On Sunday, October 7, Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), visited St. Stepanos Church of Elberon, NJ, as the parish marked the church’s 25th anniversary and honored Mrs. Sirvart Hovnanian, who with her late husband Mr. Kevork Hovnanian built the church in memory of Mr. Hovnanian’s parents in 1987.
Archbishop Barsamian celebrated the Divine Liturgy with the assistance of the Very Rev. Fr. Mamigon Kiledjian, parish pastor. In his sermon, the Primate reflected on the season of the Holy Cross, and his recent experience celebrating the Divine Liturgy at Holy Cross Church of Aghtamar, during the Diocese’s September 2012 pilgrimage to historic Armenia.
He also spoke on the generations of Armenian faithful who have born the cross with devotion and humility. It was in this spirit that the late Mr. Kevork Hovnanian built the St. Stepanos Church, Archbishop Barsamian said.
“While he was unquestionably a man of genuine stature in American life, and a great figure in Armenian life on an international scale, to this parish Kevork Hovnanian was a true father: a man of gentleness and love, of wonderful good humor and touching tenderness to those around him,” the Primate said. “He built this church as his beautiful memorial to his parents.”
A requiem service followed the Divine Liturgy on the occasion of the third anniversary of Mr. Hovnanian’s passing. A world-class business leader, Mr. Hovnanian was the founding chairman of the Fund for Armenian Relief, spearheading the Eastern Diocese’s outreach and development effort to the Republic of Armenia following the 1988 earthquake. He was also a generous supporter of causes in the greater New York area.
A committee of parishioners, led by Mrs. Amanda Haytaian, organized an evening gala at the Oyster Point Hotel in Red Bank, NJ, to honor Mr. Hovnanian’s wife, Mrs. Sirvart Hovnanian. Attendees included Dr. Edgar Housepian, vice chair of the Fund for Armenian Relief; U.S. Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr.; and Mrs. Susan Doctorian-Kyrillos, wife of New Jersey State Senator and U.S. Senate candidate Joe Kyrillos.
Mrs. Aida Kado, chair of the St. Stepanos Church parish council, welcomed guests and invited speakers to convey messages of congratulations to Mrs. Hovnanian.
Ara Hovnanian, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Hovnanian and chair and CEO of Hovnanian Enterprises, spoke about his mother’s nurturing role in the Hovnanian family, and recalled how she supported her husband as the family set down roots in America.
Archbishop Barsamian spoke about the strength of the Hovnanians’ commitment to each other. “It was a partnership that extended to every aspect of life, and will always stand for me as a beautiful example of the tenderness of the Christian sacrament of marriage,” he said. “It was as partners that Mr. and Mrs. Hovnanian became a force for progress, compassion, and dignity in the Republic of Armenia.”
Congressman Pallone read the Congressional citation issued in Mrs. Hovnanian’s honor. “A dedicated and loving wife and mother, Sirvart Hovnanian truly exemplifies what it is to live the American dream,” he said.
Mrs. Kyrillos read a resolution passed by the state Senate congratulating the parish on its 25th anniversary. “St. Stepanos Church has grown from its humble beginnings to its present vital and dynamic state due to the steadfast devotion and tireless commitment of many dedicated persons, both religious and lay, including Sirvart Hovnanian and her beloved late husband, Kevork,” she said.
Fr. Kiledjian said that the parishioners of St. Stepanos Church share a close bond, and work together to continue the legacy established by Mr. Hovnanian. “We are not a large parish, but we are a great one,” he said. “It’s not numbers that have made us great. It is our people—their faith and their love of our community—that have helped us to flourish.”
The program also included a performance by the Arev Children’s Choir. In addition to Mrs. Haytaian, the organizing committee was comprised of Rose Froonjian, Sylva Terjanian, Diane Pekmezian, Aida Kado, and Ashkhen Tadevosian.
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Photos attached.
Photo 1: Fr. Mamigon Kiledjian and Archbishop Khajag Barsamian congratulate Mrs. Sirvart Hovnanian.
Photo 2: U.S. Congressman Frank Pallone presents Mrs. Sirvart Hovnanian with the Congressional citation issued in her honor.
Photo 3: Ara Hovnanian raises a glass to his mother.
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