CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — On December 29, 2017, Kevork Atinizian received the Knights of Saints James Medal, a newly created award of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, in recognition for his philanthropic services to the Patriarchate.
A small group of Atinizian family members and friends gathered that Friday evening at Holy Trinity Armenian Church of Greater Boston. When the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Archbishop Nourhan Manougian, arrived, he was greeted by the local Armenian clergymen present, and led to the chancel. There, Fr. Mampre Kouzouian presented the biography of Kevork Atinizian, and then invited the Patriarch to speak.
Manougian expressed his thanks, and the thanks of the Brotherhood of St. James, to Atinizian for the assistance he had provided for the monastery. A number of years ago, for example, he renovated the residence of the Grand Sacristan, which is the dominant building overlooking the main courtyard.
The Patriarch made the point that Atinizian had made his contributions without being approached or asked. He presented the medal, which is diamond studded and cruciform, with S. H., standing for Saints James, written on the four sides of the cross in Armenian. As Atinizian is the first recipient of this award, he became the first knight. The patriarch also gave him a Bible, bound with mother of pearl.
At the end of the ceremony, the patriarch led those present in the traditional Armenian Lord’s Prayer.
