About the Author

A native of South Milwaukee, Wis., 

Fr. Arsen Barsamian was preparing for a career in music when he felt the calling to become a priest. After three years of studying music theory and composition at the University of Wisconsin, he traveled to Lebanon to study theology at the seminary of the Great House of Cilicia in 1953. Later he continued his work at the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, and completed coursework at several seminaries in the US.

On March 13, 1960, he was ordained into the holy priesthood by then-Primate Archbishop Sion Manoogian at St. Mesrob Armenian Church of Racine, Wis., and appointed pastor of St. George Armenian Church of Waukegan, Ill., where he would serve for the next four years. 

In 1967, he became pastor of St. James Armenian Church of Richmond, Va.
In 1989, Fr. Barsamian became the associate pastor of St. James Armenian Church of Watertown, where he served until his retirement in 2002.