August 11

TOP STORY   

Assumption of the Holy Mother-of-God

On Sunday, August 13, the Armenian Church will observe the Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother-of-God, which commemorates how St. Mary at her death was taken up in body and soul, or “assumed,” into heaven. This act of tenderness was performed by Christ many years after his Ascension, as a loving tribute to the mother who bore and raised him.

Click on the following links to read about Holy Assumption on our blog, and to watch an online video in the Diocese’s Bread and Salt series about the Holy Mother-of-God—Sourp Azdvadzadzin—in Armenian Church tradition.

At St. Mary Church, Holy Assumption will be celebrated with the Divine Liturgy on Sunday, August 13, beginning at 10:30 a.m.

 See more details here.

Traditionally on Assumption Day, the “Blessing of Grapes” service takes place immediately after the Divine Liturgy. The service is rich in symbolism and emphasizes the important role of the Virgin Mary in the revelation of God.

The “Blessing of Grapes” service will follow the Badarak, where grapes will be washed and packaged for safe distribution to worshipers.



Using this opportunity, we congratulate all our parishioners who have the following names:

Mariam, Maral, Mary-Marie, Maro, Markrid, Yertchanig, Azniv, Arousiag, Gousineh, Loosaper, Vartenie, Vartouhi, Vartanoush, Sirarpi, Loosarpi, Takouhi, Isgouhi, Pergrouhi, Yeranouhi, Yeranig, Makrouhi, Berjouhi, Serpouhi, Dirouhi, Azadouhi.

August 13, 2023

Morning Service 

10:00 AM

Holy Badarak 

10:30 AM

Celebrant

Rev. Fr. Hovsep Karapetyan

Usher

All Ushers

Parish Council Members on Duty

All Parish Council Members

Choir

Dr. Hratch Semerjian

Organist

Mrs. Karine Muradyan

Bible Readings: 

Isaiah 65:8-10; 1

Heb. 6:18-7:7

Luke 2:1-7

 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

Let the Lord Jesus Christ preserve and have mercy on us through the intercession of the Holy Mother-of-God, from whom the fruit of life and immortality was given to us.

    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.

Our utmost thanks to everyone who contributed to the Grape Blessing.



To see the list of donors, Click Here.

Artsakh Needs Our Prayers

Recent weeks have brought troubling news reports from Artsakh: increased tension and military aggression against our people; a spiraling humanitarian crisis due to the cruel blockade; and even despicable kidnappings.

Last week, Armenian Church bishops meeting at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin issued a statement appealing to the member states of the United Nations Security Council “to take effective action and call on the authorities of Azerbaijan to respect and implement the decisions of the International Court of Justice.” Click here to read the full statement.

Later this week, in the Eastern Diocese, Primate Fr. Mesrop Parsamyan will host a conference call of American religious and ecumenical leaders, where Diocesan Legate Archbishop Vicken Aykazian will describe the urgent situation in our homeland.

As our Armenian brothers and sisters in Artsakh brave the ongoing outrages against their right to a peaceful and independent existence, please pray for them, and for the courageous soldiers defending Artsakh’s integrity as an ancient and holy Armenian land:

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.

On Sunday, August 6th, 2023, many parishioners and friends gathered after Badarak to surprise Der Hovsep with a birthday cake. Der Hayr has been celebrating his birthday in Armenia for the past several years. It was a special day for everyone present to express their love and best wishes in celebration of Der Hayr's birthday. We would like to extend our special thanks to Ani Armani and Rubic Movsesian for presenting beautiful cakes for the occasion. We are grateful to all for their generous contribution to the 90th Anniversary Endowment Fund in honor of Der Hovsep.

We wish Der Hayr once more a blessed year ahead.  

Prayerfully,

St. Mary Parishioners 

St. Mary Youth At St. Vardan Camp And St. Nersess Seminary

A group of young Parishioners had an excellent opportunity to spend several days of fun, fellowship, and spiritually uplifting experience at St. Vartan Camp and St. Nersess Seminary. They developed a deeper understanding of their Armenian faith and culture and established lifelong friendships with other campers throughout our Diocese.

The programs were focused on the Armenian religion, culture, language, history, dance, music, arts, and fellowship together with a full sports activites. St. Nersess seminary offered special programs like Deacons' Training and Youth Choir Workshop.

Our young parishoners Hovsep and Alek Seferian, Hrak Kalayjian, Sevak Stepanian patrticipated in Deacons' Training and Maria and Sevak Stepanians had an oportuinty to attend Youth Choir Wrkship. Julie Tilimian, Hovsep Seferian, Shaunt Festekjian, Andre Alexanian, Artur Avetisyan and Alexander Mirzoyan attended St. Vartan Camp.

The young people surely took home fond memories.

Dear Parish Community,

The staff and teachers of Shnorhali Armenian School are delighted to welcome you to the 2023-2024 academic year. The registration is now open. We are only weeks away from the first day of school and looking forward to seeing our school once again be filled with positivity and learning and fueled by kids’ laughter and joy!

The new academic year starts on August 27th with the Celebration of Knowledge and Education. Following our tradition, the school’s staff and teachers will evaluate the students’ knowledge of the Armenian language, history, and culture on the first day of school while students spend a fun day getting to know each other. Students and parents will participate in the Patarak (Badarag) to receive a special blessing during the service. The day will conclude with a meeting with parents.

Please click on the link below for more information.

SHNORHALI SCHOOL - Save the Dates!

Sunday, August 27th - 1st day of school. Registration, and Celebration of Knowledge and Education

• 9:30 am – 12:30 pm - Meet with teachers.
• Assessments conducted for grade Levels 1st -8th.
• Senior and Junior Kindergarteners – Fun activities
• Attending Patarak (Badarag) No pizza lunch will be offered on the first day
• 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm - Parents meeting
• Sunday, September 4th – No School! Labor Day weekend
• Sunday, September 11th 9:30am – 2pm –School resumes its normal schedule.
• Sunday, September 24th - Back to School fun event after school for students and parents, Book Fair, and the School Yearbook sale

Shnorhali School Launches New Website

Dear Community,

We are thrilled to announce the launch of our redesigned website. It is now live: https://www.stmaryaac.org/shnorhali-school The new site was designed to be more informative and user-friendly. It is available in Armenian and English.

Some of the new features of this site include:

• School’s History

• Picture Gallery

• Academic Calendar

• Registration

• Our team

• Teachers Portal, where teachers can access and download their lesson plans and worksheets for their classes, etc.

We are proud to announce that the website was designed and developed by Shnorhali School’s 7th grade student Ani Nishanian. Ani has been working tirelessly this summer to create an excellent website. Thank you, dear Ani, for your hard work and dedication to your School. We also extend our gratitude to St. Mary’s Web Designer Oganes Mkrtchyan for all the technical assistance with the website in this process. The site continues to be a work in progress and will be updated with more features and information in the coming months. If you have any questions or have feedback to share, please be sure to reach out!

Shnorhali School is Looking for Armenian Language Teachers

Dear Parish Community,

St. Mary’s Shnorhali Armenian School is looking for enthusiastic, self-motivated, and devoted individuals who love the Armenian language and have a passion for educating our children. Please consider this rewarding opportunity to join our team of qualified and dedicated staff. Your support and commitment will be a great contribution to preserving our language and culture, and our children's discovery of their Armenian heritage, and Christian identity. With God’s blessing, we will work together to make 2023-2024 a year of achievement on all levels.

For more information, please contact Shnorhali School’s Principal Nunik Nishanian at (703) 835-1181 or shnorhalischool@gmail.com

NEW RECYCLING PROGRAM AT ST. MARY'S



There is now a blue recycling bin in the hall at St. Mary Church. Please only deposit empty plastic bottles and aluminum cans in the container. We are looking for volunteers to sign up about once a month to take the recyclables home with them after church or during the Food Festival. It involves sorting through what's in the clear recycling bag and discarding any trash that might have been put in the bag. Then, you replace the clear bag with one from the box in the kitchen marked "Recycling Bags, Not for Trash". I have created a SignUp Genius link to sign up for a slot. Please see St Mary's Armenian Apostolic Church: St. Mary's Recycling Committee (signupgenius.com). If you have any questions, please email me at rangerrox@msn.com. Thanks for your help in keeping God's good earth cleaner!

Volunteer Corner

We extend our utmost appreciation to Anna Seferian for taking the initiative to offer altar flowers throughout the year. We welcome any parishioner who would like to adorn the church’s altar with flowers be it from their own garden or from a flower shop. 

There are many ways we could serve our church and community. Please do not hesitate to share your skills and talents with us.

Email the church’s office at stmarychurchdc@gmail.com with your interest and ways you would like to serve.

Special Appeal - Emergency Funding

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

Recently, during our Spring Food Festival, some of you might have experienced the unusual rise in temperature at St. Mary's Cultural Hall. That was due to the breakdown in 2 of our Air Conditioning units.

The malfunction of our Air Conditioning Units came at a terrible time with summer heat around the corner. Moreover, the $15,000 was unbudgeted for this fiscal year.

We are reaching out to our faithful and loyal supporters to kindly consider helping us raise the much-needed funds. Regardless of the amount, we are grateful for each and everyone's thoughtfulness and participation.

May God bless you all abundantly.

Prayerfully,

Der Hovsep and St. Mary Parish Council

UPCOMING EVENTS

St. Nersess to Honor 12 Priests and Lay Alumni on Nov. 4



St. Nersess Armenian Seminary will highlight the vocations of 12 alumni priests and lay ministers, with a gala banquet on Saturday, November 4, 2023.

This will be the second in a series of tribute events featuring alumni of St. Nersess who serve the Armenian Church in various capacities. The first celebration took place in November 2021 and established the “12 Vocations” theme. The upcoming event will build on that idea, under the title: “12 Vocations: Broadening the Call.”

This year, the event will honor a seminary graduate who became a hierarch of the Armenian Church: Archbishop Avak Asadourian (priestly ordination in 1977, episcopal consecration in 1982), who recently retired after a long tenure as Primate of the Diocese of Iraq.

He will be honored along with seven clergymen and four lay ministers—listed here by ordination or graduation date: Fr. Krikor Sabounjian (ordained 1998); Fr. Sarkis Petoyan (ordained 1998); Fr. Abraham Ohanessian (ordained 1999); Fr. Mikael Devejian (ordained 2000); Fr. Hovsep Karapetyan (ordained 2004); Fr. Aren Jebejian (ordained 2004); Fr. Bedros Kadehjian (ordained 2005); Mka. Valerie Goekjian Zahirsky (graduated 1974); Yn. Sirarpi Feredjian Aivazian (graduated 1978); Nancy Basmajian (graduated 1979); and Shaké Ajamian Derderian (graduated 1989).

Invitations and further details on the November 4 banquet will be coming soon. Contact event co-chair Lynn Beylerian at lynnbeylerian@gmail.com or access the seminary website: www.stnersess.edu. 

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. 

HELP NEEDED

Armenian Speaking Caregivers are needed. For information, please contact the church office at 202-363-1923 or stmarychurchdc@gmail.com.

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.

DIOCESAN & OTHER NEWS

Western Diocese Holds 125th Anniversary Liturgy

Last week the Primate of the Western Diocese, Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, welcomed his brother Primates of North America to the diocesan headquarters in Burbank, CA, as part of the ongoing 125th Anniversary celebration of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America.

Archbishop Derderian was joined by Bishop Abgar Hovakimyan, Primate of the Canadian Diocese, and Fr. Mesrop Parsamyan, Primate of the Eastern Diocese, in formal meetings to discuss future collaborations between the three church jurisdictions.

The visit culminated in a special service at the mother sanctuary of the Western Diocese, St. Leon Armenian Cathedral, with all three church leaders participating. Eastern Diocesan Primate Fr. Mesrop celebrating the Divine Liturgy: his first time doing so in St. Leon Cathedral since his election as Primate in 2022.

“I was truly honored to share the beautiful experience on August 6, at Srbots Ghevontiants Cathedral,” said Fr. Mesrop. “With my esteemed brothers in Christ, Archbishop Hovnan and Bishop Abgar, we came together in unity to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the establishment of the Armenian Church of North America.”

He went on: “In celebrating this milestone, we reflected on the rich history of our church on this continent: the challenges we have overcome, and the incredible growth we have achieved as a united church. My heartfelt gratitude goes to Archbishop Hovnan, Bishop Abgar, and all those who contributed to making this weekend a memorable and spiritually uplifting experience. Let us remain steadfast in our journey, guided by the light of Christ, as we forge ahead with renewed purpose and unity.”

Among the dignitaries present for the Badarak was Archbishop Barkev Mardirosian, the former Primate of Artsakh. We pray for the continuing strength of health of all our worthy church leaders.

Explore the World of St. Nersess Shnorhali

In a Pontifical Encyclical issued earlier this year, His Holiness Karekin II, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, called on the worldwide Armenian Church to honor St. Nerses Shnorhali throughout 2023, which marks the 850th anniversary of the saint’s death.

“Shnorhali’s entire life was focused on the glorification of God, and the urgent mission of leading the hearts of the people to Him,” the Catholicos wrote. “We invite our entire church to commemorate Shnorhali’s eternal memory during this 850th anniversary year.”

To help honor the legacy of St. Nersess—and deepen understanding of his contributions to Armenian and global Christian spirituality—the Eastern Diocese’s digital ministries platform, VEMKAR, will present an online discussion series, under the title: “Entering the World, Mind, and Soul of St. Nersess Shnorhali.”

On Tuesday evenings from late August through late September, experts on the history, spirituality, and artistry of St. Nersess Shnorhali will present online lectures, and entertain questions from viewers, on a variety of topics that bring this medieval Armenian saint to life for the modern world.

Click the following links to view a flyer with details, and to register in advance for the sessions that will take place over the Zoom conference platform, from August 22 through September 26.

Relatedly, see the item below under Events, to learn about the Diocese’s Sacred Music Festival scheduled for September, which is dedicated to the musical legacy of St. Nersess Shnorhali.

FAR NEWS

FAR Elevates Care for the Elderly in Armenia

A groundbreaking medical course in geriatric care was recently organized in Armenia’s Vanadzor region through the Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR).

The FAR program, called “Supporting the Development of Geriatrics in Armenia and Artsakh,” is a collaboration with the Armenian Association of Geriatrics and Gerontology. The three-day training course united nurses from diverse healthcare facilities.

In addition to theory, the curriculum fostered holistic learning through interactive exercises and games. Addressing various topics like healthy aging, elder violence, dementia care, and socio-psychological aspects of aging, the course empowered nurses to provide personalized and compassionate elderly care. The training even extended its reach to similar centers in Artsakh.

Ayo is the crowdfunding platform of Fund for Armenian Relief, the social arm of the Eastern Diocese. We’re passionate about partnering with Armenians all over the world to promote sustainable development through low-budget, big-impact projects.

This summer, Ayo! is partnering with GOALS (Girls of Armenia Leadership in Sports) to organize a sports camp for kids aged 11-17. It will intertwine learning and fun through games, promoting positive values such as teamwork, leadership, respect, and gender equality. 

The camp will be held in the rural Shirak region for 70 boys and girls from surrounding villages. In addition to soccer, basketball, and tennis, lacrosse will be introduced this year!

It costs $125 to sponsor one village child’s unforgettable week of camp.

Get involved!

• Donate tax-deductible through Ayo’s website here:

www.weareayo.org/donate

• One day of camp, including meals, costs $25/month

Click Here to DONATE!

We’re turning 10 this year!

With the support of Hilton, we’re organizing a special all-expenses paid trip to Armenia for one lucky person (chosen at random).

Enter here!

August 13 Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother- of- God (Picnic)

August 27 First Day of Shnorhali School

September 17 Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

September 24 Shnorhali School Back to School Night

October 1       Feast of Holy Cross of Varak

October 6-7-8 Fall Food Festival

October 29     Feast of the Discovery of the Holy Cross

October 29 Shnorhali School Talent Show

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

December 9    Feast of the Conception of the Holy Virgin Mary

December 10 Celebration Of the 91st Anniversary of the Church

December 24 Shnorhali School Christmas Celebration

1 Այն օրերին Օգոստոս կայսեր կողմից հրաման ելաւ ամբողջ երկրում մարդահամար անելու համար: 2 Այս առաջին մարդահամարը տեղի ունեցաւ, երբ Կիւրենիոսը կուսակալ էր Ասորիքում: 3 Եւ բոլորը գնում էին արձանագրուելու մարդահամարում՝ իւրաքանչիւրն իր քաղաքում: 4 Յովսէփն էլ, Դաւթի տնից եւ ազգատոհմից լինելով, Գալիլիայի Նազարէթ քաղաքից ելաւ գնաց դէպի Հրէաստան՝ Դաւթի քաղաքը, որը Բեթղեհէմ է կոչւում, 5 մարդահամարի մէջ արձանագրուելու Մարիամի հետ, որ նրա հետ նշանուած էր եւ յղի էր: 6 Եւ երբ նրանք այնտեղ հասան, նրա ծննդաբերելու օրերը լրացան, 7 եւ նա ծնեց իր անդրանիկ Որդուն, խանձարուրի մէջ փաթաթեց նրան ու դրեց մսուրի մէջ, որովհետեւ իջեւանում նրանց համար տեղ չկար:

Ղուկասի 2.1-7

1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. 2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3 And all went to be taxed, everyone into his own city. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Luke 2.1-7