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On Sunday, September 25, Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Diocesan Primate, visited St. John the Baptist Church of Greenfield, Wis., as the parish marked the 25th anniversary of the consecration of its present house of worship.

The day began with the celebration of the Divine Liturgy by the Rev. Fr. Tateos Abdalian, the former pastor of St. John Church who was instrumental in encouraging and organizing the construction of the sanctuary in the 1980s.

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The Rev. Fr. Nareg Keutelian, the parish's current visiting pastor, performed the deacon's parts of the liturgy. "It was moving serving as a deacon," said Fr. Keutelian, who was a deacon at St. John the Baptist Church 25 years ago when Fr. Abdalian was the pastor there. "It brought back treasured memories."

At the conclusion of the service, Archbishop Barsamian ordained two parishioners—Michael Kashian and Thomas Hammer—to the rank of acolyte. Both have been working with Fr. Keutelian to prepare for the ordination.

Both newly-ordained parishioners received a certificate of ordination from Archbishop Barsamian, who congratulated them on their accomplishment and encouraged their continued service to the Armenian Church.

The Primate also conducted a thanksgiving service for the Republic of Armenia on the occasion of its 20th anniversary of independence.

Later in the afternoon, some 100 people gathered for a banquet, including guests from other parts of the country who were involved with the parish when it took up the construction project nearly three decades ago.

Archbishop Barsamian spoke on the Diocese's theme of "Ministry of the Faithful," which parishes across the Diocese introduced this month. He reminded the faithful of Christ's call to follow him, saying that "over and over again, our Lord uttered this call to people from every station in life."

"'Follow me' was Christ's invitation to join him, to become close to him, to walk in his footsteps—and thus to know him more intimately," Archbishop Barsamian went on. "Our Lord is offering the same invitation to us today. In following Jesus, we show kindness, concern, and outreach to others. We become the agents of Christ's ministry in our own world."

In his keynote address, Fr. Abdalian spoke about the importance of community, and working together to achieve goals as a parish. He stressed that the church is the body of Christ, and noted that all parts of the body are essential to ensure the healthy development of parish life.

Fr. Abdalian said he was emotionally overcome during the celebration of the Divine Liturgy at St. John the Baptist Church. "I felt the presence of my parents, in-laws, and family members—those who had served at the holy altar during my pastorate, as well as past parishioners of St. John, all who had entered their eternal rest," he said. He expressed a feeling of "being together as one through the Holy Sacrament. As celebrant, I could not have asked for more."

Other highlights of Sunday's banquet included remarks by William Seabrook on behalf of altar servers. William, who was ordained an acolyte two years ago, reflected on the continued altar server training classes conducted by Fr. Keutelian. "With our participation in these training sessions, attending St. Nersess Summer Conferences and Midwest Hye Camp, our understanding of the Divine Liturgy is enriched and our faith deepened," he concluded.

Donnie Rask, a talented young musician, performed Rachmaninoff pieces on the piano. Rask, along with William Seabrook and Arek Kashian, was ordained an acolyte two years ago. In addition to serving on the altar, he often plays the organ in church.

Fr. Keutelian acknowledged the parents for their selfless sacrifices in bringing young men and women to church for training, and ensuring their participation in various Diocesan programs. He concluded the program by singing "Der Getso." Archbishop Barsamian offered a benediction.

St. John the Baptist Church began as a mission parish in West Allis, Wis., in 1940, and saw the consecration of its first house of worship in 1942.

As the community grew, plans were drawn up for a larger church building and cultural center, and property for the project was purchased in Greenfield in 1967. The cultural center was completed in 1970, and services were held in the new facility while the community proceeded with the construction of the sanctuary.

The cornerstones for the new church were blessed in 1986 by then-Primate Archbishop Torkom Manoogian, with the assistance of Fr. Abdalian, who served the parish from 1984 to 1989. The completed building was consecrated by Archbishop Manoogian in November of that year.