LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commending the Armenian Church of the Holy
Martyrs of Bayside, New York, upon the occasion of its Annual Festival
on September 6, 2014

WHEREAS, Religious institutions, and the many spiritual, social and
educational benefits they confer, play a vital role in the development
of the moral fabric of a responsible citizenry; and
WHEREAS, It is the tradition of this State and Nation to pay tribute
to those institutions and individuals who have contributed to the
ethical and spiritual values of their communities; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body takes pleasure in commending the Arme-
nian Church of the Holy Martyrs of Bayside, New York, upon the occasion
of its Annual Festival to be held on the church grounds on Saturday,
September 6, 2014; and
WHEREAS, The Armenian Church of the Holy Martyrs was born of a deep
inner conviction on the part of the many Armenians living on Long Island
for a place where they could worship God as their ancestors had
worshiped throughout the centuries, and where old and young could gather
to keep alive the rich Armenian spiritual and cultural heritage; and
WHEREAS, The desire grew and gained momentum, and in 1954 a building
committee was formed to make the necessary transactions for the purchase
of the property on which Holy Martyrs is now located; and
WHEREAS, Three prominent members of the community, Artin Aslanian,
Dadour Dadourian and Poozant Piranian, generously contributed the
initial cost of the land; in June of that year, the Certificate of
Incorporation, filed in Albany, made the church an officially chartered
institution; and
WHEREAS, As a bona fide parish of the Diocese of the Armenian Church
of America, Holy Martyrs was assigned its first priest-in-charge, Father
Torkom Manoogian, (of blessed memory His Beatitude Archbishop Torkom
Manoogian, Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem) who will long be remembered
affectionately by the community for guiding its leaders in the right
steps toward the formation of the parish; and
WHEREAS, Fundraising campaigns in the 1950s and 1960s produced the
amounts necessary to construct the house of worship, consecrated in
1958; the purchase of a parish house close to the church provided
adequate housing for the pastor; and
WHEREAS, In the course of time, a school and community center was
built for the church's Sunday School and Armenian Language School; the
Holy Martyrs Armenian Day School, an accredited elementary school up to
the sixth grade, is also housed in the complex; and
WHEREAS, Many auxiliary groups are currently supporting and serving
the church in its mission to keep the Armenian spirit alive on Long
Island; and
WHEREAS, Today, the Armenian Church of the Holy Martyrs ministers to
over 1,000 families and is proud to be celebrating the 55th Anniversary
of its consecration; and
WHEREAS, The Armenian Church of the Holy Martyrs stands on the thresh-
old of tomorrow, prepared to meet the challenges of the coming decades
while retaining that spiritual resolve which characterizes its past; and
WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to take note of
enduring religious institutions and to bring such institutions to the
attention of the people of this Empire State; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commend the Armenian Church of the Holy Martyrs of Bayside, New York,
upon the occasion of its Annual Festival on September 6, 2014; and be it
further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the Armenian Church of the Holy Martyrs of Bayside, New York