Women’s Prayer Day At St. Leon Armenian Cathedral

Sponsored by LSCC and held under the Auspices of His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, the Diocesan Primate, over 210 participants from Southern California gathered at the spiritual center of the Diocese, joining deacons and clergy in unison prayer on February 14, 2018.

The event commenced with a Morning Prayer Service “Jamerkoutioun,” which was followed by an inspirational sermon by Rev. Fr. Nerses Hayrapetyan, the day’s homilist. Fr. Hayrapetian’s homily was titled “Leave Your Footprint,” a most suitable one, as the day’s honorees were the Saturday and Sunday School teachers of the Western Diocese.  

Fr. Nerses expressed his gratitude to the teachers for leaving spiritual footprints in the hearts and souls of the children. The young priest went on to commend the instructors for instilling such spiritual treasures in the hearts and minds of the young generation as patience, kindness, courage, faithfulness, thankfulness and love. He referred to the parable of the four soils where the seeds need to land on fertile soil in order to ensure a great harvest.

The participants later headed to the Nazareth and Sima Kalaydjian Hall where LSCC chair, Lena Simonian, welcomed all to the annual Women’s Prayer Day. She noted that the Armenian Church has declared 2018 as the Year of Youth and with this in mind, the LSCC found it appropriate to honor Saturday and Sunday school teachers who instill Christian values in the hearts and souls of our youth.

She thanked the teachers for their dedication and hard work and then invited Archbishop Hovnan Derderian in the ceremonial honoring of 64 Sunday and Saturday school teachers from eleven neighboring churches. He commended them for their compassionate service, unwavering commitment as well as their unconditional love and care for the children.

Certificates of Appreciation and books were presented to the honorees. As a token of their gratitude, the LSCC members presented them with gold Ladies Society pins.

The event concluded with a Lenten luncheon and musical program.