Arch Priest Souren Papakhian

The exciting life story of the late Very Rev. Souren Papakhian is hardly confined to matters of ecclesiastical content. His childhood and the intervening years of young adulthood found him living in an entirely different life pattern than that which was to characterize his subsequent ministerial life. 

Like other young patriots of his day, Der Souren's Spartan-Iike activities strengthened the sinews of his mind and body, thus preparing him for the hardships that were to befall his people. 

Der Souren was the youngest of six children born to Vartan and Selvi Papakhian in the village of Khatchalouys (near Khnous), Armenia. (He was later to relate to his children that his grandmother taught him the Hair Mer, while his father helped him learn and master the Armenian alphabet.) 

He received his early education in the town of his birth, Khnous.ln 1908 DerSouren, at age 11, went to Constantinople to further his education. 

He later attended the prestigious Sorbonne University in Paris. To make ends meet, he worked nights in the Renault Automotive factory. 

He was one of 50 outstanding students chosen to study abroad, whereafter he was to return to his homeland to establish new schools in the peripheral hinterlands where no schools had previously existed. 

The young scholar eventually mastered several languages, including French, German, Kurdish, Turkish and Czechoslovakian. 

Young Papakhian's academic potential was early realized by A. Vramian, an ARF leader. It led to the versatile young man's admittance as a resident student into the esteemed Berberian School at Iskudar. 

His principal at the school was Shahan Berberian, who himself had gained fame as a teacher at Sorbonne University. Other staff teachers included the Very Rev. Archbishop Toorian (Patriarch of Jerusalum) Levon Tashjian, Ignatius Mouradian and others. Der Souren was later to comment, "Their signatures on my diploma were the most beautiful adornments possible".

Graduation from the Berberian School occurred in the "black year of 1915," whereafter the young graduate and his colleagues were interspersed to all parts of the Middle East and beyond. 

Following graduation, he was notified he had been conscripted by the Turkish Army. Instead of reporting for military service, he went to serve as a teacher at the Karageosian Orphanage. 

His disregard of the military summons led to his immediate arrest by the army. He was then compelled to serve in a Forced Labor Division of the Turkish Army unti1 1918.

Following his army discharge, the young educator returned to the orphanage as a teacher. A three-year teaching tenure followed at the Berberian School. 

In 1922, with Kemal Attaturk's rise to power, Papakhian along with other educators, journalists and intellectuals, were forced to flee the country or be killed - for the Turks had again begun their periodic purges of the country's minorities. Their escape was possible only with the use of passports issued by the Armenian Republic. In Rev. Papakhian's case, it was issued by Dr. Khatanassian. 

From 1922-1925, his itinerary took him to Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia. He attended Teve University and the University of Prague. In his hours away from the university, he expanded the Athletic Association (Homenetmen) and the Boy Scout movements. 

He next served as a teacher at Beirut's Holy Cross School for a three-year period. Five years at the Palanjian Jemeran followed. He was one of the founders of said Jemeran, as well as one of its first teachers. 

Papakhian was next called to serve at the Khameshlie School of Syria and Iraq, where in addition to teaching, he served as principal and ARF Field Worker in the predominantly Kurdish speaking area.

Der Souren served his final eight years as an educator and Principal of the Latakia, Syrian National School. 

Part of his extracurricular activities included service as Executive Secretary of the H.M.E.M. (Armenian Athletic Union). At Iskudar he organized the Armenian Boy Scouts and the area's footbal (soccer) competitions. During part of his teaching tenure, the late priest taught and served as Principal at the school in Musa Dagh. The kindergarten teacher there at the time was a Miss Shoushanig Chaparian. (Later to become Mrs. Papakhian.) 

The marriage was blessed with three versatile children. Sons, Aspet and Raffi, are attorney and music librarian respectively. Daughter, Salpi, is a teacher. 

By this time in his life odyssey, the future priest had become an extremely successful teacher of national repute. He was firmly established in his teaching profession and regularly received conmmendations for his high degree of professionalism.

One of the greatest services educator Papakhian performed for his people (a service, unfortunately, too few people were aware of) was his role of liaison representative of the Armenians with the Kurds. 

His assignment was that of a procurer. He purchased Armenian children from the Kurds., For each child he bought back, he had to pay one piece of gold. The children had been orphaned or kidnapped during the massacre. In confidence, Papakhian privately remarked that this service to his people was his life's greatest accomplishment. 

An event occurred that was to forever change Papakhian's life. 

During a massive, regional ARF meeting in Allepo, Syria in the early 1940's, a decision was reached that was relayed to Papakhian by courier. The unwary principal was summoned to Allepo to meet with Tashnatzootiun's leaders. He was advised the organization had chosen him as their top prospect to enter the Armenian priesthood to help ameliorate the dangerously dwindled membership of the Holy Ecclesiastical Order in Lebanon. 

He was also informed it was not mandatory for him to accept, for he was then an ARF member. He was also told the people wanted him to become a priest because of his many natural capabilities. 

From the standpoint of educational credentials and personal temperament, the people felt he was ideally suited to make the transition from layman to cleric. 

The preferred candidate then engaged in considerable soul-searching whereafter he agreed to enter the Brotherhood of Armenian priests. 

Before final acceptance, however, he asked for, and was granted some concessions, including the right to retain his own name (rather than being ordained with a new name, which is customary). His insistence made it possible for his wife to wear colors, other than black. (Black being the dress code for priest's wives.) 

The final concession he was granted was his right of not having to absent himself from his home to observe the 40 days of monastic solitude which is part of the Armenian Priesthood's disciplines. 

He laughed good-naturedly, however, when he admitted the church won out in the final analysis, because they convinced his wife that she should leave their home with son Aspet to visit her mother for six weeks in Musa Dagh. During her absence, Der Souren, did, in fact, experience the full rigors of prayer, study, fasting, reflection, and the very solitude he had expected to avoid. 

Thus the church, and Der Souren, had both kept their part of the earlier agreement. 

Based on the splendid academic record Papakhian achieved as an earlier university student, he was able to waive certain of the required philosophy, psychology and sociology courses which go to make up part of the theologian's normal course of study. 

Courses in theology and comparative religion were easily mastered by Papakhian, for his reputation as a scholar again surfaced in the Antelias Semirary. His knowledge of Classical Armenian was widely known. 

Der Souren was ordained a priest at the St. Asdvadzashountz Church in Latakia, Syria in 1941. 

Archbishop Khat, assisted by Bishop Zareh Palanjian, who was later to become Catholicos, performed the ordination. The new priest served his first ministry years in Latakia. 

Overtures to hire the new priest started coming in from all parts of the United States. In 1944, Philadelphia's St. Gregory the Illuminator Church Board of Trustees wrote to Der Souren, requesting him to become their priest. He declined! 

Life in Latakia as a priest was not without its trials, and the new servant of the church was constantly tested. The church was near the edge of a village. One day a group of Armenians rushed across the street and into the church compound shouting, "they're coming, they're coming."

Der Souren ran into the street. ln the distance, he saw a large band of armed French soldiers, and an element of non-Christians, moving menacingly toward the church. He ordered the parishionors into the church yard. After doing so, he kept moving in and out of the church, helping all to get inside. he was oblivious to the danger that threatened his life from all sides. 

(The action occurred in the near aftermath of the Syrian War for Independence, in which the ARF played no small role. It enabled the Armenian Community to remain intact.) 

For Der Souren, it was simply another incident, which since early childhood, had begun to mold his life's character - a character of devotion to the Armenian people. 

Der Souren's early years as a disciplined Armenian Nationalist, his scholarly approach to civil and religious questions, and his intense interest in all matters Armenian, inevitably led him to personal friendships with Armenian leaders, who in their own lifetime, had already become legendary. 

Men of integrity, such as Hamasdegh, Garo Sassouny, Levon Shant, Hratch Papazian, Hair Aprahamian, Movses Der Kalousdian, Edward Dasnabedian, Attigian, Edward Daronian, Hamo Ohanjanian, Roupen Pasha, Aghbalian and Dr. Khatanassian, were just some of his many friends. 

A whole new horizon in Rev. Papakhian's life was still to unfold. It was to occur in a land far from his place of birth, a land of different customs, a land that would become his family's new home, and a land where he would serve his people during the last days of his life. 

The land was America. The church he was to serve was the St. Sarkis Armenian Apostolic Church of Greater Detroit, which was then housed in the Findlater Temple, a Masonic Lodge in Southwest Detroit. 

Der Souren answered the call. In 1946 he took over as St. Sarkis' new spiritual leader, succeeding the late, Der Bedros Mempreian. 

The new priest served the people faithfully for 27 years, always "going out of his way" to be of assistance. 

When plans were discussed to build the new St. Sarkis Church, Der Souren was at once in the thick of things, helping with the planning, offering helpful suggestions and constantly offering encouraging words to the Building Committee. 

The late priest dearly loved the new "Asdvadzeen Doona," the name he lovingly appended to the new spiritual edifice. 

On April 16, 1967, a "This is Your Life" dinner program was sponsored by the church to honor Der Souren on the 25th anniversary of his ordination. 

In speaking to the overflow crowd that evening, Rev. Papakhian said, "Whatever success I've enjoyed in the past 20 years is wholly attributable to my beloved People of the St. Sarkis Church Community."

He went on to say, "My wish is that all Armenians strive to retain their heritage, as long as it takes, to assure the preservation of our language. Without our churches and our schools, the Armenian Race will cease to exist."

His absolute obsession with the importance of the Armenian School was dramatically highlighted in a message contained in the St. Sarkis Church Dedication Book, in which he said: 

The Armenian Church and schools have survived danger and merciless assault aimed at our complete annihilation. They have stood out in Armenian history as symbols of victory. paralleling the solid and eternal mountains of Greater and Lesser Masis (Ararat) standing side-by-side as inseparable as the churches and schools of time-honored Armenia."

The last paragraph of his Dedication message read as follows: "But we must always keep before our eyes the enduring and light-giving Commandment of the Bible which says, "Dead are words without Deed." 

"Forward, then, with unflinching faith. Let us not swerve one iota from the prime task ahead. Shoulder-to- shoulder, let us extend our arms and help the young generation so that their efforts to build anew the twin altars of Church and School, symbolizing Light and Hope, may be crowned with success. Help them to march proudly forward, taking with them the NATION toward a BRIGHT future, toward VICTORY."

Rev. Papakhian admitted that mountain climbing, among the great peaks of Armenia, were among his fondest memories. In later years he authored a book, collecting together the Myths and Legends of the Armenian mountains. He also wrote several short stories and poems which have yet to be published. As a journalist, his articles appeared in Armenian publications worldwide. 

In 1962 (Detroit St. Sarkis Church Consecration date), Rev. Papakhian was elevated to the rank of Arch Priest by the late Catholicos, Zareh I, of the Cilician Holy See. In 1964, Der Souren was conferred the privilege of wearing the flowered pillion (robe) by Catholicos Khoren I. 

Retirement for Rev. Papakhian came in 1974, but ill health plagued him until his passing, in August 1976.