THE HISTORY OF ST. PAUL ARMENIAN CHURCH

With its roots going back to the second Armenian Apostolic Church in the Western Hemisphere, St. Paul Armenian Apostolic Church of Fresno, California, is marking the newest of many milestones in its history. As part of the far-flung, world-wide body of the people of the Armenian Church, with its many dioceses and their constituent parishes, the members of St. Paul Armenian Church, on this occasion, are proudly celebrating over thirty productive years in their new church complex which was started in 1976.

HOW ST. PAUL PARISH ARRIVED AT THIS POINT

Having had its first residents arriving in Fresno in 1871, the Armenian Community soon felt the urge to hold religious services. But with the fledgling community consisting of both Apostolic and Protestant Armenians, being too small to have its own church edifice, joint religious services were first held on September 17, 1883, in the First Congregational Church of Fresno. By 1892, the community felt the need to form the Fresno Armenian Immigrants' Society (Fresnoi Hay Kaghtaganats Miutiun), later changed to Fresno Armenian Library Society (Fresnoi Hayots Kratarani Miutiun), because city officials did not like the earlier name. The Society lost no time in building its own structure, to be used as a library, reading room, classroom for Armenian language school, and meeting place. The site was at "F" and Monterey Streets. Fortunately, for Fresno Armenians, an elderly Armenian priest, Father Aharon Melkonian, had come to Fresno to live with his son. He began to provide for the pastoral needs of the people. So it was that, when in 1895 the arrangement for joint services had ceased, Father Aharon led the Armenians in holding Apostolic Church services in a rented space in a church at "F" Street and California Avenue. At times, during the summers, services were held at riverside gatherings or in the mountains. This arrangement continued until 1899, when the church membership was about 150, and when the need to have its own place of worship was felt essential. On February 25, 1900, a general membership meeting was held and a committee was elected and charged with proceeding to build a church.