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Day: January 22, 2024
BY CATHERINE YESAYAN
A few years ago, as we were driving on Monterey thoroughfare in Rancho Mirage towards Palm Desert, my eyes suddenly caught a lonely church standing on the right side of the road surrounded by sand dunes. From its architectural structure, I figured that the lonely church must be Armenian—and indeed it was. I was puzzled to see a pristine Armenian church in the middle of the desert.
About a month ago, in an Armenian online publication, I read that the St. Garabed Armenian Apostolic Church of the Desert will be celebrating the 12th Anniversary of its Consecration on January 14. I thought that would be a good excuse to make plans to visit Palm Springs and, in the meantime, visit the church and get some information to whip up a brief column.
Through the church website, I was able to contact Parish Pastor Deacon Gevork Gevorkian. I informed him that I was planning on visiting the church.
I asked a friend of mine to accompany me to Rancho Mirage to visit the church, and she was happy to join me. It was around noon when we arrived.
I couldn’t help but notice that the parking lot was quite full. My mind drifted to the “Field of Dream” movie— from which we learned the slogan: “If you build, they will come.” I thought of all the Armenians that would be living in this desert community. Later, I learned that there is an estimated number of around 700 Armenian families in the area.
The weather couldn’t have been any better. The sun was up, and the temperature hovered in the low 70s. A large pathway, lined with mature palm trees, led to the entrance of the church. It was a picture-perfect sight.
As we entered the church, I was surprised to see it was packed with parishioners. There were only a few seats available, and a few people were lined up against the walls.
On that day, Western Primate Archbishop Hovnan Derderian was invited to lead the Divine Liturgy. The service lasted much longer than usual, as they ordained David Gevorkian to the holy order of the Diaconate—to become a deacon.
After the liturgy was complete, while I exited the church I saw a table where they were offering coffee and baked goods. There I met Hasmik Barsamian, who had baked all of the sweets. She explained that she was a part of the church’s women’s committee. I also had the chance to chat with a few other people to gather all the information I needed.
Baked goods offered to parishioners after Sunday service at St. Garabed church
Before I go further, I’d like to tell you about the Coachella Valley, which encompasses the Greater Palm Springs area. In 1990s, the Armenian leaders of Rancho Mirage in the Coachella Valley got together and decided to build a church. The plans to build a new church were submitted in 2009 and construction began soon after. Finally, the church was consecrated and anointed on January 7, 2012.
Before the construction of the church, the Armenians of the Palm Desert area, for years, attended church services either by traveling to Los Angeles or San Diego, or renting a dining hall in Rancho Mirage.
For the last 12 years, the Parish Council of St. Garabed church has been very active within the community—serving as a space for both religious and nonreligious functions. Every year on Veteran’s Day, the church parish organizes the Armenian Cultural Festival. This year, about 3,000 people enjoyed Armenian food, music, dance, and culture. Guests from various surrounding towns, and some even further from Los Angeles and San Diego, often visit the festival. The event has become an annual, popular tradition.
The Kirkjan Family Hall, which is adjacent to St. Garabed Church
A few hundred feet away from the church entrance, there’s the Kirkjan Family Hall where the local community holds different events, such as New Year’s Eve celebrations. On the day of our visit, right after the liturgy, Deacon Gevork Gevorkian invited us to attend the banquet luncheon, held at that Family Hall. However, due to time constraints, we were unable to attend.
The Ladies’ Society members provide coffee and sweets to parishioners during the fellowship hour, which is held after Sunday services. The church also offers Sunday School and Armenian language classes on Saturdays.
Archbishop Derderian has called the St. Garabed Armenian Church a “crowning jewel.” I attest that the Church of the Desert can be one of the most treasured gems of the Western Diocese.
Catherine Yesayan is a regular contributor to Asbarez, with her columns appearing under the “Community Links” heading. She can be reached at cyesayan@gmail.com.
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The Armenian EyeCare Project honored both a very close corporate partner as well as a generous benefactor and friend who has sadly passed on during the nonprofit organization’s annual Gala fundraiser held on December 2, 2023 in Newport Beach, California.
A close partner and collaborator for nearly 15 years, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles was honored as the AECP’s Corporate Honoree at the organization’s event. In attendance was President and CEO of Children’s Hospital Paul Viviano; CHLA Division Chief of Ophthalmology Dr. Thomas Lee and several other staff members from the notable hospital who work regularly with the AECP team in Armenia on various initiatives, including Dr. Eyal Ben-Issac, Dr. Armine Lulejian, Jenia Ghazarian and more.
Luther J. Khachigian“We are thrilled to be here tonight to celebrate our 14-year history with the Armenian EyeCare Project and the lives of all the children we have touched during that time,” said Viviano during the event. “What started as a targeted program to train ophthalmologists on how to diagnose and treat a devastating form of childhood blindness has blossomed into a larger training mission to educate not just doctors but also nurses and hospital leaders on how to prepare for the future of Armenia.”
Since their involvement began in 2009, CHLA has been instrumental in the success of AECP’s pediatric program in Armenia, dedicated to advancing eye care for infants and children and eliminating preventable blindness caused by retinopathy of prematurity and other childhood eye diseases. Since this time, CHLA’s continued commitment to serve the people of Armenia has expanded through several additional joint programs with AECP through the years. This includes the opening of a Neonatal Simulation Center inside the AECP’s Center of Excellence for the Prevention of Childhood Blindness in Yerevan; the implementation of a large-scale School Screening Program throughout Armenia for school-aged children; the provision of educational resources and training opportunities for medical staff in Armenia including neonatal nurses, mental health professionals and more; and participating as a consistent co-organizer of the AECP-CHLA Annual Conference held in Yerevan, Armenia every year.
CHLA has helped the AECP leverage innovative solutions to touch the lives of thousands of children in Armenia. They have used telemedicine to train physicians in Armenia who have now performed more than 35,000 screenings for ROP and 950 surgeries. As a result of this partnership, no child in Armenia has gone blind from this debilitating eye disease since 2018.
“We are committed to the lives of all children whether they are in L.A. or halfway around the world,” Viviano said. “Our commitment to Armenia will continue, and we are so grateful to have the Armenian EyeCare Project as our steadfast partner in helping us in our mission.”
Khachigian’s son, Luther Khachigian II, with Dr. Roger Ohanesian and Dr. John Hovanesian
Also honored at the gala was a great benefactor and dear friend of the AECP, the late Luther Khachigian, who passed away in June 2023. A longtime supporter of the AECP, Khachigian contributed greatly to the organization’s many sight-saving initiatives in Armenia over the years. This included the funding of several pieces of cutting-edge medical equipment used to diagnose and treat eye disease as well as the underwriting of an entire Regional Eye Center in the country. Named after his father, who Khachigian loved and respected very much, the “John Ohannes Khachigian AECP Regional Eye Center” was developed and opened in Gyumri, the second-largest city in Armenia, in 2017.
“Luther was not only a great supporter and a generous and committed benefactor, but he was also a very dear friend,” AECP Founder Dr. Roger Ohanesian shared. “He was instrumental in providing long-term support to various AECP initiatives and always stressed the importance of getting more Armenians involved.”
As a result of CHLA’s partnership with AECP, no child in Armenia has gone blind from retinopathy of prematurity, a debilitating eye disease found in infants, since 2018
Many of Khachigian’s family and friends were present at the AECP gala to watch Khachigian being honored posthumously. This included Khachigian’s son, Luther Khachigian II; Khachigian’s younger brother, Ken Khachigian and others. During the event, Luther II shared that his father’s extraordinary generosity would continue through Khachigian’s bequest.
Presenting the AECP with a generous contribution from his father’s estate, Luther II said that it was an honor for his father to be remembered by AECP and pledged more support for the organization through Khachigian’s estate in the coming year.
As thousands of patients continue to be treated at Khachigian’s regional center in Gyumri and with news of his legacy funding, it’s no doubt that Khachigian’s tremendous impact and contribution to eye care in Armenia will be felt for generations to come.