Jacksonville Armenians to have new community center

PanARMENIAN.Net - The mission parish of Jacksonville, Florida., realized a long-held dream this summer when it purchased a new property to serve as a community center, where local Armenians can gather for worship, and for cultural and social programs, according to The Armenian Reporter.

The parish plans to renovate the two-story, 3,600-square-foot building, located on 2 acres of land, in the coming year. When completed, the second floor will be used for liturgical celebrations and performing sacraments, while the first floor will be for Sunday School classrooms, Bible study sessions, and other activities.

"We're very pleased to see the Armenian faithful of Jacksonville take this important step forward towards a more vibrant community life," said Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern).

The Armenian community in Jacksonville began to coalesce in the 1980s, when the few Armenians who had settled there began searching the phone book for other Armenian families. The community grew in 1991 when a wave of immigrants from Azerbaijan arrived in the area, and soon a mission parish was formed.

For years, the parish held services at a local Greek Orthodox church, with Diocesan clergy visiting about once a month for the celebration of the Divine Liturgy. But with the increase of young families, the community saw a need for a place they could call their own.

"This mission parish is a great group of people," said parish council member Carl Bazarian, who also serves as the vice chair on the Board of the Fund for Armenian Relief. "We have a new generation now that we have to keep together."