A Special Requiem Service Held At The Western Diocese

A special hokehankisd requiem service, honoring the lost lives of the Armenian soldiers during the April 2016 Four-Day War, the karasoonk (40 day passing) of philanthropist Louise Manoogian Simone and Archbishop Mesrob Mutafyan II, the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople, took place on Sunday, April 7, 2019 at the St. Leon Cathedral in Burbank, California, following Divine Liturgy performed by Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America.

Honorary guest Anna Hakobyan, wife of current Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, was in attendance, as were key members of the Armenian Consulate, AGBU Board Members, and the Armenian community.

In a comprehensive and multi-dimensional sermon that was bound together by a sense of duty towards the Armenian homeland, Archbishop Derderian first paid homage to the brave young men who perished during the Four-Day War against Azerbaijan that lasted from April 1-5, 2016, and claimed the lives of 100 troops and civilians.

“These men, who were barely 19, 20 and 21 years old, sacrificed their lives for the security of Armenia,” said Archbishop Derderian. “With their blood they conveyed their love for Armenia so that our homeland can be safe for the future generations of Armenians.”

Reflecting on the presence of Hakobyan, Archbishop Derderian remarked that she brings with her to the Diaspora a New Armenia and a renewed spirit. As she tours five cities in the United States during a two-week official visit, Hakobyan is familiarizing herself with her fellow brethren and creating awareness for her two foundations, City of Smile Foundation and My Step Foundation, that will deliver much-needed medical, economic and social change to Armenia.

“You have inspired a new life and a new love in the souls of Armenians,” said Archbishop Derderian. “We give you our prayers that you will breathe hope and faith into the Armenian children in order for them to create a strong and powerful Armenia, marking our biggest victory of all.”

One of the foremost and earliest supporters of the Republic of Armenia was the Armenian General Benevolent Union and the generosity of its leading benefactors, Alex Manoogian, and his daughter, Louise Manoogian Simone, who passed away in February at the age of 85, and who has been revered for her impactful work in Armenia, most notably since its independence in 1991.

“AGBU has been a God-given gift since its establishment in 1906 by Boghos Nubar,” said Archbishop Derderian, who traced the milestones of the organization and its contributions both in the Diaspora and the homeland. He elaborated on the efforts of Manoogian Simone, particularly during the devastating earthquake in 1988, when she organized emergency and disaster relief and aid, as well as her leadership during the country’s perilous early days of its newfound independence. Throughout the decades, as a board member and President of the AGBU and as a philanthropist, she supported the homeland in a myriad of ways.

“We witnessed with our own eyes the hands-on support she gave to Armenia,” said Archbishop Derderian, who noted that she also strengthened the ties between AGBU and the Diaspora with Etchmiadzin. “She kept the soul of Armenians alive by building hospitals, churches, youth centers, and schools.”

He emphasized that she served the Armenian nation and the Armenian Church “with her great soul” and that “generations of people will always remember Louise Manoogian Simone, who taught us that we should do more for our people and for our homeland.”

Touching upon another loss for the Armenian community, Archbishop Derderian recognized the life and service of His Beatitude Archbishop Mesrob II Mutafyan, the 84th Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople and All of Turkey, who passed away at the age of 62 after a long period of illness, referring to him as an “intellectual clergyman, who was selfless, courageous and filled with promise and faith.”

“Let us make our lives worthy and follow in the dedicated footsteps of the fallen Armenian soldiers, of Louise Manoogian Simone and Archbishop Mutafyan,” concluded Archbishop Derderian. “May their souls rest in eternal light.” 

-Taleen Babayan