Deember 1

TOP STORY   

Holy Apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew, First Illuminators of Armenia

Saint Thaddeus- St. Jude, known as Thaddaeus, was a brother of St. James the Less, and a relative of Our Saviour. Ancient writers tell us that he preached the Gospel in Judea, Samaria, Idumaea, Syria, Mesopotamia, and Lybia. According to Eusebius, he returned to Jerusalem in the year 62, and assisted at the election of his brother, St. Simeon, as Bishop of Jerusalem. He is an author of an epistle (letter) to the Churches of the East, particularly the Jewish converts, directed against the heresies of the Simonians, Nicolaites, and Gnostics. This Apostle suffered martyrdom in Armenia. The final conversion of the Armenian nation to Christianity did not take place until the third century of our era.

Saint Bartholomew- His name is patronymic, meaning "son of Tolmai". Sometimes he is identified with Nathaneal whom Phillip led to Christ. According to the historian Eusebius, when Pantainus of Alexandria visited India between 150 and 200 A. D., he found there the Gospel according to Matthew left behind by Bartholomew one of the Apostles. According to tradition, Bartholomew was flayed and crucified upside down at Albanapolis in Armenia.

December 2, 2023

SUNDAY

SCHEDULE

Morning Service 

10:00 AM

Holy Badarak 

10:30 AM

Celebrant

Rev. Fr. Hovsep Karapetyan

Usher

Arlin Diratsuyan

Parish Council Members on Duty

Ohannes Sivaslian

Choir

Mrs. Edita Kalayjian

Organist

Mrs. Karine Muradyan

Bible Readings: 

Isaiah 36.22-37.11,

1 Thessalonians 4:1-11

Luke 13.1-9

HOKEHANKIST

REQUIEM SERVICE

For the Soul of :

Radik Mnatsakanyan

Requested by:

Mnatsakanyan & Manukyan Families

Hospitality Table is Hosted by:

Mnatsakanyan & Manukyan Families

-------------------------------------------

To request a Hokehankist/Requiem Service 

Please contact the Church Office

by 12:00 Noon on Thursday

202-363-1923

or Click here to see the form

Prayer of the Week

Lord, please keep watch over your faithful people, strengthen those fleeing persecution, and protect the holy soil of Armenia—now and always.

  Foil every aggressor against our homeland. Defend the innocent and voiceless, Lord.

   Preserve the name and spirit of Artsakh in our hearts, forever. Console all those who grieve, and remember those who sacrificed their very lives in your Name. Deliver your faithful children from conflict, and bestow your peace on all mankind.

   Let us hold the holy Mother of God and all the saints as intercessors with the Father in Heaven, that He may be pleased to have mercy and compassion on us, His creatures, and save us. Almighty Lord, our God, save us and have mercy on us. Amen.

Please tune in to St. Mary YouTube channel for the upcoming services and Badaraks

Please stop by and select a Christmas ornament of your taste made with love by our incredible Shnorhali School students from recycled materials.

The funds will be sent to the Fund For Armenian Relief (FAR) / for the Artsakh refugee relief effort.

Advent by Candlelight



Join St. Mary's Women's Guild to celebrate the Advent season with a Prayer Service, Music, and Fellowship on Saturday, December 2nd at 6:30. Featuring a Musical Performance by Chamasyan Sisters.

St. Mary Armenian Church

Invites you

To an enlightening presentation:

The Lay of the Land: Armenian Monasteries in their Local Landscapes

By Whitney Adana Kite, Junior Fellow, Byzantine Studies

On December 3 at 1:00 pm

Dive deep into the harmonious connection between Armenian monasteries and their stunning landscapes.

By blending medieval texts with her on-site analysis, Whitney unveils how each locale reverberates with the essence of the land, its material richness, and the tales it performs.

Discover the profound ways medieval Armenians forged ties with nature through their awe-inspiring constructions, echoing a sentiment found worldwide. 

Calling all teens! The ACYOA Juniors Christmas Party will be on December 9th from 6-9 PM at the Karapetyan home, 6208 Crathie Lane, Bethesda, Md.

Games, s'mores at the firepit, dinner, fun!

Bring a potluck dish to share and an unwrapped toy for a needy local child.

St. Mary Armenian Church

91st ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

Sunday, December 10, 2023

Officiated by

His Eminence Archbishop Vicken Aykazian

Ecumenical Director and Diocesan Legate

Special Requiem Service

For all of our former Dedicated Parishioners and Loved Ones

Luncheon and Program

In the Church Hall Following the Divine Liturgy

Honoring Dedicated Parishioner

Dr. Hratch Semerjian

Presenting St. Vartan Award



Please RSVP for the Luncheon by calling 202-363-1923 or By email stmarychurchdc@gmail.com

By December 5, 2023

Mark your calendars and sign-up for the charity event of the holiday season.

Food will be made available and items will be for sale to help the Armenian refugees of Artsakh.

This event will focus on explaining to non-Armenians the dire humanitarian needs of our people, so all Armenians are encouraged to bring friends. After buying tickets for yourself, purchase a few extra and invite your charitable friends - and don't forget to share the flyer and link on social media!

Shnorhali School at St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church is delighted to announce the festive details for this year's Christmas celebrations! The school will celebrate the season through several events.

On December 17^th, after school students will participate in an enlightening educational presentation where students will learn the true meaning of Christmas, explore its symbols, and delve into both national and international Christmas traditions. This unique opportunity allows our students to deepen their understanding of the season's significance. Following these insightful sessions, a plethora of engaging activities await our students. Through festive arts and crafts to exciting hands-on activities, students will get an opportunity to unleash their creativity with Christmas-themed cupcake decorations, experience the magic of face/hand painting, make their own magical reindeer food, Christmas ornament decorating, and enjoy coloring pages that capture the spirit of the season. As the festivities draw to a close, students will have the chance to meet and capture precious moments with Santa Claus! 

On January 5^th students will be part of the Christmas Eve events by reading from the Scriptures and participating in the Divine Liturgy.

On January 7^th, after-school students will culminate the celebration of events related to Christ’s Incarnation with our annual Christmas Handes, a delightful pageant that explores the symbols of Christmas and delves into the true meaning of the festive season. Students will share the wonderful news of our Savior’s birth through the retelling of Jesus’s birth story combined with classic carols and songs.



 Mark your calendars, as we extend a warm invitation to join us in the Cultural Hall of the St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church for an enriching and joyful experience.

RECYCLING PROGRAM NEWS

Thanks to our Recycling Committee for their work in sorting and bringing home the recyclables every Sunday, especially during our recent Food Festival. What has been discouraging, though, is that people continue to throw half-full coffee cups and food into the container, which makes it very messy for us. Please put only the following in the container:

Empty plastic bottles

Empty aluminum cans

Empty glass bottles

Nothing else!!

No paper, no plastic silverware, no coffee cups, no paper plates, no food. We are trying to keep things simple.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please email Roxanne Paul at rangerrox@msn.com. Thank you for being so supportive in helping keep our planet cleaner!

DIOCESAN & OTHER NEWS

St. Nersess Seminary Honors 12 Priestly and Lay Vocations

In an evening of joyful remembrance and reunion, St. Nersess Armenian Seminary marked its 62nd anniversary by paying tribute to twelve seminary graduates who have gone forward to serve the Armenian Church as ordained priests and lay ministers.

Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan, Diocesan Primate and President of the St. Nersess Board of Directors, presided over the event that went forward under the title, “12 Vocations: Broadening the Call.” Some 200 guests filled the elegant ballroom of New Jersey’s Macaluso’s restaurant on Saturday, November 4.

The event’s theme was a sequel to the seminary’s gala of 2021, where its first dozen ordained graduates were honored. This time the 12 distinguished honorees included both men who went on to priestly ordination, as well as women who have gone on to meaningful and influential lay vocations.

Leading this year’s roster of honored graduates was Archbishop Avak Asadourian, the retired Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Iraq, who was ordained into the priesthood in 1977, and into the episcopate in 1982.

He was joined by Fr. Krikor Sabounjian (ordained 1998); Fr. Sarkis Petoyan (1998); Fr. Abraham Ohanesian (1999); Fr. Mikael Devejian (2000); Fr. Hovsep Karapetyan (2004); Fr. Aren Jebejian (2004); Fr. Bedros Kadehjian (2005); Yn. Valerie Goekjian Zahirsky (graduated 1974); Yn. Sirarpi Feredjian Aivazian (1978); Nancy Basmajian (1979); and Shaké Ajamian Derderian (1989).

Seminary Dean Fr. Mardiros Chevian served as master of ceremonies, with remarks given by Seminary Board chair Karnig Durgarian, Diocesan Council chair Richard Papalian, Anthony Barsamian, Dottie Bengoian, and several of the honorees.

Along with spoken and video tributes to the honorees, a message from Western Diocesan Primate Archbishop Hovnan Derderian was read aloud by Fr. Chevian, who also gave grateful recognition to benefactors Sarkis and Ruth Bedevian, Vicken and Rosette Arslanian, and Edward and Janet Mardigian; St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Seminary administrators and faculty; and banquet co-chairs Margaret Kachigian Ajamian and Lynn Pinajian Beylerian.

Bishop Mesrop closed the evening by offering thoughts on the profound influence that the seminary and its graduates have had on so many lives. “We have unknown saints among us: ordinary people with extraordinary love," he said. "We are blessed this evening by our honorees.”

Click the following links to read an in-depth article about the event on the St. Nersess Seminary website, and to view a gallery of photos. To watch the commemorative video screened on the occasion, titled “Sacred Friendships,” click here.

UPCOMING EVENTS

“The Lord heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” Psalms 147

Prayers for Healing

Աղօթք Բժշկութեան

Join us in this ancient Armenian Church tradition:

A brief prayer service, holy Scripture, and blessing of holy water asking God to ease the pains of body, mind, and soul and bestow his peace.

The Bible Discussions on the healing miracles of our Lord will follow the services.

Prayer of Healing and Bible Discussions will be offered every Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

ALL ARE WELCOME

Special Gift for St. Mary Gift Shop

St. Mary gift shop is offering limited numbers of imported bottles of medieval Armenian health elixirs formulated from ancient manuscripts deciphered at the Matendaran Museum of Ancient Armenian Manuscripts. These elixirs are made in Armenia by Armen Sahakyan, a pharmacologist and botanical scholar who has been working at the Matenadaran Museum for the last several decades. A trained medical doctor ordained a deacon in 1997, Sahakyan has dedicated his life to the maintenance of Armenia’s sacred botanical traditions.

The three different batches available at our gift shop (Royal Elixir, Arates Elixir and Arates Tonic) are made from a codified recipe of medieval Armenian medicine, using a special distillation process. They contain medicinal and aromatic plants, known for their healing properties. Through the distillation and aging process alcohol is created, so think of them as perhaps Armenia’s first (healthy) cognac! 

The supplies are limited and each bottle is numbered, including the batch and year of production. All of the bottles were donated to St Mary Church, so 100% of the proceeds will go to the St Mary Endowment Fund, with a portion also going to support Armenian clergy serving in Artsakh.

"Embrace the Future" Endowment Fund

Dear Parishioners and Friends, 

This year we celebrate the 90th Anniversary of the St. Mary Community and Church with the launch of the new "Embrace the Future" Endowment Fund to help ensure our church has the resources needed to continue serving our beloved community.  

Just as you plan for your future and that of your family, please join us in planning for the future of St. Mary Church. 

We are asking for your support so that St. Mary will be able to continue to fulfill her mission for future generations.  

The link below lists various opportunities for you to make a meaningful gift of lasting significance that will help support our church's long-term security, visibility, and vitality. Please consider making either a one-time gift or pledge, which would allow you to make payments over a five-year period.

Join St. Mary's Prayer Group

We are initiating a new form of ministry at St. Mary Armenian Church. For parishioners who would like to make an electronic prayer request, they can do so by Clicking Here

A group of volunteers will receive the request and pray at their earliest convenience. Additionally, a new physical prayer request box will be placed at the entrance of St. Mary Armenian Church with blank forms that anyone can fill out and drop in the box. These requests will be retrieved weekly and delivered to the members of the volunteer prayer group. If you would like to become one of the volunteers of the Prayer Group please email us. 

Please click on the link below to present your request. 

Buy a Brick and Leave Your Legacy at

St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church

Bricks can be ordered and purchased by clicking below and

filling out a simple online order form.

You can choose to have a 4" x 8" brick

which includes your preselected

3 lines of 20 characters per line of text.

Or you can choose to have the

Armenian Cross artwork on the 4" x 8" brick

which includes your preselected

3 lines of 15 characters per line of text.

Order Today While Quantities Last!

Payment can be made with PayPal or a Credit Card.

Legacy Brick Donations are Tax Deductible.

December 3 Lecture on the Armenian Monasteries by Ms. Whitney Adana Kite

December 9   Feast of the Conception of the Holy Virgin Mary

December 9 ACYOA Juniors Christmas Party

December 10 Celebration Of the 91st Anniversary of the Church

December 16 ACYOA Seniors Fundraising Event

December 16 Beet Salad Cooking Workshop with Anna

December 17 School's Christmas Party

January 5 Nativity Eve Badarak

January 6 Nativity Day - Blessings of the Water

January 6 Avak Society Christmas Luncheon

January 7 Shnorhali School Christmas Celebration

1 There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. 6 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. 7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? 8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: 9 And if it bears fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

                                                                                  (Luke 13.1-9)

1 Այդ նոյն ժամանակ ոմանք եկան եւ պատմեցին նրան այն գալիլիացիների մասին, որոնց արիւնը Պիղատոսը խառնեց իրենց զոհերի արեան հետ: 2 Նա պատասխանեց նրանց եւ ասաց. «Կարծում էք, թէ այն գալիլիացիները, որոնք այդպիսի պատահարների ենթարկուեցին, աւելի մեղաւո՞ր էին, քան բոլոր գալիլիացիները: 3 Ո՛չ, ասում եմ ձեզ. սակայն եթէ չապաշխարէք, ամէնքդ էլ նոյնպէս պիտի կորչէք: 4 Կամ նրանք՝ այն տասնութ մարդիկ, որոնց վրայ Սիլովամում աշտարակը փուլ եկաւ եւ սպանեց նրանց, կարծում էք, թէ աւելի մեղապա՞րտ էին, քան Երուսաղէմում բնակուող բոլոր մարդիկ: 5 Ո՛չ, ասում եմ ձեզ. սակայն եթէ չապաշխարէք, ամէնքդ էլ նոյնպէս պիտի կորչէք»: 6 Պատմեց եւ այս առակը. «Մի մարդ իր այգում մի թզենի էր տնկել. եւ երբ պտղի ժամանակը հասաւ, նա եկաւ նրա վրայ պտուղ փնտրելու եւ չգտաւ: 7 Այգեգործին ասաց. "Ահա երեք տարի է, որ գալիս եմ այդ թզենու վրայ պտուղ փնտրելու եւ չեմ գտնում. արդ, կտրի՛ր այդ. ինչո՞ւ է հողը զբաղեցնում": 8 Այգեգործը պատասխանեց եւ ասաց. "Տէ՛ր իմ, դա այս տարի՛ էլ թող, մինչեւ որ նրա շուրջը փորեմ եւ աղբ գցեմ. 9 գուցէ թէ պտուղ տայ. ապա թէ ոչ՝ մի տարուց յետոյ կկտրես այն"»: 

                                               (Ղուկասի 13.1-9)

Our gift shop is furnished with distinctive and unique items from Armenians all over the world. Some of the items are Armenian crosses, jewelry, paintings, religious tiles, tapestry icons, children's and adult books, T-shirts, hats, bags, Armenian CDs, Armenian artwork, and much more. 

The Gift Shop is open every Sunday after Church service and by appointment, call the church office at 202-363-1923 or send an e-mail to stmarychurchdc@gmail.com