July 7

TOP STORY   

The Twelve Holy Apostles of Christ

On the Feast of the Twelve Holy Apostles of Christ and St. Paul, the Thirteenth Apostle, we honor the lives of these men who worked with Jesus to spread the word of the Lord to people around the world.

The Apostles brought the teachings of Jesus and God's message of salvation from sin and everlasting life to men and women living in countries far from the Holy Land-many of whom had never heard the word of God before. The Apostles' courage, dedication, and deep faith still serve as an example to all of us today.

The Twelve Apostles are Simon Peter, James (son of Zebedee), John, Andrew, Phillip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddeus, Simon, and Judas Iscariot.

The two Apostles who brought Christianity to Armenia are St. Bartholomew and St. Thaddeus.

July 9, 2023

Morning Service 

10:00 AM

Holy Badarak 

10:30 AM

Celebrant

Deacons

Usher

Mrs. Sara Arabian

Parish Council Members on Duty

Mrs. Catherine Sahakian

Choir

Mrs.Edita Kalayjian

Organist

Mrs. Karine Muradyan

Bible Readings: 



Isaiah 3:1-11,

Romans 11:13-24,

Matthew 14:13-21

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 and the holy soil of Artsakh and Armenia, now and always. Foil every aggressor against our homeland.

  Defend the innocent and voiceless, Lord. Deliver the world from every conflict, and bestow your peace on all mankind.

    In faith I confess and bow down to you, Father and Son and Holy Spirit, uncreated and immortal nature, creator of angels, of men, and of all things. Have mercy upon your creatures, and upon me, a great sinner. Amen

Special Prayer Celebrating the 125 Anniversary of the Armenian Diocese

On Sunday, July 2^nd, 2023, Fr. Simeon Odabashian, Diocesan Vicar celebrated Badarak followed by reading the testament,"կոնդակ"(gontag), issued by His Holiness Karekin II, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians. Fr. Simeon also lead the parishioners in a special prayer celebrating the 125 Anniversary of the Armenian Diocese in America. https://armenianchurch.us/125-2/ . All our parishes in the Eastern Diocese joined in with their respective faithful on this special day honoring the legacy of Khrimian Hayrik.

We take this opportunity to thank Fr. Simeon for making the trip to be with us on this special occasion. We also extend our gratitude to our Primate Fr. Mesrop Parsamyan for his spiritual guidance and pray for the safe return of our own Rev. Fr. Hovsep Karapetyan.

Special Appeal - Emergency Funding

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

Recently, during our Spring Food Festival, some of you might have experienced the unusual rise in temperature at St. Mary's Cultural Hall. That was due to the breakdown in 2 of our Air Conditioning units.

The malfunction of our Air Conditioning Units came at a terrible time with summer heat around the corner. Moreover, the $15,000 was unbudgeted for this fiscal year.

We are reaching out to our faithful and loyal supporters to kindly consider helping us raise the much-needed funds. Regardless of the amount, we are grateful for each and everyone's thoughtfulness and participation.

May God bless you all abundantly.

Prayerfully,

Der Hovsep and St. Mary Parish Council

UPCOMING EVENTS

St. Nersess to Honor 12 Priests and Lay Alumni on Nov. 4



St. Nersess Armenian Seminary will highlight the vocations of 12 alumni priests and lay ministers, with a gala banquet on Saturday, November 4, 2023.

This will be the second in a series of tribute events featuring alumni of St. Nersess who serve the Armenian Church in various capacities. The first celebration took place in November 2021 and established the “12 Vocations” theme. The upcoming event will build on that idea, under the title: “12 Vocations: Broadening the Call.”

This year, the event will honor a seminary graduate who became a hierarch of the Armenian Church: Archbishop Avak Asadourian (priestly ordination in 1977, episcopal consecration in 1982), who recently retired after a long tenure as Primate of the Diocese of Iraq.

He will be honored along with seven clergymen and four lay ministers—listed here by ordination or graduation date: Fr. Krikor Sabounjian (ordained 1998); Fr. Sarkis Petoyan (ordained 1998); Fr. Abraham Ohanessian (ordained 1999); Fr. Mikael Devejian (ordained 2000); Fr. Hovsep Karapetyan (ordained 2004); Fr. Aren Jebejian (ordained 2004); Fr. Bedros Kadehjian (ordained 2005); Mka. Valerie Goekjian Zahirsky (graduated 1974); Yn. Sirarpi Feredjian Aivazian (graduated 1978); Nancy Basmajian (graduated 1979); and Shaké Ajamian Derderian (graduated 1989).

Invitations and further details on the November 4 banquet will be coming soon. Contact event co-chair Lynn Beylerian at lynnbeylerian@gmail.com or access the seminary website: www.stnersess.edu. 

NEW RECYCLING PROGRAM AT ST. MARY'S



There is now a blue recycling bin in the hall at St. Mary Church. Please only deposit empty plastic bottles and aluminum cans in the container. We are looking for volunteers to sign up about once a month to take the recyclables home with them after church or during the Food Festival. It involves sorting through what's in the clear recycling bag and discarding any trash that might have been put in the bag. Then, you replace the clear bag with one from the box in the kitchen marked "Recycling Bags, Not for Trash". I have created a SignUp Genius link to sign up for a slot. Please see St Mary's Armenian Apostolic Church: St. Mary's Recycling Committee (signupgenius.com). If you have any questions, please email me at rangerrox@msn.com. Thanks for your help in keeping God's good earth cleaner!

There is a wonderful opportunities for our children to participate in Armenian camps and conferences this summer. St. Vartan Camp and St. Nersess Summer Conferences and trainnigs are now oper for registration. If your child is interested please contact the the church office at stmarychurchdc@gmail.com and provide your name, contact information (phone and email) and your student’s name/age. Put "St Vartan Camp," or "St. Nersess" in the subject line.  An interest meeting will be arranged, where parents/students can ask questions and arrange carpools.

This year, through generous donations made to a number of memorial funds, St. Mary will be able to offer a discount for each camper.   

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. 

An Update on Paul Murad's Burial Service 

Dear Parishioners, Please join us for a memorial service for Paul Armand Murad on July 18, 2023, at 3:00 pm at Arlington National Cemetery. After, the Murad family will host a reception in Paul Murad’s memory at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall (JBM-HH) starting at 4:15 PM.

For more information about the inurnment service and to RSVP for the reception, please contact Lucy Murad (703.517.6249 or lucyomurad@yahoo.com) or Andrea Murad (917.553.8659 or andrea.murad@yahoo.com).

May the Lord rest Paul Murad’s soul in peace and grant His comforting Holy Spirit to the family members and friends.

HELP NEEDED

Armenian Speaking Caregivers are needed. For information, please contact the church office at 202-363-1923 or stmarychurchdc@gmail.com.

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.

DIOCESAN & OTHER NEWS

“The Lord Has Done Great Things For Us…”

New York’s St. Vartan Cathedral was the site of a special Divine Liturgy on Sunday, July 2, celebrating the 125th anniversary of the birth of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America.

On that same date in 1898, Catholicos Mkrtich Khrimian (known to the ages as “Khrimian Hayrig”) issued the encyclical that officially established the very first Armenian Diocese in the New World.

Diocesan Primate Fr. Mesrop Parsamyan celebrated the badarak at the cathedral, joined on the altar by Cathedral Vicar Fr. Davit Karamyan, St. Nersess Seminary Dean Fr. Mardiros Chevian, senior priests Fr. Karekin Kasparian and Fr. Aved Terzian, Fr. Gomidas Zohrabian from the Western Diocese, as well as a large company of deacons.

Among the crowd of worshippers was a large group of young parishioners and altar servers from around the Diocese, who were attending the St. Nersess Summer Conference programs.

During his sermon, Fr. Mesrop read a special congratulatory message for the occasion from His Holiness Karekin II, the Catholicos of All Armenians. (See the item below under World News to read it.) The message was also read in local parishes across the Eastern Diocese, as they marked the anniversary milestone.

The Primate also reflected on the 125-year history of the Diocese by echoing the words of the Bible: “The Lord has done great things for us—and we are filled with joy” (Psalm 126:3). “Those ancient words,” he said, “ring with Truth for us today. And so we joyfully sing the praises of our Lord Jesus Christ, whose hand has been upon this Diocese from the very beginning. He has never let us down. He has never abandoned us. And He will always be leading us forward.”

The Primate made similar observations in a special video message, released to the public on Sunday morning. (Watch the video at the links below.)

A reception in the Diocesan Center’s Haik and Alice Kavookjian Auditorium allowed worshippers and other visitors to greet the Primate and receive his blessing.

The Diocese’s 125th Anniversary is an ongoing series of events, involving special liturgical services, cultural and social gatherings, and charitable outreach activities among our local communities. Learn more about the celebration and its upcoming events by clicking here.

Click the following links to:

• WATCH the Primate’s special video message in English and in Armenian.
• WATCH a recording of the anniversary badarak on Facebook.
• VIEW a gallery of photos by photographer Harout Barsoumian.

Catholicos Congratulates Diocese on 125 Years of Growth and Achievement

To honor the 125th anniversary of the founding of the Armenian Church’s Diocese of America, Catholicos Karekin II issued a special congratulatory message.

“It was in the year 1898 that the Armenian Church’s Diocese of America began its history. This was a time that also saw the massacre of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey; the destruction of age-old monasteries and churches on our native soil; and the depopulation of Armenians from their ancestral lands. So it was an act of remarkable foresight when Catholicos Mkrtich Khrimian—“Khrimian Hayrig,” of blessed memory—had a vision that a bright, enduring future awaited the Armenian people on the soil of the United States, where so many faithful Armenians had lately taken refuge. And under that vision he established the Armenian Diocese of North America, to advance the ministry of our Holy Church in the New World.”

After extolling the growth and achievements of the Armenian Church in America, the Catholicos observed: “The jubilee of the Diocese’s establishment is an occasion to remember your fathers and mothers, the pious servants and benefactors of blessed memory, who for more than a century occupied their time and talent to advance Armenian life in America.”

He also expressed thanks for the Diocese’s role in helping other communities—including our homeland of Armenia and Artsakh—to persist and prosper. He concluded with a prayer that “our beneficent Father in Heaven will keep the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America under the protection of His Righteous Hand, and always bless the faithful American Armenians, for the glory of God and for the brightness of our Holy Apostolic Church.”

Read Catholicos Karekin II’s entire message, in English translation, by clicking here.

Join the Eastern Diocese on a Pilgrimage to Armenia!

This September, the Eastern Diocese will lead a pilgrimage to Armenia, to witness the historic events scheduled to take place at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. These include the Blessing of the Holy Muron, and the re-opening of the Mother Cathedral after an extensive restoration process.

Pilgrims will also bear witness as our Primate, Fr. Mesrop Parsamyan, is consecrated as a bishop of the church, by the hand of His Holiness Karekin II, the Catholicos of All Armenians.

The trip—which runs September 27 to October 10—also visits spiritual and cultural sites of our homeland, including Khor Virab, the Genocide Memorial, Noravank, Lake Sevan, Dilijan, Garni, Geghard, and Haghpat.

Click here to view a flyer with further details. The deadline to register is June 25. For information, contact Sima Tours at simatours@gmail.com, or (610) 359-7521.

FAR NEWS

FAR Awards 22 Grants to Advance Science in Armenia

The Fund for Armenian Relief recently awarded grants to 22 of Armenia’s most promising research groups through the "Yervant Terzian Armenian National Science and Education Fund" (ANSEF). Among the 70 scientists recognized, 13 are women, and eight are under the age of 35.

Each team will receive $5,000 in support of their research in various academic fields, including (but not limited to) biotechnology, chemistry, and physics.

Learn more about how FAR’s ANSEF program is fostering innovation in Armenia: click the link to read more on FAR’s blog.

Ayo is the crowdfunding platform of Fund for Armenian Relief, the social arm of the Eastern Diocese. We’re passionate about partnering with Armenians all over the world to promote sustainable development through low-budget, big-impact projects.

This summer, Ayo! is partnering with GOALS (Girls of Armenia Leadership in Sports) to organize a sports camp for kids aged 11-17. It will intertwine learning and fun through games, promoting positive values such as teamwork, leadership, respect, and gender equality. 

The camp will be held in the rural Shirak region for 70 boys and girls from surrounding villages. In addition to soccer, basketball, and tennis, lacrosse will be introduced this year!

It costs $125 to sponsor one village child’s unforgettable week of camp.

Get involved!

• Donate tax-deductible through Ayo’s website here:

www.weareayo.org/donate

• One day of camp, including meals, costs $25/month

Click Here to DONATE!

We’re turning 10 this year!

With the support of Hilton, we’re organizing a special all-expenses paid trip to Armenia for one lucky person (chosen at random).

Enter here!

July 16 Feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord (Vartavar/ Վարդավառ)

August 13 Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother- of- God (Picnic)

September 17 Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

October 1       Feast of Holy Cross of Varak

October 6-7-8 Fall Food Festival

October 29     Feast of the Discovery of the Holy Cross

November 21 Presentation of the Holy Mother-of-God to the Temple

December 9    Feast of the Conception of the Holy Virgin Mary

13Երբ Յիսուս այդ լսեց, այնտեղից նաւակով առանձին գնաց մի ամայի տեղ։ Երբ ժողովրդի բազմութիւնը լսեց այս, քաղաքներից հետիոտն նրա յետեւից գնաց։ 14Եւ երբ նա ցամաք ելաւ, տեսաւ բազում ժողովուրդ, գթաց նրանց եւ բժշկեց նրանց հիւանդներին։ 15Երեկոյեան դէմ, աշակերտները մօտեցան նրան եւ ասացին. «Այս տեղը ամայի է, եւ օրը տարաժամել է. արձակի՛ր այդ ժողովրդի բազմութիւնը,որպէսզի գնայ շրջակայ գիւղերը իր համար ուտելիք գնի»։ 16Եւ Յիսուս ասաց. «Հարկ չկայ, որ նրանք գնան, դո՛ւք նրանց ուտելու բան տուէք»։17Եւ նրանք ասացին նրան. «Այստեղ ուրիշ բան չունենք, բացի հինգ նկա¬նակից եւ երկու ձկից»։ 18Եւ նրանց ասաց. «Այստե՛ղ բերէք այդ»։ 19Եւ հրամայեց ժողովրդի բազմութիւնը նստեցնել խոտի վրայ. եւ վերց¬նելով հինգ նկանակն ու երկու ձկները՝ նայեց դէպի երկինք,օրհնեց, կտրեց եւ նկանակները աշակերտներին տուեց. իսկ աշակերտները՝ ժողովրդին։ 20Բոլորը կերան ու յագեցան։ Եւ տասներկու սակառ լիքը կտորտանքների մնացորդներ վերցրին։ 

(Մատթեոս 14:13-21)

Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a lonely place apart. But when the crowds heard it, they followed Him on foot from the towns. As he went ashore he saw a great throng, and he had compassion for them and healed their sick. When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a lonely place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves." Jesus said, "They need not go away; you give them something to eat." They said to him, "We have only five loaves here and two fishes." And he said, "Bring them here to me." Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass and taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children. 

(Mathew 14:13-21)