January 20

SAINT GREGORY THE THEOLOGIAN



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 coming philosopher and rhetorician. In Athens, he studied with St. Basil the Great. The two friends had a 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 the priesthood, he became head of the Nazianzen Church, and twenty years later - the bishop of Constantinople. For twelve years the saint taught the people in the Orthodox faith and fought against heretics. He participated in the Second Ecumenical Council of Constantinople (381). The literary heritage of St. Gregory includes numerous sermons and letters.

January 22, 2023

Morning Service 

10:00 AM

Holy Badarak 

10:30 AM

Celebrant

Rev. Fr. Hovsep Karapetyan 

Usher

Arlin Diratsuyan

Parish Council Members on Duty

      Shoghig Sahakyan

Choir

Mrs. Edita Kalayjian

Organist

Mrs. Karine Muradyan

Bible Readings: 

Is 58:13-59:7, 

1 Tim 4:12-5:10,

 Jn 3:13-21

Prayer of the Week

Heavenly King, grant me your kingdom which you promised to your beloved and strengthen my heart to hate sin and to 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 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.

For the Soul of:

Hrant Dink (16th anniversary)

Requested by:

St. Mary Parish Council

For the Soul of:

 Garo Yeghissian (25th Anniversary)

Requested by:

Patricia, Arvid, Talene and Ara Yeghissian

For the Soul of :

Dr. Suhail Khouri ( 1st Anniversary)

 Requested by:

Maha  Kanderian   Khouri ( wife) & his son, Zaidoon Khouri, and family 

For the Soul of :

Sona Kohar Semerjian (40th Anniversary)

Requested by:

Hratch Semerjian, Tamar and Ara Semerjian

The hospitality table is hosted by:

Semerjain Family

Altar Flowers are Donated by:

Semerjian 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

Remembering Hrant Dink

Sixteen years ago on January 19, 2007—the Armenian journalist Hrant Dink was assassinated on the street outside his newspaper offices in Istanbul. Dink’s writings on the Armenian Genocide had made him a well-known figure in Turkey—but had also prompted his prosecution under Turkey’s retrograde law forbidding anti-Turkish statements.

The murder of this brave, gentle man was later revealed to contain elements of state persecution along with what we in this country would call a “hate crime.” It became a cause célèbre for Armenians the world over, but also for elements of Turkish society longing for a more open public discourse. At Hrant Dink’s funeral, more than 100,000 people, Armenians side-by-side with ethnic Turks, jammed the streets of Istanbul carrying placards reading, “We are all Hrant Dink.”

Even after 16 years, the demoralizing horror of that terrible January day still lingers. In more recent years, Armenians have carried the heavy burden of seeing many more of our countrymen fall in the cause of justice and freedom. Today, we offer prayers for the repose of Hrant Dink, and for all our brothers and sisters who followed him into martyrdom. We pray for the consolation of their loved ones, and for the world’s illumination by the Light of Divine Truth—which even the deepest darkness cannot extinguish.

An Appeal from His Holiness

Last week, in a directive to parishes, Diocesan Primate Fr. Mesrop Parsamyan alerted the faithful to the appeal of His Holiness Karekin II, urging us to help the Armenians of Artsakh during the cruel blockade of the Lachin corridor.

The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin has arranged through the International Red Cross to send 20-ton containers filled with necessary supplies into Artsakh. To send one such container will cost $40,000—which includes the cost of transport. In his appeal, His Holiness said: “At this crucial juncture, Artsakh needs all of our dioceses to participate in this initiative.”

In response, the Primate directed parishes in the Eastern Diocese to hold special collections during Sunday badarak. Many churches held such a collection last weekend, while others will do so on the upcoming Sunday, January 22.

“Our goal is to raise funds to send two 20-ton containers into Artsakh: a fundraising goal of $80,000. All of the proceeds will be turned over to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, to support this particular initiative,” wrote Fr. Mesrop in his directive. Read it by clicking here.

Funds collected by our parishes should be marked “Artsakh Supplies Containers” in the memo and sent to the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016) by Friday, January 27.

You can also click the link to make an individual donation online; please make sure to select “Artsakh Supplies Containers” from the dropdown menu.

Thank you for your compassionate concern. As always, we continue to pray to our merciful Lord Jesus Christ, to place his protection over his devoted children in holy Artsakh.

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

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Two Armenian Patriarchs Meet in Jerusalem

This week, the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem welcomed a distinguished visitor in the person of His Beatitude Archbishop Sahak II Mashalian, the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople. Patriarch Sahak arrived at the head of a delegation of Armenian clergy and pilgrims from his home city, to visit the Holy Land during the season of Christ’s birth.

The Jerusalem Patriarchate marks the Feast of Christ’s Nativity at midnight on January 18/19, in accordance with festal calculations of the old Julian Calendar.

The occasion was Patriarch Sahak’s first official visit to Jerusalem since his election to the patriarchal throne in 2019. On entering Jerusalem’s famed Armenian Quarter, he was greeted at the Jaffa Gate by Archbishop Sevan Gharibian, Grand Sacristan of the Jerusalem Patriarchate, who led the pilgrims and representatives of sister churches in procession to St. James Armenian Cathedral, where Patriarch Sahak was formally welcomed in a Hrashapar service.

In remarks, His Beatitude said that Jerusalem holds a special meaning for him, as he had lived and served in the city for three years as a member of the monastic congregation. He called the Patriarchate “a glory of the Armenian Church and people,” because of the ancient presence of the Armenian Church in Jerusalem, and among its holiest shrines.

He also expressed special thanks to his brother Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Archbishop Nourhan I Manougian, under whose auspices the ceremony was held. Following the service, the two patriarchs greeted each other in person at the Patriarchate’s reception hall. After praying together and exchanging gifts, the patriarchs sat side by side to receive visiting pilgrims from Istanbul, Armenia, and the U.S., and to bestow blessings upon them.

On January 18, Patriarchs Nourhan and Sahak traveled together to Bethlehem to lead the annual midnight Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Nativity, over the very spot where Jesus was born.

Recent weeks have been a busy period at the Jerusalem Patriarchate, with the grand re-opening of the splendid Mardigian Museum, following a major five-year renovation project.

Unfortunately, the early weeks of 2023 were also marred by the discovery of anti-Armenian graffiti, scrawled in Hebrew on the exterior walls of the Patriarchate. The crude act of vandalism is under investigation by police following a complaint filed by the Patriarchate.

Click on the following link to view photos and video of the week’s events on the Jerusalem Patriarchate’s Facebook page. There you can watch a recording of the January 18/19 Christmas services in Bethlehem. A few Diocesan parishes are conducting pilgrimages to Jerusalem this week, so look for some of our own faithful in the photos and videos. Also, look for St. Nersess Seminary graduate Dn. Adam Bullock (seen at right in the main photo above), is currently serving at the Jerusalem Patriarchate.

FAR Empowers Armenia’s Scientists of Tomorrow

Ninth-grader Mari Asryan has always liked studying natural science. But she didn’t have a place where she could learn about the topic in a hands-on setting.

That changed recently, thanks to the “STEM Education in Rural Armenia” initiative of the Fund for Armenian Relief.

Mari studies at one of four schools in Armenia’s Sisan region, where FAR has helped to renovate and refurbish school laboratories. With the new labs came modern equipment, and teachers trained in how to use it in the best way.

“We used to concentrate on theory during our lessons, because we had no capacity to do experiments,” explained Mari. “But now we have these labs, and they help us understand the subject and remember the formulas. Thank you for establishing such a beautiful classroom and laboratory for us.”

Gayane Barsamyan, a chemistry teacher with 36 years under her belt, noted that the new labs increase the interest of schoolchildren in the natural sciences. “We used to do very few experiments before, and would often show YouTube videos to illustrate chemical reactions. Now, not a single lesson passes without a topic-based experiment,” she said.

“Our goal is to change the schoolchildren’s attitude toward this subject, attract their attention—because now more than ever Armenia needs new talents in physics, engineering, chemistry, and tech,” said FAR’s Education and Science Program manager Eduard Karapetyan. “Armenia has to once again become a country known for its world-class science and research. The foundations are right here, in these schools with these inquisitive young people”

Read more on FAR’s blog.

January 22 A presentation on the current state of Artsakh

February 11 Ararat Avak Society St. Sarkis Luncheon

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

March 28 Women's Guild Palm Sunday Bake Sale

April 2 Palm Sunday

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

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 3.13-21

13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

 John 3.13-21