The Biography of Fr. Yeghia Hairabedian

Fr. Yeghia Hairabedian was born in Beirut, Lebanon on April 13, 1953, and given the baptismal name Daniel. His parents were devoted Christians, the late Fr. Krikor and Yn. Sara. Since birth his mother and father have instilled in him the love for Christ and commitment to the Armenian Church.

In August of 1959, at the age of six, he and his family came to America. His father was assigned to the St. Stepanos Armenian Church in Watertown, Massachusetts. He and his four sisters moved often as his father was called to serve in various parishes. For a number of years they lived in South Milwaukee, Wisconsin where Fr. Krikor served as the pastor of Holy Resurrection Armenian Church and also was the visiting clergy for the Racine Armenian Churches of Chicago. Fr. Yeghia served on the altar in all parishes where his father served. He graduated high school in Milwaukee and attended the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee for two years.

In 1974 the Hairabedian family relocated to California. Throughout his youth, he helped his father with the church office work and many tasks such as putting out the church newsletters, etc. After moving to Los Angeles, he served as a Sunday School teacher first in St. James Armenian Church of Inglewood, and later at St. John Garabed Armenian Church of San Diego. He enrolled in a Christian College in Los Angeles and received an undergraduate degree in Christian Education.

Upon moving to Fresno with his family he met Roberta Adams, whom he married at the St. Paul Armenian Church in Fresno. A year later they moved to Chicago where he entered graduate school. Under the auspices of the Eastern Armenian Church Diocese with Archbishop Torkom Manoogian, Primate, he completed the Master of Theology program in June of 1988 at the seminary associated with Northwestern University.

He was ordained into the priesthood on June 18, 1988 by His Eminence Archbishop Torkom Manoogian and was assigned as the assistant priest to the Armenian Church of the Holy Martyrs in New York. After two and a half years, he was assigned as Pastor of St. Stepanos Armenian Church of New Jersey. From there Fr. Yeghia transferred to St. James Armenian Church in Sacramento, California where he has served since September of 1992.

Under the leadership of his late father, Fr. Krikor, they started a family ministry while in South Milwaukee, Wisconsin in September of 1968 called "Renewal In Christ". The purpose of this ministry was to encourage Christian educational projects such as Bible study groups, a newsletter, the printing of spiritual booklets and a radio program. In 1991 Fr. Krikor was invited be the late Catholicos Vazken I to preach and teach throughout the newly independent Armenia. Since the inception of the ministry a number of booklets, both in English and in Armenian, have been printed and about 300,000 copies have been distributed in the U.S. and in Armenia.

Fr. Yeghia and Yeretzgin Roberta have two children, Rachel and Daniel, who help Fr. Yeghia in his Pastoral ministry.

2009 | St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church