AGBU Cultural Center opens doors to students of Sahag Mesrob Armenian Christian School after devastating LA fire

In the wake of a catastrophic wildfire that destroyed the Pasadena campus of Sahag Mesrob Armenian Christian School, up to 190 students from kindergarten through eighth grade will temporarily relocate to the AGBU Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Cultural Center, just four miles from the original school campus. It will serve as a vital bridge to recovery for the Sahag Mesrob Armenian Christian School community in the months ahead.

The AGBU Central Board, working with leadership of the AGBU Western Region on the ground, moved immediately to offer the use of the AGBU Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Cultural Center through the end of the 2025-2026 school year. This extended period will allow the school to regroup and rebuild while ensuring minimal disruption to academic instruction for the year.

The wildfires, which ravaged towns and communities in LA County, spread to the Sahag Mesrob Armenian Christian School campus on January 8, leaving nothing intact except a khachkar (Armenian cross-stone) that symbolically endures as a beacon of faith and resilience. Despite the devastation, the school remains steadfast in its mission to offer a Christ-centered education rooted in Armenian religious and cultural heritage while pursuing academic excellence.

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