Der Aram Stepanian
Biography

Reverend Father Aram Stepanian, was born in Der er Zor, Syria.   In 1945, his family moved to Aleppo where he received his elementary education, and where he served as acolyte in a local church.

In 1957, he moved to Lebanon, that polyglot, tumultuous city where it would have been so simple for a youth like Aram Stepanian to stray.  Instead, it was there that he acknowledged the ever-growing calling in himself to serve the Lord.  To better prepare himself for this task, the young Aram devoted himself to the study of Theology by attending the American Theological Seminary.  After graduation in 1961, he traveled to England where he continued his religious education at the Bible College of Wales.

In 1962, a young Aram came to the United States and settled in Boston, always retaining close ties with the Armenian Apostolic Church while continuing to preach.  Since 1964, he has served the St. Stephen Armenian Apostolic Church of Watertown, MA and its Sunday School, knowledgeably and faithfully.  During this same time period, he met the gracious Miss Margaret Kadehjian and was married to her.  The couple is blessed with two children, Seta and Ara, and have one grandchild, Michela.

In 1967, in appreciation for his faithful and devoted service, Aram was ordained as Deacon by the then Prelate, the late Archbishop Hrant Khatchadourian, in St. Stephen's Church, Boston, Massachusetts.

From that time on, his duties and responsibilities in the religious life of our community were carried out in such a way, never with a thought to personal gratification of ego, that more and more responsibilities were heaped on his shoulders.  He was appointed head teacher of the Sunday School, then was appointed member of the St. Stephen's Church Board of Trustees, and finally in 1982, was elected Chairman of the Board.  In 1984, he was elected as the church's delegate to the 1984 National Representative Assembly.  He accepted these responsibilities in the spirit of the Biblical message, "...For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

For many years, before his ordination to the Priesthood, Der Aram has served as Chairman of the Religious Education Committee of Boston, which disseminates and encourages study of the Bible and the teachings of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Along with his huge workload of service to God, Church and to his family, Der Aram has produced records and tapes of religious messages, on his own initiative.  With the assistance of his wife Margaret, he published the religious publication "Zartonk".  In addition, he was involved in broadcasting a spiritual message in a program through a local radio station in Boston.

In 1999, when the need was presented to him, Aram was called to the Priesthood.  Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, the Prelate of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Eastern United States ordained him on January 9, 1999.  Since then, Reverend Father Aram Stepanian is pastoring the Soorp Asdvadzadzin Armenian Church of Whitinsville, Massachusetts.  The church is extremely active in helping the Armenians in Armenia by building houses for the needy, supporting the orphanages and hospitals, and also establishing businesses for those who want to work.

Currently, Der Aram and Yeretzgeen Margaret reside in Sutton, Massachusetts.