Inception and History

Before the turn of the 20th century, Armenians began to flee the persecutions of the Ottomans in western Armenia. Some settled in Paterson, New Jersey, the busy hub of the silk weaving industry. They arrived with little money, fortified by an ancient heritage. This was the beginning of a new era of hope and a bright future. Building a church sanctuary has always been the primary concern of Armenians whenever they were forced to emigrate out of their homeland.

At the turn of the century, however, this was almost an impossible task for the newly immigrated Armenian community of Paterson. The only Armenian Church in New Jersey was the Holy Cross parish in Union City. In those days, there were neither parkways nor turnpikes. The roads were long, which led from Paterson to Holy Cross Armenian Church in Union City. During the first three decades of this century, Armenians made the journey by horsecars and trolleys to Holy Cross, the "mother" church in the New World of New Jersey, to worship and celebrate the sacraments of the Armenian church. During this time Armenians of Paterson also rented non-Armenian sanctuaries for occasional church services and sacraments celebrated by visiting clergy.

By the late 1920's the Armenian community of Paterson desired to have its own sanctuary and Pastor. Under the spiritual direction of the late Mampre Vartabed Calfayan, who later became the Primate of the Diocese, a decision was made to purchase land for building an Armenian church. This project, however, had to be abandoned because of the Depression. In 1932, a committee made up of Paterson Armenians, presided over by the late Primate, Archbishop Ghevont Tourian, was able to purchase the St. Luke Episcopal Church on Bloomfield Avenue, Paterson, for $6,000. Despite the severe, worldwide, depression, the entire mortgage was paid within two years. The Armenians of Paterson spent the following 33 years in this modest sanctuary, which offered a center for religious and cultural continuity. Annual bazaars, Hantesses, Armenian and Sunday School classes and youth activities were organized and conducted in the basement hall.

In 1958, three acres of land were purchased on Saddle River Road, in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, with the intention of building a new Armenian Church and a Community Center. Construction of the Church building in Fair Lawn began in March and was completed on September 19, 1965. Archbishop Sion Manoogian, then Primate of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church, consecrated the newly built church in Fair Lawn giving it the name of the great fifth century spiritual leader of the Armenian Church, St. Leon. The challenge was again presented to the modest people of St. Leon, small in number, but groomed in faith, hard work and sacrifice. On February 3, 1980, the Parish Assembly created an executive building committee to plan an expansion project. On June 6, 1980, a special parish assembly authorized the Building Committee to proceed with construction of the long awaited St. Leon Armenian Church Community Center.

On November 9, 1980, Archbishop Torkom Manoogian, then Primate and currently the Patriarch of Jerusalem, blessed the site of the proposed Community Center. In mid-1981 the construction of the Community Center was completed. Since then, the St. Leon Community Center, with its three halls and modern facilities, continues serving the Armenian communities in the New York/New Jersey areas. The Parish continued to grow under the care and supervision of many capable pastors including Rev. Fr. Hovhannes Kavookjian, V. Rev. Fr. Mampre Calfayan (later to become Primate of the Diocese), Rev. Fr. Vahan Jelalian, V. Rev. Fr. Shnork Kaloustian (later to become the Patriarch of Constantinople), Rev. Fr. Arten Ashjian, Rev. Fr. Vartan Der Assadourian, Rev. Fr. Carnig Hallajian, Rev. Fr. Paree Metjian, Rev. Fr. Arshen Aivazian, V. Rev. Fr. Vahan Hovhanessian. On November 1, 1999, His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Barsamian appointed Rev. Diran Bohajian as the Pastor of St. Leon Church.