Community Life
For the last twelve years, St. Leon (Ghevontiants) Armenian Cathedral has been the sacred house of worship for faithful of all ages. Under her blessed dome, she has united our people, preserving our ancestral Christian Faith and strengthening our national spirit.
She became the spiritual “beehive”, where lives have been transformed through an unbreakable bond with God. The buzz of the faithful was in the air as thousands flocked the Ghevontiants Cathedral, the spiritual center of the Western Diocese on Easter Sunday to take part in the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, proclaiming the three most sacred words in Christendom – HE IS RISEN. Among the dignitaries in attendance were the Honorable Jess Talamantes, Mayor of the City of Burbank, Mr. Derik Ghookasian, Chairman of the Diocesan Council accompanied by his spouse Adrineh, Dr. Hratch Tchilingirian, Associate Faculty Member of Oriental Studies at Oxford University and family, Diocesan benefactors and Cathedral Godfathers who joined the faithful in solemn prayer.
The day’s celebrant and homilist was the Diocesan Primate His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian. Following the service, a processional was led to the Turpanjian Plaza, where the faithful eagerly awaited to receive the Primate’s blessings. Archbishop Derderian participated in the release of the doves ceremony, symbolizing the Holy Spirit and God’s peace on earth. The plaza was then transformed into a cultural center with dance performances by local dance ensembles.