St Stephen’s Church of Hartford, New Britain Celebrates 89th Anniversary

HARTFORD, Conn.—On Sun., Oct. 19, St. Stephen’s Armenian Apostolic Church of Hartford and New Britain celebrated its 89th anniversary with Der Aram Stepanian of Whitinsville, Mass., and His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan Cholyan, who presided over the church services.

Not only was this an occasion to celebrate the anniversary of the second oldest Armenian Apostolic Church in the United States, but it also provided the opportunity to witness and celebrate the ordination of Deacon Ara Stepanian, the son of Der Aram. Der Aram has been instrumental in providing support to St Stephen’s Church during a period of transition.

Immediately following church services, approximately 100 people attended a banquet at the Marriott Hotel in downtown Hartford to celebrate the joyous occasion. Archdeacon Ed Varjabedian served as the master of ceremonies, and both Der Aram and Archbishop Choloyan provided inspirational messages for those in attendance.

During the program, “Certificates of Merit” were presented to two members of the church: Anita Arakelian, treasurer of the Board of Trustees, and Richard Arzoomanian, a former Board member who currently serves on the Investment Committee.