On May 9, 2026, St. John's Armenian Apostolic Church in San Francisco hosted the first-ever pan Oriental Orthodox concelebrated Divine Liturgy in the Bay Area — a historic occasion uniting faithful and clergy from various Oriental Orthodox traditions in shared prayer and worship.

We are deeply grateful to the clergy who graced this gathering: Rev. Fr. Mesrop Ash (Parish Priest, St. John Armenian Church, San Francisco), Archpriest Rev. Fr. Datev Harutyunian (St. Andrew Armenian Church, Cupertino), Rev. Fr. Artsakh Bedoyan (St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church, San Francisco), Rev. Fr. George Zaki (St. George and St. Joseph Coptic Orthodox Church, San Jose), and Rev. Fr. Karikottuchira Kuriakose (Oriental Orthodox Institute, Berkeley), joined by several deacons from all the churches represented. We also extend our heartfelt thanks to the organizers whose dedication brought this day to life.

The morning began with Matins, followed by the Divine Liturgy celebrated primarily in the Armenian tradition. Fr. Datev served as the primary celebrant, while Fr. Artsakh offered a spiritual message on the day’s Gospel reading. In a moving expression of our shared heritage, the Trisagion, Lord's Prayer, and Communion hymns were offered in the Ge'ez, Coptic, and Syriac traditions as well — a reminder that though our languages and melodies differ, we confess one ancient apostolic Faith. After the church service, the faithful gathered in the hall for an agape meal and broke bread with one another as per the tradition of our fathers.

Following the meal, Fr. Mesrop gave a talk on the importance of unity among Oriental Orthodox Christians — and the good our communities can offer the Bay Area and the wider world when we move beyond the walls of our individual traditions and gather together as one apostolic Church. Three fathers — Fr. Mesrop, Fr. George, and Fr. Kuriakose — then fielded questions from the faithful in an open Q&A, offering thoughtful and candid reflections on the themes of unity, identity, and how to follow Christ in a world that rejects Him.

The faithful then gathered in small groups for guided discussion, sharing their experiences of worship across traditions, wrestling with the relationship between cultural identity and life in the Church, and speaking honestly about what is most precious in the faith they hope to hand on to the next generation. It was a conversation marked by depth, humility, and genuine recognition of one another.

Fr. Mesrop then closed the gathering with a reminder that this was only a beginning. The next pan Oriental Orthodox concelebrated Liturgy has been tentatively set for July 18, 2026, to be hosted at St. George and St. Joseph Coptic Orthodox Church in San Jose. All are welcome.

Glory to God for all things.