Armenian Reporter:

“Other dedicated individuals”

Published: Tuesday June 16, 2009

St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral, rising above 34th Street and 2nd Avenue in Manhattan, was consecrated in April 1968.?.

At this date, it is most difficult to imagine that Haik Kavookjian and Dadour Dadourian determined to buy a whole block in Manhattan for the building of an Armenian cathedral. The purchase price of $275,000 was, at that time, a monumental undertaking. I find it most difficult to comprehend the worth of that property today. You have to stop for a moment and reflect upon the ambition and courage of these two men who spearheaded the purchase of the property 45 years ago.

There is no question that Haik and Dadour were the driving force at the inception. By the same token, when the article stated, "other dedicated individuals," I felt a responsibility, on my part, to bring out the names of those dedicated individuals who worked on a daily basis for three and one-half years to bring to fruition the project that Haik and Dadour started. The dedicated individuals were George Bashian, John Tembeck, Melik Tokatlian, Dick Gregory, and myself.

We met weekly in New York and at the Long Island Country Club, discussing the concerted efforts to bring about the St. Vartan Cathedral. And, for most of the time, we were in daily telephone communication.

At the early meetings, Dadour expressed his great concern over the lack of funding for building the cathedral. Dadour felt that the parishes had to be assessed a certain amount, to be paid quarterly, in order to realize the necessary financing. Dadour then stated that we, as the committee members, would have to announce our pledges in the hope of motivating our fellow Armenians to follow suit. George Bashian quickly announced a $75,000 pledge. Melik and I also pledged $75,000. John and Dick followed suit. We then selected people who we felt could be encouraged to become godfathers at $10,000 each. My quota was four, which I fulfilled.

The committee further determined that all of the parishes throughout the United States should be contacted, from New England to Florida and extending to Detroit and Chicago and the West Coast. All should be approached. As the junior member of the committee, I was given the responsibility of visiting all the parishes and addressing parish members after services on Sunday or that evening. I spent the next three years traveling from parish to parish, seeking financial support for the cathedral. As I realized that a number of the parishes were already struggling financially, it became a most difficult task.

Alex Manoogian supported me in every way when I visited the Midwest churches. Haik, Dadour, George, and John were constantly on the phone speaking with and encouraging lay leaders for financial support. Everyone was proud to learn that there would be an Armenian cathedral in New York. The Armenian communities did in fact rally, financially, to make the dream come true.

The last major donation was from the Tatossian family in New York, which contributed $42,000 for the altar. I spent the better part of a year visiting Mr. and Mrs. Tatossian and was finally rewarded by their most generous gift.

It is important to understand that all of the aforementioned people were more than successful in their businesses. George Bashian owned the largest rug and carpeting distributorship in the world. Melik Tokatlian's plant employed 400 people. Dadour owned a multimillion-dollar cabinet-making company. Dick Gregory was a prominent lawyer who served pro bono. Haik Kavookjian had just sold his business for $8 million. When you consider their personal involvement in their businesses and all that it entailed, you can even more appreciate their commitment to the Armenian Church.

As for myself, I became so motivated by the strength and ambition of my peers that from that point on, I became personally involved in the Armenian churches, be it Diocese or Prelacy. For example, I was called upon by Holy Martyrs in Bayside, N.Y., and St. Sarkis, in Douglaston, N.Y., to help them raise the necessary funds to support the churches.

I also made a $25,000 gift to the Armenian Diocese church in Worcester, Mass. At the time that I was working continuously on the cathedral project, I also ordered a service of 12 of china in gold vermeil and sent it to the Catholicos, Vasken I. Two years later, I also ordered an 800-piece service of 60 of fine china with the papal seal at the request of His Holiness for the ecclesiastic seminary in The Hague.

In addition to this, at the personal request of Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian, I resurrected the building of the All Saints Church in Glenview, Ill. Furthermore, at the personal request of His Holiness Karekin I, I was 95 percent benefactor of the 128-student Armenian seminary for 10 years in the amount of $2 million. In the end, I was honored by both churches in becoming a prince. I could ask for no more.

My first exposure to our Armenian church was when I received Communion on an Easter Sunday at the Laurel Hill Church in Worcester, Massachusetts. At that time my mother was a devoted member of the Armenian Red Cross. She and her member cohorts would go out during the evening soliciting funds. I still recall their great joy when a recalcitrant Armenian person finally gave them fifty cents.

Very truly yours,
Harold J. Mark Markarian

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