Archbishop Mardirossian praises the life-saving mission of the registry
Los Angeles, April 15, 2015 – On Sunday, April 12, known as New Sunday or Second Easter, Western Prelacy churches across Southern California offered special prayers for patients of the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry (ABMDR), as requested by Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate. During church services, ABMDR representatives were on hand at St. Mary’s Church in Glendale and the Armenian Apostolic Church of North Hollywood to inform congregants about the activities of the registry, while ABMDR president Dr. Frieda Jordan made a presentation at the latter church.
Archbishop Mardirossian celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Armenian Apostolic Church of North Hollywood (located at St. Paul Assyrian Chaldean Catholic Church). In his sermon, the Prelate stated that just as Easter symbolizes creation, resurrection, and new life, ABMDR is dedicated to helping save lives. After offering prayers for the health and well-being of ABMDR patients and members, the Prelate invited Dr. Frieda Jordan to speak about the work of the registry.
As she addressed the congregants, Dr. Jordan thanked Archbishop Mardirossian for the opportunity and said, “In the past 16 years, our singular goal has been to help Armenian and non-Armenian patients worldwide survive life-threatening blood-related illnesses, by matching donors to those who need bone marrow stem cell transplants. Toward this quest, we have recruited over 26,000 donors in 24 countries, and established our Stem Cell Harvesting Center, in Yerevan, a lab which has been introducing pioneering medical technologies in the homeland.”
“Very soon we will be commemorating the centennial of the Armenian Genocide, in which more than 1.5 million of our compatriots were lost,” Dr. Jordan said. “Today, as we continue to build on our work, nothing is more gratifying than saving the life of a fellow Armenian. God willing, and with the assistance of our church, we will go on to help save more lives. I would like to thank Archbishop Mardirossian for his wonderful support of our cause, and convey our gratitude to the Armenian community as a whole for making our mission a pan-Armenian success!”
[CAPTIONS]
Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian with ABMDR representatives, including, from left, Dr. Frieda Jordan, Dr. Vergine Madelian, and Diana Artunian, at the Armenian Apostolic Church of North Hollywood.
Dr. Frieda Jordan during her presentation.