V. Rev. Fr. Daniel Findikyan, Dean of St. Nersess Armenian Seminary, New Rochelle, New York, will be visiting the Western Diocese from February 12-24 to promote and publicize the mission and work of the Seminary. Fr. Findikyan's visit comes at the invitation of His Eminence Abp. Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church, and Vice President of the Seminary's Board of Directors.
"Although St. Nersess is in New York, it was established to serve all three North American dioceses," Fr. Findikyan said recently. "The Seminary is eager to support the Primate, clergy, youth and faithful of the Western Diocese in any way we can, and I hope that my visit will be a first step toward that end," he continued, adding, "Today God is calling many young people to step forward and dedicate themselves to His holy work in the Armenian Church. St. Nersess is here to help them do that for the good of our people and for the glory of God."
Fr. Findikyan's itinerary in California is quite full. In addition to celebrating the Divine Liturgy and preaching at St. Peter Armenian Church in Van Nuys and at St. Gregory in Fowler, he has been invited to speak at a Clergy Conference in Los Angeles, a Deacons' Conference in the central valley, and a meeting of youth leaders. Fr. Findikyan will also be lecturing at Fresno State University and visiting the newly-established St. Peter Youth Ministries Center in Glendale.
Born in Fort Worth, Texas, Fr. Findikyan's undergraduate studies were in chemistry and music. Answering the call to serve the church as a priest, he graduated from St. Nersess Seminary with the M.Div degree, simultaneously earning an M.A. in musicology from the City University of New York. After a one-year study-sojourn to Armenia, he pursued doctoral studies in Rome at the Pontifical Oriental Institute, where he earned a Ph.D. in Liturgical Studies in 1997. He was ordained a celibate priest that same year in New York. He is the author of two books and dozens of scholarly articles on various aspects of the theology, history and liturgy of the Armenian Church. He has also served for six years as the Visiting Pastor of the Armenian Church of Charlotte, North Carolina. Last summer he was elevated to the rank of Vartabed in Holy Etchmiadzin, Armenia.