Archbishop Sumbat Y Lapajian
January 15, 1927 — July 17, 2010
Sumbat Y. Lapajian, 83, was born on January 15, 1927 in Beirut, Lebanon and entered eternal rest on July 17, 2010 at the Ararat Home in Mission Hills, California.
Archbishop Lapajian is survived by his niece and nephews, Sossy Vartan of Lebanon ,Dr. Elie Lapajian of Holland, Aram Lapajian of Canada and Dikran Vartan of Glendale California.
Sumbat lost his parents at an early age and was sent to the Danish "Birds' Nest" Orphanage in Jbeil where he was raised.
During the Second World War, at the age of 14 he was forced to work to earn a living and at the same time he devoted himself to education.
In 1948, he was accepted into the Seminary of the Armenian Catholicossate in Antelias, he studied there until 1952, and in 1953 he served as Deacon in the Armenian section of The Holy Sepulchre Church in Jerusalem.From 1954-1958 he held the teaching posts in Armenian Schools in Jordan and Lebanon. 1956 he entered Haigazian University as a full time student and graduated in 1960 with a dagree of Bachelor of Arts in Thelogy, and was ordained a celibate priest at the Mother Cathedral of St.Gregory the Illuminator in Antelias,Lebanon on July,13 1958, on the Feast of Vartavar (Transfiguration), by the hands of Archbishop Ardak Manougian.
In January of 1961, he was appointed pastor of Holy Cross Church in Los Angeles California, U.S.A.,a position which he held until the time of his Appointment as Vice Prelate of California 1969-1971 and election as FIRST PRELATE of the Western Prelacy of America, on June 2,1973 on June 2, 1974 he was consecrated a Bishop, he also assumed the Pastorate of Holy Martyrs Church in Encino and had an important roll in the building of the new church and served as pastorate of Armenian Apostolic Church & Principal of Pilibos Armenian School in Hollywood.
In 1962 he organized the Hollywood Saturday Armenian School, and in 1965 he blessed the groundbraking of the Armenian Masrobian School in Pico Rivera , California.
On April 4, 1981 he was honored with the title of Archbishop, from 1986-1990 he was the Chariman of the Religous Council of the Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America, and assumed the duties as Dean of Holy Cross in Montebello from 1985-1994.
In January 1994, he officially retired from his admistrative duties, but has continued to serve the community of Holy Cross Armenian Cathedral in Montebello that he loved and built.
Visitation will be held on Sunday, July 25, 2010 from 5-9:00pm at Holy Cross Armenian Apostolic Cathedral 900 W. Lincoln Ave.,Montebello, CA. Funeral service will be held on Monday, July 26, 2010 at 10:30am also at Holy Cross Armenian Apostolic Cathedral with interment following at the church grounds.
Donations may be made to Holy Cross Cathedral for a Memorial in Archbishop Sumbat Lapajian's name
Condolences may be e-mailed to the family through our Guest Book.
Archbishop Lapajian is survived by his niece and nephews, Sossy Vartan of Lebanon ,Dr. Elie Lapajian of Holland, Aram Lapajian of Canada and Dikran Vartan of Glendale California.
Sumbat lost his parents at an early age and was sent to the Danish "Birds' Nest" Orphanage in Jbeil where he was raised.
During the Second World War, at the age of 14 he was forced to work to earn a living and at the same time he devoted himself to education.
In 1948, he was accepted into the Seminary of the Armenian Catholicossate in Antelias, he studied there until 1952, and in 1953 he served as Deacon in the Armenian section of The Holy Sepulchre Church in Jerusalem.From 1954-1958 he held the teaching posts in Armenian Schools in Jordan and Lebanon. 1956 he entered Haigazian University as a full time student and graduated in 1960 with a dagree of Bachelor of Arts in Thelogy, and was ordained a celibate priest at the Mother Cathedral of St.Gregory the Illuminator in Antelias,Lebanon on July,13 1958, on the Feast of Vartavar (Transfiguration), by the hands of Archbishop Ardak Manougian.
In January of 1961, he was appointed pastor of Holy Cross Church in Los Angeles California, U.S.A.,a position which he held until the time of his Appointment as Vice Prelate of California 1969-1971 and election as FIRST PRELATE of the Western Prelacy of America, on June 2,1973 on June 2, 1974 he was consecrated a Bishop, he also assumed the Pastorate of Holy Martyrs Church in Encino and had an important roll in the building of the new church and served as pastorate of Armenian Apostolic Church & Principal of Pilibos Armenian School in Hollywood.
In 1962 he organized the Hollywood Saturday Armenian School, and in 1965 he blessed the groundbraking of the Armenian Masrobian School in Pico Rivera , California.
On April 4, 1981 he was honored with the title of Archbishop, from 1986-1990 he was the Chariman of the Religous Council of the Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America, and assumed the duties as Dean of Holy Cross in Montebello from 1985-1994.
In January 1994, he officially retired from his admistrative duties, but has continued to serve the community of Holy Cross Armenian Cathedral in Montebello that he loved and built.
Visitation will be held on Sunday, July 25, 2010 from 5-9:00pm at Holy Cross Armenian Apostolic Cathedral 900 W. Lincoln Ave.,Montebello, CA. Funeral service will be held on Monday, July 26, 2010 at 10:30am also at Holy Cross Armenian Apostolic Cathedral with interment following at the church grounds.
Donations may be made to Holy Cross Cathedral for a Memorial in Archbishop Sumbat Lapajian's name
Condolences may be e-mailed to the family through our Guest Book.
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