August 2

TOP STORY   

GREGORY THE THEOLOGIAN, ST. (330-390)

This great ecumenical doctor of the Church is also known as Gregory Nazianzen, after the town of his birth. 

The saint was born through the prayers of his mother, who relentlessly prayed for a son. Being inquisitive by nature, Gregory first studied in Caesarea, then in Palestine, Alexandria, and finally in Athens, becoming a philosopher and rhetorician. In Athens, he studied with St. Basil the Great. The two friends had natural tendency to asceticism, delighting the locals with their monastic feats. At the age of thirty Gregory returned to his homeland, was baptized and made a vow of celibacy. Studying the Scripture Day and night, he received the gift of clear contemplation of Christ.

Consecrated in 361 by his father in priesthood, he became head of Nazianzen Church, and twenty years later - the bishop of Constantinople. For twelve years the saint taught the people in Orthodox faith and fought against heretics. He participated in the Second Ecumenical Council of Constantinople (381). 

Literary heritage of St. Gregory includes numerous sermons and letters.

August 4, 2024

SUNDAY

SCHEDULE

Deacons' Service

10:30 AM

Usher

Mrs.Rouzanna Oganissian

Parish Council Members on Duty

Mr.Artur Sivaslian

Choir

Mrs. Edita Kalayjian

Organist

Mrs. Karine Muradyan

Bible Readings:

Isaiah 62:1-11

2 Tm 2:15-19

Jn 6:39-47

HOKEHANKIST

REQUIEM SERVICE

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

Heavenly King, grant me your kingdom which you promised to your beloved, and strengthen my heart to hate sin and love you only and to do your will. Have mercy upon your creatures, and upon me, a great sinner.

   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. Amen.

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

Visiting Priest, Fr. Bedros Kadehjian

Last Sunday, July 28th, St. Mary Church welcomed Fr. Bedros Kadehjian who traveled from New York to celebrate Badark with us.

We want to extend our deepest gratitude for his visit to our church. His presence and the inspiring sermon he delivered were truly a blessing to our congregation.

ՏՕՆ ՍՈՒՐԲ ԱՍՏՈՒԱԾԱԾՆԻ ՎԵՐԱՓՈԽՈՒՄԻՆ

The Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother-of-God and the Name Day of Our Church

BLESSING OF THE GRAPES SERVICE

ԽԱՂՈՂՕՐՀՆԵՔ

Sunday, August 18, 2024

Rev. Fr. Hovsep Karapetyan

Celebrant

Morning Service 10:00 AM - Divine Liturgy 10:30 AM

Stay for the Picnic!

After the service, enjoy a festive gathering featuring

Traditional Armenian Khorovats and more delightful treats!

Pre-order your Khorovats now!

A Sign of God’s Radiant Love

Readers of this newsletter know that on June 30, a new cross for New York’s St. Vartan Cathedral was blessed on the plaza and installed on the cathedral dome. Over subsequent weeks, it was carefully gilded (along with the dome) to shine with renewed brilliance.

Last week, on July 23, Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan climbed the scaffolding to anoint the cross with holy muron. During the blessing ceremony on the summit of the cathedral dome, the Primate was assisted by Dn. Adam Bullock.

“As we stood there,” Bishop Mesrop said, “a gentle rain began to fall: a divine blessing, washing over the cross and preparing it for its sacred role.”

“This cross is more than just a symbol,” the Primate continued; “it’s a powerful, eloquent reminder of the radiant love and light of Jesus Christ in our lives.”

He concluded: “Let us continue to renew our cathedral and build our community on the solid foundation of God’s love. May this cross inspire us to reach new heights in our spiritual journey, and be a constant reminder of His presence in our lives, and the blessings He bestows.”

In the coming weeks, as the scaffolding comes down to reveal the cross in all its shining brightness, the Eastern Diocese invites our faithful to come to our mother cathedral—to see the new cross, to pray beneath its radiance, and to renew our spiritual connections to the holy cross of our Lord, and all it represents.

Click the link to view some splendid photos of the anointing ceremony.

Catholicos Karekin II Blesses ACYOA Seniors ASP Group

On July 24, His Holiness Karekin II, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, received the young participants in this year’s ACYOA Seniors Armenian Service Program (ASP) during a special gathering at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

Some two dozen ACYOA Seniors from across the Eastern Diocese toured the homeland throughout July, viewing its magnificent landscapes and holy sites, meeting its people, and lending their hands to charitable projects. They were led by Fr. Hakob and Yn. Anna Gevorgyan, of Holy Trinity Church in Cheltenham, PA.

Fr. Gevorgyan introduced each of the young people to His Holiness, and described their exploration of Armenia’s historical, cultural, and spiritual heritage.

Catholicos Karekin II expressed his joy at welcoming young Armenians to the Mother See, and congratulated the ACYOA members for their humanitarian and benevolent volunteer activities, which would strengthen their connection to the homeland while bringing aid and comfort to its people. As he blessed the young people, he urged them to cherish their Armenian identity, and let it inspire their good works in the wider world.

Click the link to view photos of the ASP trip.

On the ASP Facebook page, the ACYOA pilgrims kept a day-to-day diary of their adventures, which included photos and video. Click here to view it.

FAR NEWS

Transformative Therapies for Children, Thanks to FAR

Thanks to loyal Fund for Armenian Relief donors, the “Sensory Room” at Armenia’s National Center for the Education of Children with Disabilities (CWDs) has become a transformative space for many youngsters—including 4-year-old girls Sophie and Julietta.

Both girls were diagnosed with speech and developmental delays, and they were enrolled at the center for free-of-charge therapy. Twice a week, under the guidance of occupational therapist Seda Miroyan, the Sensory Room becomes their sanctuary—where Sophie and Julietta engage with therapeutic toys like textured balls and soft tubes, which help them develop sensory and motor skills, manage overstimulation, and self-regulate their behavior.

Julietta, who previously had no cognitive perception or response to voices, now recognizes colors and follows instructions: an incredible improvement that her mother Nelly has joyfully noticed. Seda is optimistic about the continued progress of both girls, emphasizing that proper sensory integration is essential for their overall development.

Learn more about this heartwarming effort on FAR’s website.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

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!

UPCOMING EVENTS

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 92nd Anniversary of the St. Mary Community and Church. "Embrace the Future" Endowment Fund was established on the occasion of the 90th anniversary and continues 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.

August 18 Feast of Assumption of the Holy Mother-of-God

September 15 Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

September 29 Feast of Holy Cross of Varak

October 4-5-6 Fall Food Festival

October 27 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

39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

41 At this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”

43 “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. 44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’[a] Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. 46 No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. 47 Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life.

John 6:39-47

13 Արդ, ոչ ոք երկինք չի ելել, եթէ ոչ՝ նա, որ իջաւ երկնքից՝ մարդու Որդին, որ երկնքից էր: 14 Եւ ինչպէս որ Մովսէսը անապատում բարձրացրեց օձը, այնպէս էլ մարդու Որդին պէտք է բարձրանայ, 15 որպէսզի ով նրան հաւատում է, յաւիտենական կեանքն ընդունի. 16 քանի որ Աստուած այնքան սիրեց աշխարհը, որ մինչեւ իսկ իր միածին Որդուն տուեց, որպէսզի ով նրան հաւատում է, չկորչի, այլ ընդունի յաւիտենական կեանքը. 17 որովհետեւ Աստուած իր Որդուն չուղարկեց աշխարհ, որ դատապարտի աշխարհը, այլ՝ որպէսզի աշխարհը նրանով փրկուի: 18 Ով նրան հաւատում է, չպիտի դատապարտուի, եւ ով նրան չի հաւատում, արդէն իսկ դատապարտուած է, քանի որ Աստծոյ միածին Որդու անուանը չհաւատաց: 19 Եւ դատաստանը այսպէս իսկ է. որ լոյսը եկաւ աշխարհ, սակայն մարդիկ խաւարն աւելի սիրեցին, քան լոյսը, որովհետեւ իրենց գործերը չար էին. 20 որովհետեւ ով չարիք է գործում, ատում է լոյսը եւ չի գալիս դէպի լոյսը, որպէսզի նրա գործերը յայտնի չդառնան: 21 Իսկ ով կատարում է այն, ինչ ճշմարիտ է, գալիս է դէպի լոյսը, որպէսզի նրա գործերը յայտնի լինեն, թէ Աստծով կատարուեցին»:

(Հովհաննես 6:39-47)

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