Archbishop Cordileone welcomes new Prelate of the Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church

By Catholic San Francisco

On November 1, Archbishop Cordileone hosted His Eminence Archbishop Kaham Khacherian, Prelate of the Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church in the United States, during his five-day visit to San Francisco. This was His Eminence’s first trip to San Francisco, having been elected in April 2024.

The Armenian Apostolic Church dates back to the Apostolic age. St. Jude Thaddeus and St. Bartholomew brought the Gospel to the area of modern-day Armenia. At the beginning of the fourth century—301 AD—Christianity was accepted as the state religion, 12 years before Constantine’s Edict of Milan. St. Gregory the Illuminator, whom the Armenian church on Commonwealth Avenue in San Francisco was named, became the organizer of the Armenian Apostolic Church hierarchy and set up a “Catholicosate” or head prelate of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Vagharshapat, Armenia. Over time due to persecutions and the migration of Armenian Christians, two Catholicosates were created: the Catholicosate of Etchmiadzin (the Catholicosate of All Armenians), Etchmiadzin-Armenia, and the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia, Antelias-Lebanon.

A member of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia, H.E. Archbishop Kegham Khacherian, served as the Prelate of the Apostolic Church of Greece and Prelate of the Armenian Prelacy of Lebanon. He continues to serve as the Co-Chairman of the Central Religious Council of the Catholicosate of the Holy See of Cilicia.

Also included in the meeting was the outgoing Pastor of St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church in San Francisco, Father Smpad Sabounjian, and the incoming Pastor of the church, Father Artsakh Badoyan; Mr. Rostom Aintablian, member of the Central Executive Council;  Father Kevin Kennedy, Rector and Pastor of St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral and Pastor of Our Lady of Fatima Russian Byzantine Church; and Father Stephen Howell, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of San Francisco.