About Holy Cross [Armenian] · Belmont, Massachusetts
Holy Cross Armenian Catholic Church is an Armenian Catholic parish in Belmont, Massachusetts, serving the Armenian Catholic faithful of Greater Boston in the Armenian Rite. The parish belongs to the Armenian Catholic Eparchy of Our Lady of Nareg in the United States and Canada (under Bishop Mikael Mouradian) and sits geographically within the territory of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston. Its current pastor is Rev. Fr. Ghazar Bedrossian. The community celebrates the ancient Armenian Mass (the 'Dzaynavor Patarag') — chiefly in Armenian with an English sermon — and is known for its active parish organizations including the Ladies Guild, the Youth Group, and the Meghedi Youth Choral Group. The present church was consecrated on September 14, 1997, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, after the community outgrew its earlier homes in Watertown and Cambridge's Harvard Square.
- Established
- 1939
- Patron
- Holy Cross (Surb Khach)
- Rector
- Rev. Fr. Ghazar Bedrossian
- Diocese
- Armenian Catholic Eparchy of Our Lady of Nareg in the United States and Canada (under Bishop Mikael Mouradian); geographically within the territory of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston
Why belong here
Holy Cross offers Armenian Catholic faithful in the Boston area the rare gift of the ancient Armenian Mass (Dzaynavor Patarag) celebrated according to the Armenian Rite, with an English sermon that welcomes newcomers and English-speaking guests. It is a tight-knit parish family with active organizations for every age — a Parish Council, a Ladies Guild, a Youth Group, and the Meghedi Youth Choral Group — and a Religious Education program that passes the faith to a new generation. The parish is grounded in the sacramental life of the Church (Sunday and weekday Mass, Confession, First Friday Adoration and Anointing of the Sick, Lenten Way of the Cross in the Armenian rite), and it carries forward a singular heritage: a Boston community of Armenian Catholics that has worshipped together since 1939 and now celebrates the Faith in its own consecrated sanctuary in Belmont.
Mass times at Holy Cross [Armenian]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment (per the parish website)
- Sundays 10:00 AM–10:25 AM before Mass (per Discover Mass listing)
Adoration times
- First Friday of the month, following the 6:00 PM Mass (with Anointing of the Sick)
History of Holy Cross Armenian Catholic Church
Holy Cross is one of the oldest Armenian Catholic parishes in the Boston area. Its story begins in 1939 with the arrival of Father Sahag Kogian, a Mekhitarist priest from Vienna, who gathered the Armenian Catholic faithful and opened the Chapel of the Holy Cross in a house at 27 Hillside Road, Watertown. After Father Luke Arakelian took leadership in 1951, the parish purchased the Barclay Club at 100 Mt. Auburn Street in Harvard Square, Cambridge, which was renovated by Armenian artist Ariel Ajemian and dedicated by Cardinal Cushing on February 6, 1956. Father Raphael Andonian, a Mekhitarist from Venice who arrived in 1993, spearheaded the move to the present Belmont site, which was consecrated on September 14, 1997. The parish's own history page describes this arc as a 'mustard seed' blossoming into a flourishing tree, with benefactors like Petros Palandjian and Nishan and Margrit Atinizian making the new church possible.
- 1939 — Father Sahag Kogian founds the community in Watertown
- 1951 — Father Luke Arakelian becomes pastor
- 1954 — Barclay Club in Harvard Square purchased
- February 6, 1956 — Cardinal Cushing dedicates the Cambridge church
- 1990 — Father Paul Kodjanian installed as pastor
- 1993 — Father Raphael Andonian, M.O.V., becomes pastor
- July 30, 1995 — Groundbreaking at 200 Lexington Street, Belmont
- September 14, 1997 — Church consecrated on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Pastorate and Clergy
Holy Cross has been served by a succession of dedicated Armenian Catholic priests, several of them members of the Mekhitarist Order, who carried the Armenian Catholic faith and culture into the Boston area. The parish's history page credits Fathers Kogian, Arakelian, and Andonian specifically with inspiring benefactors, donors, converts, and new members over more than seven decades. Today the parish is led by Rev. Fr. Ghazar Bedrossian as pastor. According to the Catholic Church Directory, Rev. Dcn M.J. Connolly serves the parish as Archdeacon.
- Rev. Fr. Ghazar Bedrossian — current pastor
- Rev. Dcn M.J. Connolly — Archdeacon
- Past pastors: Fathers Kogian, Akian, Luke Arakelian, Paul Kodjanian, Raphael Andonian, Msgr. Andon Atamian
Mass, Sacraments and Devotions
The parish centers its life on the Armenian Catholic liturgy, celebrated in the Armenian Rite. The Sunday Dzaynavor Patarag (Sung High Mass) at 10:30 AM is the main weekly celebration, with the Armenian liturgy and an English sermon welcoming non-Armenian-speaking visitors. Weekday Mass is offered at 8:00 AM, the third Saturday Mass at 6:00 PM is in English, and the First Friday 6:00 PM Mass — followed by Eucharistic Adoration and the Anointing of the Sick — is the parish's principal evening devotion. Confession is offered by appointment (and before Sunday Mass per public listings). During Lent the parish prays the Way of the Cross in the Armenian rite every Friday at 6:00 PM.
- Sunday High Mass (Dzaynavor Patarag) — 10:30 AM, Armenian with English sermon
- Weekday Mass — 8:00 AM
- 3rd Saturday — 6:00 PM (English)
- First Friday — 6:00 PM with Adoration and Anointing of the Sick
- Way of the Cross (Lent) — Fridays 6:00 PM
- Confession — by appointment
Parish Organizations and Ministries
The parish's 'Organization' page lists the formal groups that carry out the life of Holy Cross. Membership is open through the Register-to-become-a-Member link, and the Parish Council governs the community. The Ladies Guild and the Youth Group, along with the Meghedi Youth Choral Group, sustain fellowship, formation, and music ministry across generations. The parish also takes part in the Eparchy Youth Spiritual Retreat, which in 2019 was hosted by Our Lady of Nareg Parish in Montreal.
- Parish Council
- Ladies Guild
- Youth Group
- Meghedi Youth Choral Group
- Religious Education program
- Eparchy Youth Spiritual Retreat (annual)
Religious Education and Youth
Religious Education is one of the listed sections on the parish website, reflecting the community's commitment to passing the Armenian Catholic faith to a new generation. The parish's Youth Group and Meghedi Youth Choral Group give young people a place in liturgical and parish life, and the parish regularly sends youth to the eparchy-wide retreat. This continues the legacy of Father Luke Arakelian's St. Gregory's Armenian Language School and Camp in East Falmouth, which taught Armenian children the language, culture, and love of God.
- Religious Education (parish catechesis)
- Youth Group
- Meghedi Youth Choral Group
- St. Gregory's Armenian Language School and Camp (East Falmouth) — legacy of Fr. Luke Arakelian
Music and Liturgy — The Armenian Rite at Holy Cross
Sunday worship at Holy Cross is the Dzaynavor Patarag (Ձայնաւոր Պատարագ), the sung Armenian Catholic High Mass, celebrated according to the Armenian liturgical tradition that descends from St. Gregory the Illuminator. The Meghedi Youth Choral Group is the parish's youth choir. The sanctuary itself, designed by architects Yervant and Florence Nahikian, was embellished with murals by Armenian artist Daniel Varoujan — including the Last Supper and Christ Rising from the Cross on the wall behind the center altar — making the building itself an expression of Armenian Catholic sacred art.
- Dzaynavor Patarag (Sung Armenian Catholic High Mass) on Sundays
- Meghedi Youth Choral Group
- Murals by Daniel Varoujan — Last Supper and Christ Rising from the Cross
- Blessing of the Basil (Rehan) on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Because the church is dedicated to the Holy Cross, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Khachverats) on September 14 is the parish's name day and a high point of the liturgical year. The Armenian tradition marks this feast with the blessing of basil (rehan), a sign of royalty and of the living Cross, which is carried in procession and used to bless the four corners of the church (the Andastan service). At Holy Cross the feast is celebrated with the Sunday High Mass followed by a community luncheon with entertainment. The 2017 celebration also marked the 20th anniversary of the parish's consecration in Belmont, with Bishop Mikael Mouradian presiding and longtime benefactors Nishan and Margrit Atinizian honored.
- Date: September 14 (closest Sunday in the Armenian calendar)
- Blessing of the basil (rehan) and processional Cross
- Andastan service — blessing of the four corners
- Community luncheon and entertainment
Diocese and Eparchy
Holy Cross belongs to the Armenian Catholic Eparchy of Our Lady of Nareg in the United States and Canada, an Eastern Catholic eparchy in full communion with Rome that serves Armenian Catholics across the continent. The Eparch is Bishop Mikael Mouradian. Geographically, the parish lies within the territory of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, with which it has enjoyed historic ties — most notably through Archbishop (later Cardinal) Cushing's help in purchasing the Barclay Club in 1954 and Cardinal Law's pastoral encouragement of the parish on the eve of its 1997 consecration.
- Armenian Catholic Eparchy of Our Lady of Nareg in the U.S. and Canada
- Bishop Mikael Mouradian — Eparch
- Geographic territory of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston
Visiting, Contact and Giving
Visitors are warmly welcomed at the parish office and for Sunday Mass. The parish can be reached at (617) 489-2280 or by email at [email protected]; the official website is holycrossarmenian.com. Donations may be made online via the parish's Venmo account @HCACCMA. The parish maintains an active bulletin and events page, and its history page records the principal dates and benefactors of the community for newcomers who want to learn more.
- Address: 200 Lexington Street, Belmont, MA 02478
- Phone: (617) 489-2280
- Email: [email protected]
- Web: holycrossarmenian.com
- Venmo: @HCACCMA
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Sahag Kogian, M.O.V.1939–c.1951
Mekhitarist priest from Vienna; founded the community, established the Chapel of the Holy Cross at 27 Hillside Road, Watertown; later called to serve as Patriarchal Vicar in Beirut in 1951.
- Father Michael Akian1951
Assigned to replace Father Kogian in Boston; brief tenure before being reassigned.
- Father Luke Arakelian, M.O.V.1949 (assistant) / 1951–1990
Mekhitarist priest from Vienna; led the move to Cambridge (Barclay Club, 1954/1956), the move to Watertown rectory (1951); founded St. Gregory's Armenian Language School and Camp at East Falmouth; author of 'The A, B, C's of Armenian'; died 1990.
- Father Paul Kodjanian1990–1993
Installed by Bishop Nerses Setian after Father Luke's death; initiated the idea of a new church with more parking.
- Father (later Very Rev.) Raphael Andonian, M.O.V.1993–2014
Mekhitarist of Venice; elected Abbot General of the Mekhitarist Order in Vienna in 1993; Chancellor for All Armenians in the U.S. and Canada from 1995; led the move from Cambridge to the present Belmont church, consecrated September 14, 1997; commissioned the Daniel Varoujan murals; died April 6, 2014.
- Monsignor Andon Atamianafter 2014
Longtime parish priest following Father Andonian's death, leading the parish into its 20th anniversary celebration in December 2017.
- Rev. Fr. Ghazar Bedrossiancurrent
Current pastor of Holy Cross Armenian Catholic Church.