Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gomez was honored during the 14th annual Ecumenical Prayer Service held at St. Leon Ghevondiants Armenian Cathedral in Burbank on Dec. 10.
The yearly service brings together Christian leaders and laity from several denominations to pray for unity among the faithful and the world. Each year, the Armenian cathedral hosts the service and honors a Christian leader who stands as an “example of Christian love and fidelity,” and this year they selected Archbishop Gomez.
“Your unwavering dedication to serving the community is a blessing for your flock and the ecumenical community in Los Angeles,” said Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, primate of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America, about Archbishop Gomez. “We pray for God’s continued guidance, good health, and strength in your ministry.”
Derderian then presented Archbishop Gomez with an Armenian cross and an icon of the Annunciation.
During his remarks, Archbishop Gomez stressed that the Christian community needed to remain unified if they were to continue being a positive sign to an increasingly hostile world.
“That’s the mission of each and every one of us in this beautiful cathedral tonight,” Archbishop Gomez said. “Those first Christians loved one another as Jesus had loved them. They practiced mercy and compassion, especially toward the weak and vulnerable; they formed strong families and raised their children to love God; they shared their faith with their neighbors and they worked to build up the communities they lived in.
“And over time, by the grace of God, this tiny group of Christians grew and grew and eventually converted an entire empire. They formed a new civilization based on the truth of the Incarnation.
“Friends, I believe we can do that again.”
Other Christian leaders in attendance included Bishop John Harvey Taylor, the head of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, and Bishop Mary Ann Swenson of the World Council of Churches.
Also present was Ecumenical and Interreligious Officer for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles Father Alexei Smith, who introduced Archbishop Gomez during the service. Smith believes the archbishop was chosen because of the simple way he encourages the faithful to follow Christ.
“He has always been encouraging the men and women in the pew, if you will, to follow Christ in a humble and concrete way,” Smith said. “And I think that’s what the Armenian bishops saw in him.”
