For the first time in about 4 decades, best I can remember, one of the Armenian Catholic parishes has announced plans to serve the Soorp Badarak elsewhere besides its temple.

St Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Catholic Church in Glendale will begin to do so once monthly in both Burlingame (near San Francisco) and Escondido (near San Diego), starting this month.

I don't know precisely what to term it - 'mission' makes it sound as though they are evangelizing and I doubt that's the case (the Armenians don't do so as a rule). But, I suppose the word has come to have a broader meaning than it once did (and I'm just behind the times).

My presumption is that they are reaching out to serve clusters of their faithful who live too distant to regularly worship in either of the existing California parishes. Regardless, it could eventually mean the first expansion for the Armenian Catholic Church in the US since the '70s.

Prayers for the success of these endeavors.

Many years,

Neil

And, yes, they have been added to the Directory

Armenian Catholic Mission of San Francisco

Armenian Catholic Mission of San Diego

Many years,

Neil

I hope to go visit the San Diego Mission.

San Diego has many Eastern Christian parishes. We have three Byzantine Catholic parishes (a Ruthenian, Ukrainian, and Melkite), one Maronite, Syrian, Ethiopian, and now an Armenian Catholic parish/mission, and a whole Chaldean Eparchy based here.

The city has, I believe, over ten Eastern and Oriental Orthodox parishes and even an Assyrian Church of the East mission.

Maybe Eastern Christians like our climate?

Nelson,

The West Coast and the Southwest are clearly the geographic areas into which are Churches are expanding in recent years. Not too many years ago, that litany of Eastern and Oriental Churches that you just recited could not have been said of anyplace west of the Mississippi.

Check the website of St Gregory's in Glendale or call it's number before you head out to the Armenian Mission. This month is literally the first serving of the Soorp Badarak there, so that schedule could yet change or not hold in current months. You can get the phone number off the directory link that I posted above.

And, if you go, I'd appreciate an interior photo (exterior, too, the one I used looks to me like an artist's rendering). Those can be e-mailed to me at - ec_parish_webmaster@yahoo.com

Many years,

Neil