St. Gregory Parishioner Receives Cardashian Award

Armen Jeknavorian Honored With Prestigious Award

     On Saturday evening, November 9, during the annual banquet of the Armenian National Committee of America, Mr. Armen Jeknavorian, a member of Saint Gregory Armenian Apostolic Church, chairmen of the Men's Club, past Chair of the Board of Trustees and past National Representative, received the Vahan Cardashian Memorial Award for his years of service to the Armenian community of the Merrimack Valley and activism for the cause of local and national recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Receiving the award along with Armen were his two brothers, Ara, & Ara Jeknavorian, who have also distinguished themselves with years of service and activism.
      This years banquet was hosted by the Merrimack Valley Chapter of the Armenian National Committee and took place on the campus of the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Also receiving rewards that evening (Spirit of Armenia) were Congressman James McGovern (Representing Mass. 2nd District) and Prof. Taner Akcam of Clark University, a Turkish historian with a long history identifying the Armenian Genocide as such and outspoken critic of the modern Turksish Republic's ongoing denial of the historical fact.
       Among other dignitaries present, Mr. Aram Hamparian, the Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee, who updated the crowd on the recent passage of U.S. House of Representatives' Resolution 296, which formally recognized the Armenian Genocide. Representing His Eminence Archbishop Anoushavan Tanielian, Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy, was Rev. Archpriest Antranig Baljian, pastor of Saint Stephen's Armenian Apostolic Church in Watertown and member of the Religious Council of the Prelacy.
    We would like to offer our sincerest congratulations to Armen and to the Jeknavorian family for a job well done!

Armen Jeknavorian, recipient of the 2019 Cardashian Award, pictured here with Board of Trustees members and National Representatives of Saint Gregory Church. From left to right: Gregory Minasian (NRA delegate), Mrs. Carol Minasian, Steven Mahlebjian (BOT), Sylvia Mahlebjian (BOT), Armen Jeknavorian (recipient of Cardashian Award), Mrs. Sossy Jeknavorian (NRA delegate), Rev. Fr. Stephan Baljian (Pastor), Christine Kourkounian (Past BOT Chair), Armen Kourkounian (BOT)