Ani Amirkhanian
Armenians eagerly await the arrival of His Holiness Karekin II,
Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of all Armenians.
For his second Pontifical visit to the Western Diocese, the
Catholicos will spend today through June 10 in Southern California,
starting in Burbank on Saturday at the construction site of the
upcoming mother cathedral, located next to the headquarters of the
Western Diocese.
He will consecrate the corner stones of the cathedral.
"The Western Diocese consists of Armenian churches west of the
Mississippi River," said Matthew Ash, youth director of the Western
Diocese. "There are about 45 churches in the Diocese."
The pontiff will then head to Glendale on Monday for special
visits with the Armenian community at Glendale Adventist Medical
Center to greet patients and consecrate the hospital's new patient
care tower.
He will present the hospital with a Khachkar, which will
permanently stay at the hospital.
A Khachkar is a stone slab with a cross carved into it.
"The Catholicos wants to visit Armenian patients to give them the
word of God," said Mayis Shahbazyan, deacon of the Armenian Western
Diocese.
The Pontiff is also scheduled to visit with Glendale Unified
School District students on Monday at the Glendale High School
auditorium.
His visit is sponsored by Armenian clubs in the district.
"The district is very happy that he has decided to come and visit
with the students of Glendale," said Bill Card, director of Public
Information and Administrative Services. "It's important that the
students of Glendale receive instruction from the important role
models within their life."
The Pontiff's last stop in Glendale will be on Tuesday at the
Glendale Civic Auditorium. He will meet with private school students
from the Glendale, Burbank and La Crescenta areas.
He will wrap up his visit to the area with a visit to Burbank High
School at 4 p.m. on Tuesday. Students will perform traditional
Armenian folk dances and spiritual songs for the pontiff's arrival.
At the end of the event, the pontiff will address the students.
The Catholicos will also tour the rest of Southern California,
stopping in Pasadena and Los Angeles.
For the remainder of his tour, he is scheduled to visit parishes
in Central and Northern California, including Fresno and Sacramento.
The Armenian Western Diocese is hosting the pontiff's visit.
* ANI AMIRKHANIAN is a news assistant. She may be reached at (818)
637-3230 or by e-mail at ani.amirkhanianlatimes.com.
