November 7

TOP STORY   

FEAST OF THE ARCHANGELS GABRIEL AND MICHAEL AND ALL THE HEAVENLY HOSTS

On November 8, the Armenian Church celebrates the Feast of the Archangels Gabriel and Michael and All the Heavenly Hosts. According to the Angelology of the Armenian Church, the angels are fleshless, spiritual, independent, always moving, immortal creatures, and God's servants. According to the Church Fathers, the angels, as luminous creatures, have been created on the first day of creation, together with the light. By God's order, they are servants, they have been created to serve the human being. Therefore, they are servants who despite being celestial, participate in earthly life, and act together with the human being living in time and space. The angels are called the messengers and agents of God, who realize God's will. According to Dionysius of Areopagus (Areopagite), there are nine orders of angels - Angels, Archangels, Virtues, Powers, Principalities, Dominations, Throne, Cherubim, and Seraphim.

Archangel Gabriel, whose name means "God's man", is God's direct servant, who is granted the grace to evangelize the Lord's mysteries. It was Archangel Gabriel, who was sent by the Lord to bring the good news to the Virgin about the birth of the Savior, and to Zechariah - to bring the good news about the birth of John the Baptist.

Archangel Michael, whose name means "Who is like God?", is the advocate for the Heavenly King's glory and His people's protector, who is granted the virtue to govern and rule. The name of Archangel Michael is mentioned in the Holy Scriptures four times (The Book of Daniel,10:13, 12:1, The Letter from Jude 1:9, The Revelation to John 11:7)

November 9, 2025

SUNDAY

SCHEDULE

Morning Service 

10:00 AM

Holy Badarak 

10:30 AM

Celebrant

Rev. Fr. Hovsep Karapetyan

Usher

Mr. Garbis Chubukian

Parish Council Member on Duty

Mr. Artur Sivaslian

Choir

Mrs. Edita Kalayjian

Organist

Mrs. Karine Muradyan

Bible Readings

Isaiah 24:1-12,

Ephesians 5:15-33

Luke 8:49-56

HOKEHANKIST

REQUIEM SERVICE

For the Soul of:

 Eva Asoryan

Requested by:

Talin(daughter) and Kirkor Saraydaroglu

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.

This weekend we are pleased to welcome Fr. Garabed Kochakian to St. Mary Armenian Church. On Saturday, November 8, Fr. Garabed will lead a special workshop for our ACYOA Juniors and youth titled “The Art of Armenian Letters: Painting Our Identity,” an interactive session exploring the beauty and meaning of Armenian illuminated manuscripts.

On Sunday, Fr. Garabed will be our guest preacher during the Divine Liturgy, offering reflections on the Icons of St. Mary’s Church. We warmly invite all parishioners to participate in both of these enriching spiritual and cultural events.

Happy Veteran's Day

The eleventh day of November is a special day. In the United States, the day is called Veterans Day. In some other parts of the world, it is called Remembrance Day, a day to honor military folk, who served during war.

This day draws the nation's attention to the sacrifices made by its war heroes.

Let us remember all the sacrifices made by our military so that we could have a safer life. No amount of appreciation will be sufficient enough to honor them. Let us just pray for them and their families.

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

St. Mary Armenian Church 93rd Anniversary Celebration

Sunday, December 7, 2025

Join us as we joyfully celebrate 93 years of faith, heritage, and community at St. Mary Armenian Church!

Divine Liturgy & Celebration

The Divine Liturgy will be officiated by

His Eminence Archbishop Vicken Aykazian,

Ecumenical Director and Diocesan Legate.

Special Requiem Service

In loving remembrance of our departed parishioners and benefactors,

and in memory of the victims of the 1988 Armenian Earthquake.

Anniversary Luncheon & Program

Following the Divine Liturgy, please join us in the Church Hall for a festive luncheon and program, featuring reflections and performances by our Church Youth and ACYOA.

📞 RSVP by December 3, 2025

Call 202-363-1923 or email stmarychurchdc@gmail.com

Luncheon hosted by the Parish Council

Donation: $40 per person

Twenty-Six Years on the Pontifical Throne

On November 2, St. Mary Armenian Church gathered in solemn prayer to honor the 26th anniversary of His Holiness Karekin II's enthronement as the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians. This profound milestone celebrated His Holiness’ unwavering dedication, which began with his consecration on November 4, 1999, at the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin in Armenia.

Following the Divine Liturgy, a special prayer was offered for His Holiness, asking God to "keep our Catholicos, whom He chose as patriarch and leader of the Armenian people, firm in his great calling for a long time."

May this anniversary serve as an opportunity for us all to renew our own commitment, fostering a spirit of faith, resilience, and peace within our community and beyond.

Bible Study: “Resurrection and Life”

On Tuesday, November 4, parishioners and friends gathered for the fifth session of our ongoing Bible Study on the Gospel of John. This week’s theme, “Resurrection and Life,” centered on Chapters 9–11, where Jesus reveals Himself as the Light of the World and the Lord of Life.

We began with the healing of the man born blind (John 9), reflecting on how Christ not only opens physical eyes but also the eyes of the soul. The discussion then turned to Jesus’ words, “I am the Good Shepherd” (John 10), where He proclaims His care for His flock and His willingness to lay down His life for them. The group reflected on how Christ’s voice continues to guide the faithful today through prayer, Scripture, and the life of the Church. Finally, we explored the raising of Lazarus (John 11), one of the most powerful signs in the Gospel of John. Jesus’ words, “I am the resurrection and the life,” remind us that death itself cannot separate us from His love. His tears at the tomb of Lazarus reveal both divine compassion and the promise of eternal life.



The evening concluded with a prayer and fellowship. Our next session will take place on Tuesday, November 11, as we study John 12–14, reflecting on the theme "The New Commandment". All are warmly invited to join for study, and fellowship.

ACYOA Seniors Update

Together with Der Hovsep Karapetyan, the ACYOA Seniors met on November 2nd to plan a joyful season of fellowship and service! Upcoming activities include a Bake Sale Fundraiser for Ayo!’s Christmas project during the Christmas Market on December 13th, a Christmas potluck, and local volunteer outreach opportunities.

All young adults ages 18–30 are warmly invited to join the group and get involved.

For details, please email nicoletteblackwell@gmail.com

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

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 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)

49 Եւ մինչ նա խօսում էր, ժողովրդապետի տնից մէկը եկաւ եւ Յայրոսին ասաց. «Աղջիկդ մեռաւ, յոգնութիւն մի՛ պատճառիր նրան»: 50 Իսկ երբ Յիսուս լսեց, նրան պատասխանեց եւ ասաց. «Մի՛ վախեցիր, միայն հաւատա՛, եւ նա կապրի»: 51 Եւ նրա տունը մտնելով՝ ոչ ոքի չթողեց ներս մտնել, բացի Պետրոսից, Յակոբոսից, Յովհաննէսից եւ երեխայի հօրից ու մօրից: 52 Ամէնքը լալիս ու ողբում էին նրա վրայ: Եւ նա ասաց. «Լաց մի՛ եղէք, որովհետեւ մեռած չէ, այլ ննջում է»: 53 Իսկ նրանք ծաղրում էին նրան, որովհետեւ գիտէին, որ մեռած էր: 54 Եւ ամէնքին դուրս հանելով՝ բռնեց նրա ձեռքից, գոչեց եւ ասաց. «Վե՛ր կաց, կանգնի՛ր, ո՛վ մանուկ»: 55 Եւ նրա հոգին վերադարձաւ, եւ մանուկն իսկոյն կանգնեց: Եւ Յիսուս հրամայեց, որ նրան ուտելու բան տան: 56 Եւ նրա ծնողները զարմացած մնացին, իսկ նա պատուիրեց, որ ոչ ոքի չասեն, ինչ որ եղել էր:

Ղուկասի 8.49-56

49 While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” he said. “Don’t bother the teacher anymore.” 50 Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.” 51 When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child’s father and mother. 52 Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. “Stop wailing,” Jesus said. “She is not dead but asleep.” 53 They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. 54 But he took her by the hand and said, “My child, get up!” 55 Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. 56 Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.

Luke 8.49-56

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