The Diocese
Posted: 02/22/2019
“Lord, my God,
Your light shines upon me this morning.
I lift up my heart to You
and with Your blessings I walk to school
to enlighten my mind and soul
and to become a kind student.
Lord, bless me day and night
and I promise to live a meaningful life
for your glory.
Amen.”
The prayer above is one in a collection of children’s prayers written by the Diocesan Primate Archbishop Hovnan Derderian. “Children and the youth are the torchbearers of the Armenian Church. They are the young ambassadors of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and as sons and daughters of the world’s first Christian nation, they carry on the undying legacy of St. Mesrop, St. Vartan, St. Gregory of Nareg and St. Nerses the Graceful.”
With this conviction, Archbishop Derderian visits the students of Armenian Schools on a regular basis. He prays with the children, instills in their hearts Christ’s divine message of love and encourages them to remain steadfast in their studies.
On February 19, Archbishop Derderian met with the students of Merdinian Armenian Evangelical School in Sherman Oaks. Two days later, His Eminence visited the students of AGBU Vatche and Tamar Manoukian School. In a meeting with the school's principal, further collaboration efforts between the Diocese and the Armenian schools were discussed.
