March 31

Open the Door to Palm Sunday and Holy Week

On April 2, Armenian Churches worldwide will observe Palm Sunday, the feast of Christ's triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week—the sacred commemoration of the dramatic events leading to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, his victory over death, and the redemption of humanity and the fallen world. The church re-enacts these episodes in the days leading up to Easter.

In the Armenian Church, Palm Sunday is the occasion for a ceremony that will hold special symbolic meaning for many worshippers after enduring more than a year of isolation under the pandemic restrictions. On this day, the altar curtain, which remained closed throughout Great Lent, will be re-opened with the special Turen-Patzek (“door-opening”) service. Click here to view a Bread & Salt video episode about this meaningful service, titled “Doors of Mercy.”

The days that immediately precede and follow Palm Sunday feature services that resonate with Bible stories recounting the final days of Christ’s earthly ministry.

At the conclusion of Badarak, a Palm Sunday Luncheon will take place at the Church Cultural Hall sponsored by St. Mary ACYOA during which Yn. Anahid Kalayjian will be honored for her service, love, and dedication to the youth of our parish.

April 2, 2023

Morning Service 

10:00 AM

Holy Badarak 

10:30 AM

Celebrant

Rev. Fr. Hovsep Karapetyan 

Usher

Mrs. Shoghig Sahakyan

Parish Council Members on Duty

Mrs. Anna Seferian

Choir

Mrs.Edita Kalayjian

Organist

Mrs. Karine Muradyan

Bible Readings: 

Song 1:1-2:3,

 Zec 9:9-15,

Phil 4:4-7, 

Mt 20:29-21:17

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

Open to us, O Lord, the door of your mercy, and make us worthy of your dwellings of light together with your saints. Receive us also, O Savior, into your mansions prepared for your saints, and inscribe our names in the Book of Life. O formidable judge, when you sit in the judgment seat, spare your creatures through the intercession and prayers of the holy ascetics.

    Lord, please keep watch over your faithful people and the holy soil of Artsakh and Armenia, now and always. Grant them strength, protect them from harm, and lead us together through the present time of trial. Foil every aggressor against our homeland. In days of darkness, shine the light of your wisdom on our leaders. Deliver the world from every conflict, Lord, and bestow your peace on mankind. Amen.

Holy Week and Easter Schedule



Sunday, April 2 - PALM SUNDAY - The entrance of our Lord to Jerusalem

• Morning Service 10:00 AM
• Holy Badarak 10:30 AM
• Opening of Doors Service 12:00 AM
• ACYOA Lunch-Program 1:00 PM

Thursday, April 6 - GREAT AND HOLY THURSDAY: The day’s services memorialize the Last Supper, Jesus’ vigil in the Garden of Gethsemane, His arrest and trial. 

• Holy Badarak 6:00 PM
• Washing of the Feet 7:16 PM
• Betrayal and Passion of our Lord 8:00 PM

Friday, April 7 - GREAT AND HOLY FRIDAY: The Crucifixion and Burial of Christ will be marked with two services:

• The Order of the Crucifixion of Christ 12:30 PM 
• Order of the Entombment of the Lord 7:00 PM

Saturday, April 8 - GREAT AND HOLY SATURDAY: The Evening Service and Scripture-reading will begin at 6:00 PM, followed by the Jrakalouyts (“Lamp-Lighting”) service at 7:00 PM

Sunday, April 9 - EASTER SUNDAY: The central holy day of the Christian calendar, commemorating the discovery of Christ’s empty tomb and the news of His Resurrection. 

• Morning Service 9:30 AM
• Holy Badarak 10:30 AM
• Antasdan Service 12:00 Noon

CHRIST IS RISEN FROM THE DEAD 

BLESSED IS THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST

We thank you for your continued support by making an Easter Youghakin Donation to St. Mary. The link below is for your convenience to "keep the lamps of our Church buring brightly".

There is a wonderful opportunities for our children to participate in Armenian camps and conferences this summer. St. Vartan Camp and St. Nersess Summer Conferences and trainnigs are now oper for registration. If your child is interested please contact the the church office at stmarychurchdc@gmail.com and provide your name, contact information (phone and email) and your student’s name/age. Put "St Vartan Camp," or "St. Nersess" in the subject line.  An interest meeting will be arranged, where parents/students can ask questions and arrange carpools.

This year, through generous donations made to a number of memorial funds, St. Mary will be able to offer a discount for each camper.   

6th & Last Week of Lent

According to the liturgical calendar of the Armenian Church, the Lenten season has begun on Monday, February 19. This year, at St. Mary, Lenten Services and Discussions will occur every Wednesday. The year's theme is "The Holy Sacraments of the Church and their meaning." We will learn about the Holy Sacraments of the Church and their very real implications on our daily lives. A sacrament is a rite that not only signifies some specific grace but also produces that grace in the soul of the person to whom it is administered. Although everything within the Church is sacramental, there are seven formal sacraments of the Armenian Church which correspond to the different states and situations of a person's life.

The last of the six-week series took place on Wednesday, March 29. Dn. Garegin Vardanyan presented the final sacrament of the "Anointing of the Sick." He talked about the biblical references to sickness and its healing in the Old and New Testaments. He explained the historical development of the sacrament and its practice in the Armenian church.

Toward the end of the service and presentation, the parishioners and friends enjoyed fellowship with each other and a lenten dinner hosted by the St. Mary Gift Shop.

The day's guest was Sarah Stites, who gave a short talk about her journey to Armenia that inspired the audience. She shared her experience living in Armenia, her work with AYO, and its projects across Armenia, her home for the past five years.

Lenten Good Deed

This past Sunday, March 26, our Shnorhali School students were invited to perform one of their Lenten Good Deeds during their religion class period. Families in our community donated sandwich supplies and our fourth graders through high school students assembled turkey and ham sandwiches to benefit Martha's Table in Washington, DC. The students packaged up a total of 228 sandwiches which will be distributed each evening to homeless persons and food-insecure families via the organization's distribution site called McKenna's Wagon.

Students thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to come together and do something worthwhile for the benefit of others. They were all encouraged to look upon this as a chance to share a part of their hearts with others. The students did a fantastic job of assembling, bagging, and labeling all of the sandwiches in less than half an hour. We were all so proud of their hard work.

To learn more about Martha's Table and the good work they do in the community, please visit the website marthastable.org.

Congratulations to Hovsep Seferian ; St. Mary's ACYOA member

On Saturday, March 25th, Hovsep Seferian competed in the Virginia High School League (VHSL) Speech State Championships and became the Class 6 Impromptu Speaking State Champion. He has been competing in Speech and Debate since 7th grade and is a senior at Robinson Secondary School. In addition to the state championship, he also won first place at Metrofinals (DMV area championship) this year. Armenia, Christianity, and his experiences within the church of Saint Mary's have remained strong parts of his theses since his beginning, and he attributes his state championship victory to his final round, in which his thesis was based around the ACYOA and its formative abilities for young Armenian Christians, as well as the writings of Aristotle and Rudyard Kipling.

A Word of Thanks

We are grateful to the Kumkumian and Bodurian families for donating life-saving equipment in the event God forbid we are faced with an emergency. Among the donated equipment are a blood pressure monitor and an AED cardiac defibrillator, the latter has the potential to save lives. In addition to their donation, Drs. Bodurian and Kumkumian will arrange for training for the parish council and ushers. We pray all our church community is in good health.

With Gratitude

Spring is in the air, and the St. Mary Garden Guild team along with volunteers started beautification of the church grounds. We are thankful for the continued efforts and contributions of all our community members. We are grateful for the labor of love of Raffi Sahakyan, Arda Kanderian-Hebert, Karine Sahagyan, Mania Missirian, Svetlana Hovannisyan, and Takuhi Hallajian. The team cleaned up the church grounds in preparation for planting flowers in the coming weeks. If you are interested in giving a hand, please email the church office at stmarychurchdc@gmail.com with your interest and how you could assist.

Easter Eve with Shnorhali School

Shnorhali School has planned a Fun Event to celebrate Easter with our students on April 8th from 5-7 pm (with Holy Patarag to follow from 7-8pm).

During the event we will have a small presentation about Easter, discuss Easter tradition and stories, and dispelling Easter myths. We will talk about Easter eggs, egg hunts, Easter Bunny, etc., after which, students will decorate Easter eggs. This is a great opportunity for team building and making new friends. 

After a light dinner students and parents will be invited to participate in the Holy Patarag and read Bible passages with our Pastor.

Participation in this sacred and fun event is a great opportunity for our students to learn about the significance of our holy traditions and strengthen connection with our Church, culture, and heritage. We highly encourage parents to join and support our fun and educational evening.

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

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.

Growing in Faith Together: A Roadmap to the Future

In a video message this week, Diocesan Primate Fr. Mesrop Parsamyan introduced a new “roadmap” for the Eastern Diocese and its parishes: a plan to help the faithful live out God’s call over the coming years.

The Diocesan plan, titled “Growing In Faith Together,” has been developed over the past months as the Primate worked alongside members of the Diocesan Council, staff, and clergy. (You can read a PDF file of the plan by clicking the “Download” link below.)

In his video message, Fr. Mesrop briefly explains five priorities for spiritual life, which will be the focus of attention in the Eastern Diocese as we grow in faith together as disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Click the “Watch” link below, or the “Play” button on the image above, to view the video.)

“My prayer is that, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, this plan will give us a clear direction and purpose, but also be open to evolving—so we can build together on our rich, Christian tradition,” says the Primate.

“Of course, the most important factor for all of us is the urgent call to share the Good News of Jesus Christ: the gift God has given us, that we need to share with everyone.”

Please take the time to read “Growing In Faith Together,” and begin thinking about how it can inspire spiritual growth in our churches and families.

Click the following links to:

• WATCH Fr. Mesrop’s video message.
• DOWNLOAD a digital copy of “Growing In Faith Together.”

Open the Door to Palm Sunday and Holy Week

On April 2, the worldwide Armenian Church will observe Palm Sunday: the feast of Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week—the sacred commemoration of the dramatic events leading to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, his victory over death, and the redemption of humanity and the fallen world. The church re-enacts these episodes in the days leading up to Easter.

In the Armenian Church, Palm Sunday is the occasion for a ceremony that will hold special meaning after the isolation and separation of the pandemic period. On this day the altar curtain, which has remained closed throughout Great Lent, will be re-opened with the special Turen-Patzek (“door-opening”) service. Click here to view a Bread & Salt video episode about this meaningful service, titled “Doors of Mercy.”

The days that immediately precede and follow Palm Sunday feature services that resonate with Bible stories recounting the final days of Christ’s earthly ministry. Learn about these dramatic services, and read the Gospel stories they are based on, by clicking here.

ACYOA Day: On Palm Sunday, the Eastern Diocese traditionally observes ACYOA Day: an occasion to focus attention on the ACYOA and to celebrate its contributions to the Armenian Church. Learn more on ACYOA’s Facebook page.

Holy Week Service Schedule: See the item below for the schedule of services at St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral in New York, leading to Easter Sunday, April 9, when Diocesan Primate Fr. Mesrop Parsamyan will celebrate the liturgy.

Above: “Jesus Enters Jerusalem,” a fresco from the St. Baudelius hermitage (Sorio, Spain).

Since December 12, 2022, Azerbaijan has blocked the only road connecting Artsakh and Armenia.

120,000 people (including 30,000 children) in Artsakh are directly influenced by this blockade. Since December, the flow of food and other supplies between Armenia and Artsakh has halted, leaving families in desperate straits. About 780 citizens have even been unable to access vital medical care due to suspensions of surgeries in all medical institutions in Artsakh. 

The Red Cross is the only means of emergency transportation and delivery of medicines between Artsakh and Yerevan. Currently, there is a big need to support kids with asthma, who can lead a normal life as long as they have inhalers and medication on hand. However, the government does not provide this medicine free of charge to children, and it is quite expensive. There are huge shortages. In partnership with the Health Fund for Children of Armenia and the Red Cross, we want to ensure that children can access the medicine they need. 

In this tense situation, it can be easy to feel helpless. But we can do our part to ensure that Artsakh’s children can at least breathe easy. It costs only $25 per month to cover asthma medication for one child. 

FAR is Hiring a Development Director

The Fund for Armenian Relief is searching for a “Director of Institutional Marketing and Development.” The position will be responsible for the overall strategic development and management of the set of communications that FAR deploys to reach its audience.

The Development Director is expected to contribute to strengthening FAR’s image in the market and to further developing trust among the diaspora and make it the foundation of choice for individuals to consider when planning their charitable giving efforts. This position will report to Garnik Nanagoulian, Executive Director.

For complete information, click here.

April 2 Palm Sunday, ACYOA Day & W.G. Easter Bake Sale after Badarak

April 8 Easter Eve with Shnorhali School @ 5 pm

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

ST. MARY ARMENIAN CHURCH WED EDUCATIONAL

FUND SCHOLARSHIP

Application for WED Educational Fund Scholarship is now available at St. Mary's website www.stmaryaac.org. The application deadline for the 2023-2024 academic year is

May 31, 2023.

Click here to access the scholarship application. If you have questions, contact the St. Mary Church office at stmarychurchdc@gmail.com

29 And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him. 30 And, behold, two blind men sitting by the wayside, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. 31 And the multitude rebuked them because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. 32 And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you? 33 They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. 34 So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.

21 1 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, 2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. 3 And if any man says ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them, and straightway he will send them. 4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. 6 And the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them, 7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. 8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. 9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. 10 And when he came into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? 11 And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee. 12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, 13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves. 14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. 15 And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased, 16 And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? 17 And he left them and went out of the city into Bethany, and he lodged there.

Matthew 20.29-21.17

29 Եւ երբ նրանք Երիքովից դուրս էին գալիս, Յիսուսի յետեւից բազում ժողովուրդ գնաց: 30 Եւ ահա երկու կոյրեր նստած էին ճանապարհի եզերքին: Երբ լսեցին, թէ Յիսուս անցնում է, աղաղակեցին ու ասացին. «Ողորմի՛ր մեզ, Յիսո՛ւս, Դաւթի՛ Որդի»: 31 Եւ ամբոխը յանդիմանեց նրանց, որ լռեն: Իսկ նրանք առաւել եւս աղաղակում էին ու ասում. «Ողորմի՛ր մեզ, Տէ՛ր, Դաւթի՛ Որդի»: 32 Յիսուս տեղում կանգ առաւ, կանչեց նրանց եւ ասաց. «Ի՞նչ էք կամենում, որ ձեզ անեմ»: 33 Նրան ասացին. «Որ մեր աչքերը բացուեն, Տէ՛ր»: 34 Եւ գթալով Յիսուս դիպաւ նրանց աչքերին, եւ նրանք իսկոյն տեսան ու գնացին նրա յետեւից: 

21 1 Երբ Երուսաղէմին մօտեցան եւ եկան Բեթփագէ՝ Ձիթենեաց լեռան մօտ, այն ժամանակ Յիսուս իր աշակերտներից երկուսին ուղարկեց ու նրանց ասաց. 2 «Գնացէ՛ք այդ գիւղը, որ ձեր դիմաց է, եւ այնտեղ կգտնէք կապուած մի էշ եւ նրա հետ՝ մի քուռակ. արձակեցէք, բերէք ինձ: 3 Եւ եթէ մէկը ձեզ բան ասի, կասէք, որ Տիրոջը պէտք են. եւ նա իսկոյն դրանք կուղարկի: 4 Բայց այս բոլորը եղաւ, որպէսզի կատարուի մարգարէի խօսքը, որ ասում է. 5 "Ասացէ՛ք Սիոնի դստերը. ահա դէպի քեզ է գալիս քո Թագաւորը՝ հեզ եւ նստած էշի ու էշի քուռակի վրայ"»: 6 Աշակերտները գնացին եւ արեցին, ինչպէս Յիսուս իրենց հրամայել էր. 7 եւ էշն ու քուռակը բերեցին, նրանց վրայ զգեստներ գցեցին. եւ նա նստեց դրանց վրայ: 8 Եւ բազում ժողովուրդ իրենց զգեստները փռեցին ճանապարհի վրայ, իսկ ուրիշներ ծառերից ճիւղեր էին կտրում ու սփռում ճանապարհի վրայ: 9 Առաջից եւ յետեւից գնացող ժողովրդի բազմութիւնը աղաղակում էր ու ասում. «Օրհնութի՜ւն Դաւթի Որդուն, օրհնեա՜լ է նա, որ գալիս է Տիրոջ անունով, օրհնութի՜ւն բարձունքներում»: 10 Եւ երբ նա մտաւ Երուսաղէմ, ամբողջ քաղաքը դղրդաց, եւ ասում էին. «Ո՞վ է սա»: 11 Իսկ ժողովրդի բազմութիւնն ասում էր. «Սա Յիսուս Մարգարէն է, որ Գալիլիայի Նազարէթ քաղաքից է»: 12 Եւ Յիսուս մտաւ տաճար ու դուրս հանեց բոլոր նրանց, որ տաճարի մէջ վաճառում ու գնումներ էին անում. նա շուռ տուեց լումայափոխների սեղաններն ու աղաւնեվաճառների աթոռները: 13 Եւ նրանց ասաց. «Գրուած է՝ իմ տունը աղօթքի տուն պիտի կոչուի. իսկ դուք աւազակների որջ էք արել այդ»: 14 Տաճարի մէջ կոյրեր եւ կաղեր Յիսուսին մօտեցան, եւ նա բժշկեց նրանց: 15 Երբ քահանայապետներն ու օրէնսգէտները տեսան այն սքանչելիքները, որ նա արեց, եւ մանուկներին, որ տաճարի մէջ աղաղակում էին ու ասում՝ «Օրհնութի՜ւն Դաւթի Որդուն», բարկացան. 16 եւ ասացին նրան. «Լսո՞ւմ ես՝ դրանք ինչ են ասում»: Յիսուս նրանց ասաց. «Այո՛, դուք չէ՞ք կարդացել, թէ՝ երեխաների ու ծծկերների բերանով օրհնութիւն կատարեցիր»: 17 Եւ նրանց թողնելով՝ ելաւ քաղաքից դուրս՝ դէպի Բեթանիա. եւ այնտեղ գիշերեց: 

Մատթեոսի 20.29-21.1