Important Announcement

We write to you with some bittersweet news about our parish. Our Primate, with the approval of the Diocesan Council, has appointed our beloved Father Tadeos to the Armenian Church of Our Savior in Worcester, MA. This concludes a long and well-considered process. Father Tadeos’ last day at Saint Sahag is June 30, 2023.

We, the parish council, first would like to thank Father Tadeos and his family—Yn. Gayane, Zhan, Lucy, and Raffi—for their service, dedication, ideas, and love they have poured into our church and community for over a decade. Without you, we would never have accomplished as much as we did. From your ministry and pastoral leadership, to the financial health of our church and the restoration of our church home, to ten years of Armenian Festivals, Vartavars and many community events, Treasures of Memory and Hope, Family Sundays and a multitude of outreach ministries to name a few, we never could have done it without your spiritual guidance, endless energy, care, openness and devotion. You have helped our community grow into a mature, sustainable church, building connections across Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas and both Dakotas.

We know we will never forget you, and we know you will never forget your Church Family in Minnesota. We are proud to have served alongside you, and grateful for the memories that we have together as a community.

Though this period of transition may bring challenges, we see this as an opportunity for community engagement to carry on the mission and ministry of our church. Each one of us has a role to play during this time to make sure we are building on our success and progress we had in the last two decades. We are actively working with the Diocese regarding the next steps for our parish and the potential assignment of a new priest to our church. We realize it may take some time until we have a new pastor and we may have to rely on visiting clergy. But whoever is assigned to our church, we will welcome them with open arms. Let’s remember that though we might be a small community, we are mighty when we come together for fellowship and service.

In that spirit, we look forward to seeing all of you this spring as we spend our remaining time with Fr. Tadeos and his family. We encourage you to attend  Soorp Badaraks and Services at St. Sahag with Fr. Tadeos in the upcoming months.  Let’s help our beloved Der Hayr and Family to get ready for their move to Massachusetts and the next chapter of their ministry.

As your parish council, we are here to serve you, our community, especially during this time of transition. First we ask you for your prayers, continued engagement and support as we ensure the successes we have built continue into the future, and our community grows stronger.

In Christ,

Chairwoman Michele Byfield Angell,
Parish Council Members
Avo Toghramadjian,  Mariam Kocharian, Peter Hajinian, Peka Savayan, Emma Ohanyan Tri