chairperson Harry Krekorian. "Everyone in our community is spread out all over the county. We feel that this location was the most convenient and practical."

The property features San Diego's lush ecological landscape. Ensconced in the sprawling hills of Chaparral, the area is replete with hiking trails, ecological reserves, and bird lagoons. The land also edges up against the San Diego River - a waterway that San Diego County is investing $100 million to restore.

"The river will be the front yard to our church and the ocean is not far at all," Mr. Krekorian said. In a historic sense, the future church will be located right off El Camino Real, the 600-mile road that runs across California, connecting all of the state's 21 Spanish missions.

Now that property has been acquired, the next step will be to raise funds for building a church complex. "If we are in a financially secure position, we want to realize our dream of creating a number of facilities which the Armenian community in Southern California can utilize and enjoy," Mr. Krekorian said.

The future complex, as envisioned by the Building Committee, will comprise a cathedral, a banquet hall, a gym, a soccer field, and picnic grounds.

The current building of St. John Garabed Church was purchased 30 years ago, when San Diego's Armenian community was in its infancy. Around that time, Armenians from throughout the world began moving to the beach city. The community was an amalgam of military families that already had roots in San Diego and new arrivals from Lebanon, Iran, and Azerbaijan, as well as the East Coast and Northern California. Today St. John Garabed Church has embarked on its mission of constructing a new complex to accommodate the needs of the fast-growing community.

On Sunday, December 7, San Diego Armenians gathered at the site of their future church to attend a special Antasdan service - a ceremony in which the four corners of the world receive blessings. The service was led by Archpriest Fr. Datev Tatoulian, who was dressed in a long black cassock and held an ornate cross in his right hand. The priest and deacons swung their incensers in the four directions, sending out prayers for peace and love for all.

In unison, the congregants faced north, then south, then east, and then west as they sang "Amen Alleluia."

During his sermon, Fr. Tatoulian addressed the youth. "This church is for you. This is your home, a place where you can practice your faith and feel a connectedness to your heritage," he said. "As survivors of the Genocide, the Armenians ended up scattered all over the world. The United States provided us with a new home, and in this country we prospered and were able to continue in the tradition of our ancestors. Wherever we Armenians end up in the world, the first thing we do is build a church - it is a bastion that keeps our people together and our faith alive."