[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 1] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages 980-981] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]HONORING FATHER VAHAN GOSDANIAN ______ HON. GEORGE RADANOVICH of california in the house of representatives Monday, January 28, 2008 Mr. RADANOVICH. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Father Vahan Gosdanian upon celebrating his 10th anniversary of service to the Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church in Fresno, California. Father Gosdanian is being honored at the 107th Annual Banquet held on January 24, 2008. Father Gosdanian was born in Beirut, Lebanon. He immigrated to the United States in 1986. After his primary and secondary education he pursued a career in graphic design. As a graphic designer he owned his own business in Beirut. Due to the civil war in Beirut, Lebanon, Father Gosdanian, and his wife, Sossie Simonian, immigrated to Los Angeles and he continued to work as a graphic designer. However, he always wanted to attend seminary school and become a Vertabed. Prior to becoming a Vertabed, his religious background included attending Sunday school, becoming a Sunday school teacher and principal and alter serving. Father Gosdanian began taking classes through the Western Prelacy and was ordained into priesthood on March 14, 1993 in Los Angeles, California. He was appointed as the pastor of St. Sarkis Armenian Apostolic Church in Pasadena, California. While there, he published the monthly newsletter and attended to the needs of his parish. To further his education, Father Gosdanian attended classes at the Mennonite Brothers Bible College. In the 10 years that Father Gosdanian has served at Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church in Fresno he has implemented many new programs. The church now holds an annual graduate banquet to honor all Central Valley high school and university graduates that are of Armenian descent. The church serves a traditional dinner for Christmas Eve and Easter for those that attend the service. He also leads a Tuesday night Bible study [[Page 981]] group and regularly visits the California Armenian Retirement Home and other adult day care centers. For the Fresno community, Father Gosdanian performs prayers as needed or requested by civic leaders and attends prayer breakfasts. He is also among a group of pastors that recently joined the prison chaplain program. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend and congratulate Father Vahan Gosdanian on 10 years of service to the church and the community. I invite my colleagues to join me in wishing Father Gosdanian many years of continued success. ____________________