February 3

St. Sahak Parthev



Next Saturday, February 11, the church will celebrate the feast of St. Sahak Parthev. St. Sahak is one of the most well-known figures in Armenian history. As Catholicos, he supported the work of Mesrob Mashdots in the creation of the Armenian alphabet and the translation of the Bible into Armenian. A scholar and theologian himself, he is counted among the Holy Translators. The trio of King Vramshapuh, Catholicos Sahak, and Mesrob Mashdots together oversaw the flurry of translation into Armenian, and an emergent new Armenian-language literature following the invention of the alphabet in 405 A.D. Churches are often named “Sts. Sahak and Mesrob” in acknowledgment of the crucial work these two men did together. This coming Saturday, the Armenian Apostolic Church commemorates this beloved Armenian saint.

Yet St. Sahak also presided over a tumultuous period in Armenian history. The invention of the alphabet itself emerged from the need to hold the two halves of Armenia together. At the time of St. Sahak’s birth in 354 A.D., Armenia was already used to its status as the crossroads and borderland between the Persian and Roman empires.

Click here to read more

Above image St. Sahak Partev is

From a 1689 Synaxarion, Reproduced in Armenian Miniature Portraits

Upcoming Parish Assembly - February 19, 2023

St. Mary Annual Parish Assembly will take place on February 19th in the Cultural Hall, after Badarak. 

February 5, 2023

Morning Service 

10:00 AM

Holy Badarak 

10:30 AM

Celebrant

Rev. Fr. Hovsep Karapetyan 

Usher

Garbis Chubukian

Parish Council Members on Duty

 John Asadoorian

Choir

Mrs. Edita Kalayjian

Organist

Mrs. Karine Muradyan

Bible Readings: 

Isaiah 3:7-18 

2 Timothy 3:1-12

John 6:22-38

For the Soul of:

 Paul Murad ( 1st anniversary)

Requested by:

Lucy Murad, Gregory, and Andrea Murad, and family

For the Soul of: 

Melina Kaehn

Requested by:

Fr. Hovsep Karapetyan and the Parish Council

The hospitality table is hosted by:

Lucy Murad and Family

Altar Flowers are donated by:

Lucy Murad and Family

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

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, great sinner that I am.

    Lord, please keep watch over your faithful people, and protect the holy soil of Artsakh and Armenia—now and always. Foil every aggressor against our homeland. Defend the innocent and voiceless, Lord. 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. Amen.

Teen Ice Skating

On Saturday, January 28th the ACYOA Juniors youth group gathered for some fellowship and fun at the Fairfax Ice Arena.  After an hour of ice skating the teens gathered in the party room for pizza, cupcakes, and riddles. Then, some of the teens went back out for a few more laps around the rink before heading home. A good time was had by all.

Bake Sale THIS Sunday

The ACYOA Juniors teen youth group has decided to hold a bake sale to support the ongoing effort to raise funds for Artsakh. As you know the Diocese is trying to raise funds to send containers of supplies to Artsakh through the International Red Cross   https://armenianchurch.us/2023/01/12/help-send-humanitarian-supplies-to-artsakh/   Please come donate $5 and pick up a bag of baked goods, and support a good cause.

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. 

Armenian Speaking Caregivers Available

For information please contact the church office at 202-363-1923 or  stmarychurchdc@gmail.com

Part-time help needed

Rockville Town Center (a few minutes walk from the Rockville Metro stop on the Red Line), for details, contact Lilit at "Saints Valley" Boutique:   https://www.instagram.com/saintsvalley/?hl=en

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.

Restored Mardigian Museum Opens at Jerusalem Patriarchate

Late last year, the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem re-opened its Edward and Helen Mardigian Museum, after a five-year-long renovation project. The project was undertaken by the Mardigian family of St. John Church (Southfield, MI), in honor of the late Edward and Helen Mardigian: two of the great benefactors of the Eastern Diocese, who were also heroic supporters of the Jerusalem Patriarchate, Holy Etchmiadzin, and numerous church causes across the globe.

The Mardigian Museum showcases the fruits of Armenian Christian civilization, reveals the centuries-long history of Armenians in the Holy City, and stands as a memorial to the martyrs of the Armenian Genocide. It is housed in a building that originally saw use as a pilgrim guesthouse in the 1850s and later served as the monastery, an orphanage, a seminary, and the original Mardigian museum and library.

From elaborately carved khatchkars to painted tiles, priestly vestments, and manuscripts, the museum showcases centuries of Armenian material culture, while also telling the Armenian story of survival. Throughout Jerusalem’s tumultuous history, Armenians have remained a vital presence with a distinct and honored identity. In times of international crisis, the Armenian Patriarchate has often played an indispensable role in the survival and propagation of the Armenian people—as when it took in Armenian orphans escaping the Genocide, or when it supplied a new generation of clergy to the Armenian Church Diocese of America in the 1940s.

The Mardigian Museum documents much of this history, in a beautifully refurbished setting. The current exhibit—on view through February 4, and pictured here—is titled “Mystery of the Nativity,” and incorporates rare items from the Patriarchate’s St. Theodoros Manuscript Library.

Click here to view photos.

A City Doctor Finds a New Path in Armenia’s Rural Countryside

Ever since she was a child, Mane Mkrtchyan has wanted to work in medicine. Her parents, both scientists, encouraged her to work in IT—but she never wavered from what she believed was her true path.

Today, the 25-year-old Yerevan native is a radiologist based in Armenia’s Ijevan region, who wants to make a difference in rural healthcare. Dr. Mkrtchyan is currently enrolled in the Clinical Residency Sponsorship Program of the Fund for Armenian Relief. And her move from Armenia’s capital city to the outlying country is an unexpected turn in her life’s work.

“I never thought I would leave my beloved Yerevan,” says Dr. Mkrtchyan. “But FAR completely changed my mind. Now I’m here and I am very happy. This is a new path, a new life.”

As part of FAR’s Breaking the Cycle of Poverty Program (BCPP), the Clinical Residency Sponsorship Program has enabled Dr. Mkrtchyan and four other physicians to further their two-year residency programs and work in their specializations.

“My life completely changed when I learned about FAR and this program. I was in the last year of my degree and was about to do my residency. Then I met my future husband, himself a doctor from Ijevan. We got married; I moved to Ijevan, got my job here, and had my baby. Soon, my husband will be back from Yerevan, meaning that FAR is not only improving the medical gap of the region but has also changed our lives,” she says with a smile.

BCPP is sponsored by Edward and Janet Mardigian. The multi-faceted project aims to tackle the roots of endemic poverty in Armenia’s Berd region, in Tavush province, through improved education, healthcare, economic development, and psychosocial support. Read more on FAR’s blog.

February 5 ACYOA Jr. Bake Sale in the parish hall after Badarak

February 11 Ararat Avak Society St. Sarkis Luncheon

February 12 Shnorhali School Boon Barekendan event

February 14 Presentation of the Lord to the Temple

February 19 Great Barekendan

February 19 Annual Parish Assembly

February 22 Lenten Service, discussion & dinner @7pm

March 1,8, 15, 22 & 29 Lenten Service, discussion & dinner @7pm

March 12 Women's Guild Mid-Lenten/Mitchink Luncheon

March 15 Median Day of Lent

April 2 Palm Sunday, W.G. Easter Bake Sale after Badarak

April 9 Easter Sunday, W.G. Easter Bake Sale after Badarak

April 24 Feast of the Holy Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide

May 18 Feast of the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ

May 19, 20,21 Spring Food Festival

May 28 W.G.Hampartzoom program and lunch

22 Յաջորդ օրը ժողովուրդը, որ մնացել էր ծովի այն կողմը, տեսաւ, որ այնտեղ այլ նաւակ չկայ, բացի միայն մէկից, որի մէջ մտել էին Յիսուսի աշակերտները, իսկ Յիսուս իր աշակերտների հետ նաւակ չէր մտել, այլ միայն իր աշակերտներն էին գնացել: 23 Սակայն Տիբերիայից ուրիշ նաւակներ էլ գալիս էին մօտ այն տեղին, ուր հացն էին կերել: 24 Ուրեմն, երբ ժողովուրդը տեսաւ, որ Յիսուս այդտեղ չէ, եւ ոչ էլ՝ նրա աշակերտները, նաւակներ նստեցին ու եկան Կափառնայում՝ Յիսուսին փնտրելու: 25 Եւ երբ նրան գտան ծովի միւս կողմում, ասացին նրան. «Ռաբբի՛, ե՞րբ եկար այստեղ»: 26 Յիսուս պատասխանեց նրանց եւ ասաց. «Ճշմարիտ, ճշմարիտ եմ ասում ձեզ. դուք ինձ փնտրում էք ոչ թէ նրա համար, որ նշաններ տեսաք, այլ՝ որովհետեւ կերաք այն հացից եւ կշտացաք: 27 Գնացէք աշխատեցէ՛ք ոչ թէ կորստեան ենթակայ կերակրի համար, այլ այն կերակրի, որը մնում է յաւիտենական կեանքի համար, եւ որը մարդու Որդին կտայ ձեզ, քանի որ նրան իր կնիքով հաստատել է Հայրը՝ Աստուած»: 28 Նրան ասացին. «Ի՞նչ անենք, որ Աստծոյ ուզած գործերը գործենք»: 29 Յիսուս պատասխանեց եւ ասաց նրանց. «Աստծոյ ուզած գործը այս է. որ հաւատաք նրան, ում նա ուղարկեց»: 30 Նրան ասացին. «Ի՞նչ նշան կանես, որ տեսնենք եւ հաւատանք, ի՞նչ գործ կգործես: 31 Մեր հայրերը անապատում մանանան կերան, ինչպէս որ գրուած է. “Երկնքից նրանց հաց տուեց ուտելու”»: 32 Յիսուս նրանց ասաց. «Ճշմարիտ, ճշմարիտ եմ ասում ձեզ. Մովսէսը չէ, որ ձեզ երկնքից հաց տուեց, այլ իմ Հայրն է, որ տալիս է ձեզ ճշմարիտ հացը երկնքից. 33 որովհետեւ Աստծուց է այն հացը, որ իջնում է երկնքից եւ կեանք է տալիս աշխարհին»: 34 Նրան ասացին. «Տէ՛ր, ամէն ժամ տո՛ւր մեզ այդ հացը»: 35 Յիսուս նրանց ասաց. «Ես եմ կենաց հացը. ով դէպի ինձ գայ, քաղց չի զգայ, եւ ով ինձ հաւատայ, երբեք չի ծարաւի: 36 Բայց ես ձեզ ասել եմ, որ ինձ տեսաք եւ չէք հաւատում: 37 Բոլոր նրանք, ում Հայրն ինձ տալիս է, կգան ինձ մօտ, եւ ով որ ինձ մօտ կգայ, դուրս չեմ անի. 38 որովհետեւ ես երկնքից իջայ ոչ թէ իմ կամքը կատարելու համար, այլ՝ կամքը նրա, ով ինձ ուղարկեց:

Հովհաննես 6:22-38

22 The next day the crowd that had stayed on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there. They also saw that Jesus had not got into the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. 23 Then some boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.[a] 24 So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus.

25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 26 Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.” 28 Then they said to him, “What must we do to perform the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” 30 So they said to him, “What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32 Then Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is that which[b] comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” 35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37 Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never drive away; 38 for I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. John 6:22-38