October 31

TOP STORY   

Twenty-Six Years on the Pontifical Throne

The coming days will mark the 26th anniversary of the consecration and enthronement of His Holiness Karekin II.

It was on November 4, 1999, that His Holiness was formally enthroned as the 132nd Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, in a magnificent ceremony at the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin in Armenia.

To mark the anniversary, Armenian churches across the world will offer prayers for the health and prosperity of the Catholicos. Diocesan Primate Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan has directed parishes of the Eastern Diocese to conduct the “Special Prayer for the Catholicos“ at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy on Sunday, November 2.

Throughout the bitter tribulations of our age, His Holiness has been a singular voice of strength, conviction, and reassurance for our people: an exemplar of our ancient Christian heritage, and a champion of our national aspirations to secure a just and peaceful future.

His 26th year on the pontifical throne is a blessed opportunity for all of us, the Armenian faithful, to unite in grateful prayer on his behalf.

Please join in those prayers at church and at home in the coming week. May the Lord Jesus Christ continue to grant robust health, long life, and spiritual fortitude to our Catholicos.

Հովւութեան Քսան եւ Վեց Տարիներ

Յառաջիկայ օրերուն պիտի յիշատակենք Նորին Սրբութիւն Վեհափառ Գարեգին Բ Կաթողիկոսին ընտրութեան 26-ամեակը: 1999-ի նոյեմբեր 4-ին կատարուեցաւ կաթողիկոսական տուչութեան արարողութիւնը (օծման եւ քօղարկման), հաստատելով զայն Սբ. Գրիգոր Լուսաւորչի 132րդ յաջորդը Սբ. Էջմիածնի հայրապետական Աթոռին վրայ:

Հայաստանեայց Եկեղեցին կը յիշատակէ այս բարեբաստիկ օրը յատուկէն աղօթելով որ Բարին Աստուած շնորհէ երկար կեանք եւ ուղղափառ վարդապետութեամբ յորդառատ տարիներ մեր Հայրապետին: Ամերիկայի Միացեալ Նահանգներուն Արեւելեան Թեմին Առաջնորդ՝ Մեսրոպ Եպս. Պարսամեան Սրբազանը հրահանգած է որ կիրակի, նոյեմբեր 2-ին մեր ծուխերուն մէջ Սբ. Պատարագին մատուցման հետեւի Վեհափառ Հայրապետին համար յատուկ աղօթք:

Մերօրեայ հողմակոծ միջավայրին մէջ, Հայոց Հայրապետին առաջնորդութեան ամուր ձայնը եւ հաստատուն ղեկը պէտք է ըլլայ մեր բոլորին հայեցողութեան կեդրոնը, եւ ոչ ամէն կողմէ բարձրացող աղմուկն ու կարծողական ցրի հաւաստումները:

Հետեւինք մեր Հոգեւոր Տիրոջ հովուական ձայնին եւ առաջնորդուինք անոր ցոյց տուած յոյսով լեցուն արի հաւատքին սիրոյ ճամբով: Քահանայապետութեան 26 տարիներու օրհնաբեր առիթով բարձրացնենք մեր երախտագին գոհութեան աղօթքը. գիտակցինք Վեհափառ Հօր դժուարին եւ պահանջկոտ պաշտօնին ծանրութեան. առարկայական գնահատանքը տանք անոր աժանավայել նուիրումին եւ առաջնորդութեան:

Թող Տէր Յիսուս երբեք չվերացնէ Իր պահպանիչ Աջը Վեափառ Հօր վրայէն, եւ տայ մեր Կաթողիկոսին երկար եւ առողջ տարիներ՝ հովուելու Հայաստանեայց Եկեղեցին խոհեմութեամբ, արդարութեամբ եւ արիութեամբ:

November 2, 2025

SUNDAY

SCHEDULE

Morning Service 

10:00 AM

Holy Badarak 

10:30 AM

Celebrant

Rev. Fr. Hovsep Karapetyan

Usher

Ms. Sara Arabian



Parish Council Member on Duty

Mr. Sean McClure

Choir

Mrs. Edita Kalayjian

Organist

Mrs. Karine Muradyan

Bible Readings



Isaiah 22.15-24

 Ephesians 1.1-14; 

Luke 8.17-21

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

O Lord, please keep watch over your faithful people and the holy soil of Artsakh and Armenia, now and always. Defend the innocent and voiceless, Lord, and strengthen those in captivity.

   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.

   O Lord our God, turn not your face from me! O beneficent Lord, I beseech you, be my helper.

   O Lord, despise me not and forsake me not, O God, my Savior. Amen.

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

Bible Study: “I Am the Light of the World”

On Tuesday, October 28, parishioners and friends gathered for the fourth session of our ongoing Bible Study on the Gospel of John. The evening focused on Chapters 7 and 8, exploring how Jesus reveals Himself as the true Light who brings mercy, truth, and guidance to those who believe.

The session opened with Jesus’ words at the Feast of Tabernacles: “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and let the one who believes in me drink” (John 7:37). Participants reflected on how Christ continues to invite all who thirst for truth and peace to find refreshment in Him, even amid confusion and division.

We then turned to the powerful encounter between Jesus and the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1–11). Rather than condemning her, Jesus silences her accusers and offers mercy with the words, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and sin no more.” The discussion centered on how divine justice and compassion meet perfectly in Christ, who exposes sin not to shame but to heal and restore.

Finally, the group reflected on Jesus’ proclamation, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). We explored how this declaration invites us to live as children of light — to let Christ’s truth illuminate our hearts and guide our steps. The evening concluded with prayer, asking that the light of Christ dispel all darkness within and around us, and help us to reflect His radiance in our daily lives.

Our next session will take place on Tuesday, November 4, as we continue with John 9–11, exploring the theme “The Light That Opens Eyes.” All are warmly invited to join us for prayer, study, and fellowship as we journey together through the Gospel of John.

A Heartfelt Thank You to Sean McClure

This past week, Sean McClure dedicated his time and effort to polishing and scrubbing the church silverware—especially the pieces used during services, such as the "Poorvar,"which is used to burn incense during the Divine Liturgy, symbolizing prayer and atonement. 

Thanks to his meticulous care, everything now shines like new. We deeply appreciate Sean’s commitment and the pride he takes in helping maintain the beauty and sanctity of our church.

Join the St. Mary Teen Youth Group!

The ACYOA Juniors, for teens from 13 to 18 years of age (12-year-olds to participate in local events), provides a vehicle through which young people may express themselves and demonstrate their abilities, skills, interests, concerns, and faith; developing programs through which the young people may participate, receive information, experience meaningful relationships, feel a sense of belonging, and gain exposure to the Armenian Christian faith and cultural heritage. 

Typically, the group holds a monthly membership meeting (after church with pizza in the office) to plan events, socialize, and hear a brief speaker. Then, the teens participate in a service project, party, or activity (such as bowling, skating, or volleyball) once a month. The teens also travel to Eastern Diocese sports weekend events once or twice a year.  

If you have a teen who might be interested please email StMaryYouthDC@gmail.com with your name/email/phone and the name and birth date of your teen (DD/MM/YYYY). 

DIOCESAN & OTHER NEWS

A Strong Armenian Presence at “Christian Churches Together”

Representatives of the Eastern Diocese were among the 75 leaders from 36 Christian communions gathered in Philadelphia for the annual forum of Christian Churches Together (CCT). The nation-wide ecumenical group met October 7 to 9, under the theme “The Light of Life: The Gospel and the Witness of the Church.”

The Armenian Church was represented by Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, the Diocesan Legate and Ecumenical Director (and a founding CCT leader); Fr. Hovsep Karapetyan, pastor of St. Mary Church in Washington, DC (and a member of the CCT Steering Committee); and Alex Madajian of the Washington parish, who participated as a youth observer.

Throughout the CCT Forum, prayers and reflections were offered by each of CCT’s “five church families.” The Orthodox Family was particularly visible, with Archbishop Aykazian honored for his leadership as its longtime past President.

A defining moment in the Forum came when the participants journeyed to Holy Trinity Armenian Church in Cheltenham, PA (pictured here), to experience the beauty of the Armenian vespers service. For a number of the sister church representatives, it was their first experience of Armenian worship, and the spirit of reverence and unity was deeply moving. Following the service, Holy Trinity pastor Fr. Hakob Gevorgyan extended the community’s hospitality by graciously holding a dinner for the entire CCT assembly.

Fr. Karapetyan summed up the experience at the Christian Churches Together Forum: “For the Armenian Church, this gathering reaffirmed our vocation to serve as both memory and mission—rooted in ancient faith, yet fully present in today’s world with fellowship, leadership, and hope.”

Click the following link to read more in an extensive article, and to view photos.

St. Nersess Seminary to Honor its Third Group of 12 Alumni on Nov. 22

St. Nersess Armenian Seminary will celebrate the vocations of 12 alumni—three bishops, seven priests, a deacon, and a lay minister—with a gala banquet on Saturday, November 22.

This will be the third in a series of tribute events featuring alumni of St. Nersess who serve the Armenian Church in various capacities. The prior celebrations in 2021 and 2023 established the “12 Vocations” theme—which will continue in the upcoming event, titled: 12 Vocations: Variety of Gifts, One Spirit.

This year’s honorees will include the following—listed here by ordination or graduation date: Bishop Vahan Hovhanessian (ordained 1990), Bishop Nareg Berberian (1992), Bishop Daniel Findikyan (1997), Fr. Vartan Joulfayan (1998), Fr. Hovhan Khoja-Eynatian (2010), Fr. Ghevond Ajamian (2013), Fr. Samuel Rith-Najarian (2014), Fr. Yeghishe Ksachikyan (2015), Fr. Avedis Kalayjian (2016), Fr. Armash Bagdasarian (2016); Dn. Rubik Mailian (graduated 1998), and Maria Derderian (2007).

The celebratory evening will be filled with nostalgic reflections, special awards, and entertainment by Dottie Bengoian, who will present “God’s Gift: Humor and Hope.”

Invitations will be mailed in September, and information on how to include a message to the honorees in a commemorative keepsake booklet will be shared in August. All proceeds from the event will support the ongoing mission of St. Nersess Seminary. For questions, contact co-chair Lynn Beylerian at lynnbeylerian@gmail.com.

Discover the Armenian Wonders of the Holy Land

The Eastern Diocese is sponsoring a pilgrimage to the Holy Land for January of 2026. The trip will run January 15 to 26, 2026—a period coinciding with the celebration of Armenian Christmas in the city of Bethlehem (January 18/19).

The pilgrimage will be led by Diocesan Primate Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan, assisted by Fr. Mardiros Chevian. Pilgrims will attend the Christmas badarak at Bethlehem’s Church of the Holy Nativity; view holy sites in and around Jerusalem; travel to Jericho, Qumran, Galilee, and Jaffa; spend time in the famous Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem; and experience our Armenian Patriarchate of Sts. James.

Click the following link to view a four-page pamphlet with the itinerary and full details. The registration deadline is Nov. 1, 2025. For information, contact Educational Opportunities Tours at (800) 247-0017, ext. 338.

FAR NEWS

FAR’s “Mardigian Olympics” Ignites the Spirit of Youth in Tavush

More than 150 high school students from 26 schools across Armenia’s rural border region of Tavush came together on October 11-12 for the Mardigian Olympics—a regional sports competition that has become a beloved tradition since its launch in 2018, with support from the Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR).

From sprinting and long-jumping to arm wrestling and barbell lifting, students poured their energy into six athletic events, filling the communities of Noyemberyan and Ijevan with excitement and unity.

“It truly brought our schools to life,” said 17-year-old Arthur Hakhverdyan of Koti, a bronze medalist in national arm wrestling, and a gold medal winner in the Mardigian games. “I hope this becomes a lasting tradition.”

This year’s champion teams—the Noyemberyan Gymnasium and Ijevan’s Azatamut Secondary School—took home gold medals and new sports equipment from FAR to continue their training.

Learn more about the Mardigian Olympics—and discover how to help sustain this joyful activity for the youth of Tavush—on the Fund for Armenian Relief 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 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.

CLASSIFIED ANNOUNCEMENT

 Armenian-Speaking Caregiver Available

For information, please 📞 Contact the Church Office

Phone: 202-363-1923

Email: stmarychurchdc@gmail.com

November 4 Bible Study "Resurrection and Life"

November 11 Bible Study "The New Commandment"

November 18 Bible Study "I Am the Vine "

November 25 Bible Study "The Passion"

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

December 2 Bible Study "That You May Believe"

December 7, 93rd Anniversary of St. Mary's church

December 9    Feast of the Conception of the Holy Virgin Mary

December 13 Christmas Market – 11:00 AM -5:00 PM (Vendors and more)

17Ծածուկ ոչինչ չկայ, որ չյայտնուի, ոչ էլ գաղտնի բան, որ չի¬մացուի եւ ի յայտ չգայ։ 18Այսուհետեւ զգո՛յշ եղէք, թէ ինչպէս էք դուք լսում. որովհետեւ ով որ ունի, նրան կը տրուի, իսկ ով որ չունի, եւ այն, ինչ որ նա կարծում է, թէ ունի, կը վերցուի նրանից» 19Նրա մօտ եկան իր մայրն ու եղբայրները եւ չէին կա-րողանում նրան մօտենալ բազմութեան պատճառով։ 20Ի¬մաց տուին նրան եւ ասացին. «Քո մայրը եւ քո եղբայրները դրսում կանգնել են եւ ուզում են քեզ տեսնել»։ 21Եւ նրանց ասաց. «Իմ մայրը եւ եղբայրները սրանք են, որ Աստծու խօս¬քը լսում են եւ կատարում»։

(Ղուկաս 8:17-21)



17 For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. 18 Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them." 19 Now Jesus' mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. 20 Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you." 21 He replied, "My mother and brothers are those who hear God's word and put it into practice." 

(Luke 8:17-21)

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

St. Mary Armenian Church, Rev. Fr. Hovsep Karapetyan, Pastor

4125 Fessenden St. NW, Washington, DC 20016 | stmarychurchdc@gmail.com

| 202-363-1923 | www.stmaryaac.org