The Feast of the Discovery of the Holy Cross is one of the four feasts dedicated to the Holy Cross. In 327 AD, Heghineh (Helena), the Mother of the Byzantine King Kostandianos (Constantine), visited Jerusalem with the aim to search the Holy Cross of the Lord. A Jew named Judas helped the King's mother search the site where Christ was crucified, Golgotha. As a result of the search, the wooden crosses of Christ and the two criminals crucified together with him were found. In order to identify our Lord's Cross, the remains of a young man were put on each of the three crosses. On one of the crosses the young man arose, and thus the Lord's Cross was identified. After that miracle, Judas, the Jew, converted to Christianity and later became Bishop Cyril of Jerusalem. After the discovery of the Holy Cross, Heghineh renovated the Holy Places of Jerusalem and built the Church of the Holy Resurrection of Golgotha, where later our Lord's Cross was installed. 

With this feast, the Armenian Apostolic Church commemorates the memory of all those saints whose names are not included in the Church Calendar but whose names are registered in the sacred book of God's Heavenly Kingdom.

Many people have been subjected to severe torments and have been martyred for our faith. Unfortunately, we do not know their names.

So the Church established this feast in order to commemorate their martyrdom. They are people who shed their blood for the sake of Christ and His Church.

Archbishop Karekin Hovsepian officially designated October as the month for celebrating and embracing Armenian culture in his encyclical "To Our Faithful People and Diocesan Parish Organizations" dated August 14, 1942. In it he introduced the idea to the public and encouraged everyone in the community to participate in this special observance. He emphasized that "culture," broadly understood as literature, language, music and art, has always found a welcoming home in the Armenian Church, alongside the Church's ministry to preach the Gospel of Christ to God's people. Archbishop Hovsepian noted the Church's historic support of Armenian cultural and educational institutions and affirmed that the church itself has been a "school" to the nation, encouraging literacy among the people and broadening their awareness of history and the larger world.

2015 is a year of observance of the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. It is also a year of celebration of the 70th Anniversary of the Consecration of St. James Armenian Church. It will be a year full of community events and services.

You might be aware of THE 100 YEARS, 100 FACTS online project that educates and raises awareness about Armenian history and culture as a way to communicate the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

Last week we launched our own THE 70 YEARS, 70 FACTS project with some well-known as lesser known facts about St. James Armenian Church and it's parishioners.

 Fact 2

The first pastor of the St. James Church was the Rev. Fr. Vartan Megherian. He was still an archdeacon when he arrived from the St. James Convent in Jerusalem. After completing his theological studies at the Seabury-Western Seminary, he was ordained a priest, on February 28 and 29, 1948, in solemn and impressive ceremonies in St. Luke Episcopal Church, by Bishop Tiran Nerosyan and Bishop Sion Manoogian, in the presence of many Armenian church dignitaries.

Rev. Fr. Vartan Megherian served at St. James from 1947 to 1954.

Click here for more pictures: Pic. 1, Pic. 2, Pic. 3

This event is sponsored and organized by St. James Cultural Committee as part of its Celebrating Our Diaspora initiative. Each year, the Cultural Committee will host a Fall Food Bazaar featuring the cuisine of various corners of the Armenian diaspora. Future years will feature the Turkish, Iraqi, and Iranian Armenian communities. The Fall Food Bazaar is but one taste of celebrating the diversity of our St James parish community.

We cannot stress enough the importance that each organization be present to ensure the coordination and ultimate success of each event and of our year.  Please come prepared with a list of events and dates that your organization is planning for 2015. 

Thank you in advance for your participation and leadership!  

St. James Parish Council

N.B. Dinner will be served and childcare will be provided to ensure full participation.

As needs arise and are brought to the attention of Der Hovhan or the Parish Council, we will need an established list of volunteers whom we may contact to assist these parishioners. 

Volunteering your time and talents will ease the burden of others.  Please contact Debbie DerAsadourian ([email protected] or 847-259-6053), Outreach Coordinator, or sign up in the church hall, if you are able to help.

October 27 - Commemoration of the Priest St. Anastas, Sts. Varos, Theoditeh and her Sons

October 28 - Commemoration of Sts. Severianos (Severianus) of Sebastia and the old man Babelas, Sts. Hipirikians, Martyred in Samosat

October 30 - Commemoration of Pontiff St. John the Chrysostom

November 1 - Feast of All Saints - the old and the new, the known and the unknown.

In Celebration of 

the Armenian Cultural Month

The Cultural Committee of

St. James Armenian Apostolic Church

Invites you to meet

 Renowned artist

GAGIK AROUTIUNIAN

THIS SUNDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2014

After Divine Liturgy

www.gagikaroutiunian.com

at that time. He will be leading the Bible study from his office. 

A COUNTRY PPROFILE ON ARMENIA