On Tuesday, October 1, in an inaugural lunch meeting, Bishop Michael Barber, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Oakland and Vicar General Fr. George Mockel met with two clergymen of the Armenian Church in the San Francisco Bay Area, Fr. Hovel Ohanyan, Pastor of St. Vartan Oakland, and Fr. Mesrop Ash, Pastor of St. John San Francisco. 

The lively discussion focused on ways to work together in various areas of Christian Ministry. They discussed issues ranging from the strife facing Christian communities in the Middle East, particularly in civil-war torn Syria, to the upcoming 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in 2015. Bishop Barber embraced his guests and prayed for the mission of the Armenian Church. The priests of the Armenian Church offered to stand proud with the Catholic Diocese of Oakland in promoting important issues of common Christian cause.