ARMENIANCHURCHOPENSITSDOORS

BY LINDAMCINTOSH

CARMEL VALLEY

After yearsofplanning, theSt.SarkisArmenian Church hasopened in Carmel Valley, about 2 miles southeast oftheDel Mar FairgroundsacrossInterstate 5. Itisnear the Harvest Evangelical Church ofSan Diego onElCaminoReal. Thenewlybuilt8,500square-foot sanctuary was designedtoresembletheseventh-century ArmenianApostolic church St.Hripsime in Etchmiadzin,in Vagharshapat,Armenia Thesanctuary hasfour28-footstained glasswindowsonitsnorth andsouthsidesportraying stories fromthe Bibleand earlyArmenian religious history Itssteepleis over90feet high to the top of the cross. Since 2008,theSt.Sarkis congregation formerly knownas St. JohnGarabed, started to make plans to move fromits overcrowded building in North Park and settlein North County where alarge numberofitsmemberslive.The church serves roughly 1,200familiesinSan Diego County. A groundbreakingforthe $7 million church project was heldin spring2019 after being grantedcity andstate permits “It’s takenthe community 15yearsofhardworkandperseverance to make this dream a reality. The church is not justforArmenians— itis forallofSanDiego andbe-

St SarkisArmenianChurch yond,”said Nora J. Balikian, co-chairof thethe church’s ConsecrationCommittee.

Carmel Valley.

The church’s 18-acre campus isslated to include a socialhall, youthcenterand gymnasium andeducation and culturalbuilding with classroomsandlibrary.

Thesebuildings andthe sanctuary are slated to occupyabout a third ofthesite with the restleft as a protectedpreserve AnArmenianHeritage Park is planned onthecampus, including a memorial forthe Armenian genocideand openmeditationspaces The church israisingmoneyfor the remaining construction.

“Besides weeklyservices, we planon havingArmenian language andheritage school

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forthe youth, concertsand festivals and much much more,”said LisaKradjian cochairofthe church’s ConsecrationCommittee.

Severalconsecrationcelebrations,includinganopeningceremony andFirst Badarak(Divine Liturgy) were held Jan.28-30 atthe church led byHis Eminence ArchbishopHovnanDerderian,Primate ofthe Western Dioceseofthe Armenian Church of North America, and the Very Rev. Fr Pakrad Dz. V. Berjekian Parish Priest.

The church isopen to the publicforSunday services, which are from 10:30 a.m. to noon.

linda.mcintosh@sduniontribune.com

BY LINDAMCINTOSH

EASTCOUNTY After two yearswithouta concert becauseof COVID-19, theHonorBand andHonorOrchestraof Grossmont UnionHigh SchoolDistrictisbackwith afree community performance Feb. 12 atHelixHigh School in La Mesa.

Theshow highlightsthe skills of themost advanced musiciansinthedistrictand isoften considered bymusic students to be a top high school artisticachievement.

Musicians werechosen to participate based on recommendations fromeach school’s music director Criteriaincluded excellencein musical achievement,student availability for rehearsalsandtheperformance alongwith overall citizenship Student were challengedwithadvancedmusicalselectionsperformed underthedirection of guest conductors fromlocal community colleges.

Band and orchestrastudents from 11 schoolsinthe districtare slated to perform,including HelixHigh, Grossmont, Valhalla,El Capitan, Santana, Mt. Miguel, Monte Vista West Hills and SteeleCanyon,El Cajon ValleyandGranite Hillshighschools.

“The eventissignificant becauseorchestras,bands and choirs,onceanintegral part of communities across the country, have diminishedin recent yearsalmost to thepointof extinction in some areas,”said James Villegas,GrossmontHigh Schoolbanddirector.

“Attending the concert is away to support artsinthe community,” Villegassaid. Theorchestra concert is atnoon, directedby guest conductorAlyzeDreiling. Theband concert isat 1:30 p.m.under the directionof guest conductor James SepulvadoatHelixHigh School 7323University Ave.

For more information, go to guhsd.net. linda.mcintosh @sduniontribune.com