Renewing the Cathedral and Renewing Ourselves

On Sunday, August 30, I celebrated the last Episcopal Badarak at St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral before its temporary closure for a comprehensive interior renovation.

It was an emotional day for me and for our entire Cathedral community. These sacred walls hold generations of memories: baptisms and weddings, ordinations and funerals, joyful celebrations and quiet moments of prayer.

Yet, in the language of faith, a last moment is often the beginning of something new. We are not closing a chapter because the story is finished. We are turning the page because God is still writing.

As skilled workers begin renovating our Cathedral, I invited our faithful to allow Christ to begin a work of renovation within us. Perhaps a relationship needs repairing. Perhaps our life of prayer has grown weak. Perhaps the foundation of our faith needs strengthening, or a door in our heart has remained closed too long.

Let the workers strengthen these walls. Let Christ strengthen our spirits. Let them renew this sanctuary. Let Christ renew our hearts.

The Cathedral building may close for a time, but the Church will never close. We will continue to celebrate the Badarak, pray together, and proclaim the Gospel wherever we gather faithfully as the Body of Christ.

At the conclusion of the service, I entrusted our Building Committee with the original shovel used by Dadour Dadourian and Haik Kavookjian at the Cathedral’s groundbreaking more than sixty years ago. It was a moving symbol of faith and responsibility passing from one generation to another.

I am profoundly grateful to our Building and Fundraising Committees and to every donor whose generosity has made this sacred undertaking possible.

One day, God willing, these doors will open again. The choir will sing, incense will rise, and future generations will enter seeking hope and encounter Jesus Christ.

My prayer is that they will find not only a renewed Cathedral, but also a renewed people.

May we allow Christ to restore our lives as these faithful hands restore His sacred house.

Read my complete sermon below in English and Armenian.

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Renewing a Cathedral & Renewing Ourselves: Bishop Mesrop’s Sermon

Read Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan’s sermon delivered during the last Episcopal Badarak at St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral, before it temporarily closes its doors for a comprehensive interior renovation. The beautiful service took place on Sunday, August 30, 2026, in New York City. Scroll down to read the Primate’s sermon in Armenian.

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In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

All week, I have been wondering how it would feel to stand before you this morning. How do we celebrate the Badarak knowing that, when we leave today, this beloved Cathedral will soon become quiet? The choir will stop singing beneath these arches. The incense will no longer rise before this altar. The doors will close, and the work of renovation will begin.

I confess that this is an emotional moment for me. I know it is emotional for many of you as well.

Today we celebrate the last Badarak in St. Vartan Cathedral, before we begin the renovation of this sacred sanctuary.

The word “last” can sound sad. But in the language of faith, a last moment is often the beginning of something new. We are not closing a chapter because the story is finished. We are turning the page because God is still writing.

There is a beautiful passage in the Scriptures, in the Book of Ezra (3:10-13) that speaks directly to the emotions of this day.

For many years, the people of God had lived in exile. Their beloved Temple in Jerusalem had been destroyed. When they finally returned home, one of their first tasks was to rebuild the house of God.

Scripture tells us that when the foundation of the new Temple was laid, the people gathered together. Some shouted for joy. But the older generation—those who remembered the former Temple and everything it had meant to them—began to weep.

Then Scripture tells us something remarkable: the sound of rejoicing and the sound of weeping became one great sound that could be heard far away.

I believe that is the sound in St. Vartan Cathedral today. It is the sound of gratitude and longing. Some of us feel sadness, because these walls hold so many memories: baptisms and weddings; ordinations and funerals; great celebrations in the life of our church and people; solemn occasions when we simply came before God in prayer.

Some of you remember the people who built this cathedral. Some worshipped beside them. Others know them only through names, photographs, and family stories.

But all of us are here today because they believed the future was worth building for. And today, alongside our sadness, there is excitement. We know what is about to happen here. We can imagine what this cathedral will become when the work is finished. We can imagine this Cathedral renewed and strengthened, ready to welcome generations yet to come.

So perhaps some of us are a little bit sad today, while others are rejoicing. But to God, both sounds are holy. We are grateful to Him for what has been given to us. And we are filled with hope for what God is preparing for the future.

Friends, there is something else I want us to consider today.

In the months ahead, St. Vartan Cathedral will be under construction. Skilled hands will work throughout this building. They will examine what time has weakened, repair what has been damaged, strengthen the foundations, and prepare this sacred place for the future.

What if, during these same renovation period, we allow Christ to perform such work within us?

Perhaps there is a crack in a relationship that needs repairing. Perhaps your life of prayer has grown weak. Perhaps the foundation of your faith needs strengthening. Perhaps there is a door in your heart that has remained closed too long.

We will entrust this building to talented architects, engineers, artisans, and workers. But during this same time, let us place ourselves into the hands of another Builder: Jesus Christ.

He knows every hidden corner of the human heart. He knows what is strong within us and what has become weak. He knows what must be repaired, what must be removed, and what must be made new.

St. Paul assures us: “The One who began a good work among you will bring it to completion” (Philippians 1:6).

Christ has already begun His good work in you. Let Him continue it.

Let the workers strengthen these walls. Let Christ strengthen our spirits.

Let them renew this sanctuary. Let Christ renew our hearts.

Friends, during the months ahead, let us remember something very important: the cathedral building may close, but the Church will never close. We will gather in another sanctuary for a time. And we will still celebrate the Badarak. We will still pray together, and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

St. Vartan Cathedral will live —wherever its people live faithfully as the Body of Christ. And then, God willing, the day will come when these doors open again.

I can already imagine that day. The choir will sing the Badarak. Incense will rise once more beneath these vaults. A magnificent new pipe organ will fill the atmosphere with its music.

And His Holiness Karekin II will reconsecrate this Cathedral, just as his predecessor, His Holiness Vasken I, consecrated it in 1968.

As we look forward to that blessed day, we hold His Holiness in our prayers for all he’s enduring in Armenia. We pray for the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, for our Church in Armenia. May God protect His Church, strengthen His Holiness Vehapar, and lead our people through these difficult days with courage and hope.

On that blessed day of the reconsecration of our Cathedral, our people will walk through these doors and see this sacred place renewed and strengthened.

On that day there will be children entering with us who will someday be baptized here. There will be young people who will someday stand before this altar to be married. There will be future priests and deacons who will be ordained here. And people whose names we do not yet know will walk through these doors searching for hope, and encounter Jesus Christ here.

The prophet said of the rebuilt Temple: “The future splendor of this house shall be greater than the former” (Haggai 2:9). May that promise be fulfilled in St. Vartan Cathedral—not simply because it will be more beautiful, more comfortable, or better equipped, but because the greatest chapter of its ministry may still be ahead of us.

God still has work for this cathedral to do. He still has work for us to do. And He still has work to do in us.

So when we return to this renewed sanctuary, may we return with renewed hearts. May we be able to say that while skilled hands were restoring this sacred building, Christ was restoring our lives.

While these walls were being strengthened, our faith was being strengthened.

While this sanctuary was being renewed, our love for God and one another was being renewed.

My prayer is that when these doors open again, it will not only be the Cathedral that looks different.

May we be different.

Today, we place this sacred house into God’s care and into the hands of faithful workers. And we go forward in hope—confident that the One who began this good work among us will bring it to completion. Amen.

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Before we conclude today, I would like to ask the members of our Cathedral Building Committee to come forward.

Recently, as we began emptying the back rooms of our Cathedral in preparation for the renovation, we made a remarkable discovery. In the treasury room, we found the original shovel used by Dadour Dadourian and Haik Kavookjian at the groundbreaking of St. Vartan Cathedral. More than sixty years ago this shovel broke the earth when this Cathedral existed only as a vision. Those who held it could not yet see these walls, this altar, or the generations who would one day worship here. Yet they believed that the future was worth building for, and they had the courage to begin.

We sometimes speak about “passing the torch” from one generation to another. Well, today we have no torches to pass —but we do have this shovel. Today, I want to place it into the hands of another generation.

Haig Bouchakjian, Richard Papalian, Karl Anoushian, Kevin Lichten, and Nicholas Nazarian: you have given countless hours to planning, studying, envisioning, and preparing for the work that now lies before us. In entrusting this shovel to you, we honor your service—and symbolically entrust to you the work begun by those faithful people so many years ago. They built St. Vartan Cathedral. Today, it falls to us to care for what they placed in our hands—and to make it ready for all those who will follow us.

Finally, a project of this magnitude requires the resources to turn that vision into reality. So I also want to express my profound gratitude to our extraordinary Fundraising Committee: Melanie Dadourian; Laurie Onanian; Oscar Tatosian; and Nick Nazarian. They have worked quietly, persistently, and with tremendous dedication to secure the resources that make everything we are about to undertake possible. Their work—and the generosity of all who have responded to it —has given us great confidence as we begin this next phase.

To our Building Committee, our Fundraising Committee, and to every person who has contributed to this great undertaking: thank you. Sixty years ago, faithful hands broke this ground and began to build. Today, the shovel passes to us.

May God bless the hands that take up the work—and may He bring that work to a joyful completion. Amen.

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Մեսրոպ Եպիոսկոպոս Պարսամեանի քարոզը Ս. Վարդան Մայր Տաճարի վերանորոգութենէն առաջ մատուցուող վերջին Սուրբ Պատարագին առիթով, Օգոստոս 30, 2026թ.

Յանուն Հօր եւ Որդւոյ եւ Հոգւոյն Սրբոյ։ Ամէն։

Սիրելի՛ եղբայրներ եւ քոյրեր,

Այսօր Ս. Վարդան Մայր Տաճարին մէջ կը մատուցանենք վերջին Սուրբ Պատարագը՝ այս սրբավայրի վերանորոգութիւնը սկսելէ առաջ։

«Վերջին» բառը կրնայ տխուր հնչել։ Սակայն հաւատքի լեզուով՝ վերջին պահը յաճախ նոր բանի մը սկիզբն է։

Սուրբ Գիրքին մէջ գեղեցիկ հատուած մը կայ՝ Եզրասի Գիրքին մէջ [3.10-13], որ ուղղակի կը խօսի այսօրուան մեր զգացումներուն:

Երկար տարիներ Աստուծոյ ժողովուրդը աքսորի մէջ ապրած էր։ Երուսաղէմի իրենց սիրելի Տաճարը կործանած էր։ Երբ վերջապէս հայրենիք վերադարձան, իրենց առաջին պարտականութիւններէն մէկը Աստուծոյ տունը վերակառուցելն էր։

Սուրբ Գիրքը կ’ըսէ, թէ երբ նոր Տաճարին հիմը դրուեցաւ, ժողովուրդը միասին հաւաքուեցաւ։ Ոմանք ուրախութեամբ կը բացագանչէին։ Իսկ աւագ սերունդը՝ անոնք, որոնք կը յիշէին նախկին Տաճարը եւ այն ամէնը, որ ան նշանակած էր իրենց համար, սկսան լալ։

Ապա Սուրբ Գիրքը ուշագրաւ բան մը կը պատմէ։ Ցնծութեան ձայնն ու լացի ձայնը մէկ մեծ ձայն դարձան, որ հեռուներէն կը լսուէր։

Կը հաւատամ, որ այսօր Ս. Վարդան Մայր Տաճարին մէջ նոյն ձայնը կը լսուի։

Ան երախտագիտութեան եւ կարօտի ձայնն է։

Մեզմէ ոմանք տխրութիւն կը զգան, որովհետեւ այս պատերը այնքան յիշատակներ կը կրեն՝ մկրտութիւններ եւ պսակներ, ձեռնադրութիւններ եւ յուղարկաւորութիւններ, մեր Եկեղեցւոյ եւ ժողովուրդին կեանքի մեծ տօնակատարութիւններ, եւ այն նուիրական պահերը, երբ պարզապէս Աստուծոյ առջեւ աղօթելու եկանք:

Բայց այսօր, մեր տխրութեան կողքին, խանդավառութիւն ալ կայ։ Գիտենք, թէ շուտով ի՛նչ պիտի կատարուի այստեղ։

Կրնանք պատկերացնել, թէ այս Մայր Տաճարը ի՛նչ պիտի դառնայ, երբ աշխատանքը աւարտի։

Կրնանք պատկերացնել մեր Սուրբ Վարդան Մայր Տաճարը՝ նորոգուած եւ ամրացած, պատրաստ ընդունելու գալիք սերունդները։

Ուստի թերեւս մեզմէ ոմանք այսօր քիչ մը տխուր են, մինչ ուրիշներ՝ յոյսով խանդավառ։

Եւ Աստուծոյ համար այս երկու զգացումներն ալ սուրբ են։

Մենք երախտապարտ ենք Իրեն ամէն բանի համար, որ մեզի տուած է։ Եւ յոյսով ակնդէտ կը սպասենք ամէն բանի, որ Աստուած կը պատրաստէ ապագային համար։

Սիրելիներ, ուրիշ բան մըն ալ կայ, որ կ՚ուզեմ այսօր միասին նկատի առնենք։

Յառաջիկայ ամիսներուն, Ս. Վարդան Մայր Տաճարը պիտի վերանորոգուի։ Հմուտ ձեռքեր պիտի աշխատին այս ամբողջ շէնքին մէջ։ Անոնք պիտի քննեն այն՝ ինչ որ ժամանակը տկարացուցած է, նորոգեն վնասուածը, ամրացնեն հիմերը եւ այս սրբավայրը պատրաստեն ապագային համար։

Եկէք վերանորոգութեան այս նոյն շրջանին, թոյլ տանք, որ Աստուած նման աշխատանք կատարէ մեր սրտերուն եւ հոգիներուն մէջ։

Թերեւս յարաբերութեան մը մէջ ճեղք մը կայ, որ նորոգութեան կը կարօտի։ Ձեր աղօթական կեանքը տկարացած է եւ կամ ձեր հաւատքի հիմը ամրացման կը կարօտի։ Թերեւս ձեր սրտին մէջ դուռ մը կայ, որ չափազանց երկար ժամանակ փակ մնացած է։

Այս շէնքը պիտի վստահինք տաղանդաւոր ճարտարապետներու, արհեստաւորներու եւ բանուորներու։ Սակայն այդ նոյն ընթացքին, եկէք մենք մեզ վստահինք կատարեալ Նորոգողի մը ձեռքերուն՝ Յիսուս Քրիստոսի։

Ան գիտէ մարդկային սրտին ամէնէն թաքուն անկիւնները։ Գիտէ, թէ ի՛նչը ամուր է մեր մէջ, եւ ի՛նչը տկարացած։ Ան գիտէ, թէ ի՛նչ պէտք է նորոգուի, ի՛նչ պէտք է հեռացուի, եւ ի՛նչ պէտք է վերստեղծուի։

Ս. Պօղոս առաքեալ կը վստահեցնէ մեզ՝ «Ան, որ ձեր մէջ սկսաւ բարի գործը, պիտի ամբողջացնէ զայն» (Փիլիպպեցիներ 1.6)։

Քրիստոս արդէն սկսած է Իր բարի գործը ձեր մէջ։ Թոյլ տուէք, որ շարունակէ զայն։

Թող բանուորները ամրացնեն այս պատերը։ Իսկ Քրիստոս ամրացնէ մեր հոգիները։

Թող անոնք նորոգեն այս սրբավայրը։ Եւ Քրիստոս նորոգէ մեր սրտերը։ Ամէն։