The Founding of the Parish

In 1993, His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, then Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Canada, recognized the need to establish a new parish in Laval. As the Armenian community continued to grow, his vision was to bring the Church closer to the faithful and provide them with a spiritual home in their own community.

With the encouragement of the Primate, a devoted group of faithful parishioners took the first steps toward establishing regular church services in Laval. Their efforts came to fruition on October 10, 1993, when the first Divine Liturgy was celebrated on the Feast of Holy Cross of Varag at Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church on Boulevard Chomedey before a large congregation.

During his sermon that historic day, Archbishop Derderian, to the great joy of those present, officially named the newly established parish Holy Cross Armenian Apostolic Church of Laval.

The founding of Holy Cross marked an important milestone in the life of Laval’s growing Armenian community. Although the parish did not yet possess a church building of its own, it provided a spiritual home where the faithful could gather to worship God according to the sacred traditions of the Armenian Holy Apostolic Church, receive spiritual nourishment, and preserve their Christian faith, Armenian language, and cultural heritage.

For the next seven years, the parish continued to grow and flourish while holding its services in the rented Catholic church.

A Permanent Parish Home on Boulevard Saint-Martin

A major milestone was reached in August 2000 when the parish acquired a property on Boulevard Saint-Martin consisting of a small house situated on approximately 26,000 square feet of land.

This purchase represented far more than the acquisition of property; it marked the beginning of a new chapter in the life of Holy Cross.

Following the acquisition, dedicated parishioners volunteered countless hours to carry out the necessary renovations and interior improvements, transforming the modest house into a worthy and welcoming place of worship.

Weekly Divine Liturgies began to be celebrated in the intimate sanctuary, which in many ways recalled the simplicity of the places where the early Christians gathered for prayer and worship. Many parishioners fondly remember the closeness of the congregation to the Holy Altar and the strong sense of spiritual family that characterized those years.

For the next seventeen years, the Saint-Martin property served as the spiritual home of Holy Cross. Parish life expanded considerably through Sunday Divine Liturgies, Choir practices, Sunday School, Bible studies, Armenian language classes, summer day camps, youth ministries, cultural programs, festivals, charitable outreach, and the activities of numerous parish organizations.

Through the devoted ministry of its pastors and the dedicated service of successive Parish Councils, the Women’s Guild, teachers, volunteers, benefactors, and faithful parishioners, Holy Cross developed into a vibrant center of Armenian Christian life in Laval.

As the congregation continued to grow and the Saint-Martin sanctuary could no longer accommodate the faithful on major occasions, Divine Liturgies for major feast days began to be celebrated at the nearby Paroisse Saint-Martin Catholic Church, while Holy Sacraments and other sacramental services requiring a larger sanctuary were celebrated at St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Cathedral in Montreal.

The Vision for a New Armenian Church

As the parish continued to grow, the need for a larger and permanent Armenian-style church became increasingly evident.

Through the sustained efforts of successive Parish Councils, together with the support of the Primate and the Diocesan Council, a property on Boulevard du Souvenir in the Chomedey district of Laval was acquired with the vision of constructing a new Holy Cross Armenian Apostolic Church according to traditional Armenian ecclesiastical architecture.

On October 22, 2005, His Grace Bishop Bagrat Galstanyan, then Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Canada, presided over the solemn blessing of the land in the presence of dignitaries and hundreds of parishioners.

The occasion represented another significant milestone in the history of Holy Cross and reflected the faith, commitment, and aspirations of a growing parish community.

Construction of the new church subsequently began on the Boulevard du Souvenir property. Although considerable progress was made, changing circumstances eventually led the parish to pursue a different path. Following the sale of the Souvenir property, Holy Cross entered another important period of transition.

Centre Arménie and a New Home

In 2016, the Dervishian Foundation of Montreal purchased the former Young Israel Synagogue in Chomedey, Laval. Following approximately one year of extensive renovations and a complete redesign, the building was transformed into Centre Arménie, an Armenian community center and church designed to serve the spiritual, cultural, educational, and social needs of the community.

In 2017, following a series of meetings and negotiations involving Mr. Arden Dervishian and the Armenian Diocese of Canada and the Parish Council, an agreement was reached to relocate Holy Cross Armenian Apostolic Church of Laval from its Boulevard Saint-Martin property to the newly established Centre Arménie.

On August 6, 2017, Holy Cross celebrated its first Divine Liturgy in its new sanctuary at Centre Arménie, marking the beginning of another historic chapter in the life of the parish.

From that day forward, Centre Arménie became the new home of Holy Cross Armenian Apostolic Church of Laval.

Here, the parish continues its sacred mission: celebrating the Divine Liturgy, proclaiming the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, administering the Holy Sacraments, educating and nurturing future generations, serving those in need, and preserving the rich spiritual, liturgical, linguistic, and cultural heritage of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Today, Holy Cross Church and Centre Arménie together constitute a vibrant center of Armenian Christian and community life in Laval, bringing worship, Christian education, Armenian culture, fellowship, youth activities, and community service together under one roof.