The only Armenian church between Milwaukee and Seattle, St. Sahag primarily serves parishioners in Minnesota and surrounding states. The first Armenian families arrived in Minnesota at the end of the 19th century. Following the Armenian Genocide, many other families arrived from various parts of Western Armenia. The first survivor of the Armenian Genocide came to Minnesota in 1919.
For many decades Armenians in Minnesota had no place to gather and celebrate their faith and heritage. With no Armenian priest for hundreds of miles, Minnesota families of the early twentieth century had to wait a long time for visiting clergy to baptize their children.
A newsworthy event during the early 1950s was the visit of Most Rev. Tiran Archbishop Nersoyan, primate of the Armenian diocese of North America. Archbishop Tiran celebrated Divine Liturgy at St. Mary’s Greek Orthodox Church in Minneapolis, assisted by an Armenian choir and deacons from Racine, Wisconsin.
Having begun our journey of faith as a mission parish in 1997, St. Sahag incorporated in December 2000 and acquired the former Merriam Park Presbyterian Church (1912) through the philanthropy of Massis Yeterian and his sister Chacké Yeterian Scallen. The historic structure was sensitively redesigned into an Armenian sanctuary. Divine Liturgy was first celebrated on January 14, 2001, seventeen centuries after Armenia became the first nation to declare Christianity as its state religion.
On Suturday, September 7, 2002, the church was consecrated by the Primate of Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church in America and was given the name St. Sahag. who was the Head of the Armenian Church during the invention of the Armenian Alphabet.
Five years later, in October of 2007, St. Sahag was blessed to host His Holiness Karekin II, the first Catholicos of All Armenians to ever visit Minnesota.
St. Sahag is an Armenian Apostolic Orthodox parish under the jurisdiction of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church in America.
Fr. Tadeos Barseghyan has led our congregation since 2012, succeeding Frs. Hratch Sargsyan (2010–2011) and Sahak Kaishian (2007–2009).
Our historic sanctuary (1912) was designed in English Gothic style by Thomas Holyoke, a former partner of architect Cass Gilbert and chief draftsman of the Minnesota State Capitol. The triple mural above our altar was painted by noted Saint Paul artist Edward Brewer between 1933 and the mid-1940s. The khatchkar (cross–stone) monument in front of our church, signed by master-carver Ruben Nalbandyan of Etchmiadzin, was brought from Armenia during the international commemoration of the Armenian Genocide Centennial in 2015.
PASTORS
Rev. Fr. Sahak Kaishian 2007–09
Rev. Fr. Hratch Sargsyan 2010–11
Rev. Fr. Tadeos Barseghyan 2012–
PARISH COUNCIL CHAIRS
Vahram Kardashian 1997–98
Krikor Mokhtarian 1999–2000
Aram Charchian 2001–06
Stephen Scallen 2007–11
Avedis Toghramadjian 2012–16
Michele Byfield Angell 2017–