Parish Spotlight: St. Peter Armenian Church Of Van Nuys

As part of our Parish Spotlight series, we continue highlighting the churches and communities that have helped shape the history and life of the Western Diocese.

St. Peter Armenian Apostolic Church of Van Nuys traces its beginnings to 1958, when Armenians living in the San Fernando Valley began organizing a parish of their own. The first Divine Liturgy in the Valley was celebrated on Pentecost Sunday, May 25, 1958, and the parish was formally incorporated and admitted to the Western Diocese in 1959. Its present sanctuary was completed and consecrated on May 29, 1966, becoming a lasting spiritual and cultural home for generations of Armenian families in the San Fernando Valley. Today, St. Peter continues its mission of worship, education, fellowship, and service under the pastoral leadership of Archpriest Fr. Shnork Demirjian, who has served the parish since 1991, together with Rev. Fr. Gevork Abyan, who was appointed Assistant Pastor in 2026.