June 16

TOP STORY   

Armenia’s Saint of Compassion



On Saturday, June 17, the Armenian Church will remember one of its most remarkable historical figures, during the Feast of St. Nersess the Great.

As the great-grandson of St. Gregory the Illuminator, Nersess possessed all the qualities of a great spiritual leader. He built schools and orphanages, hospitals and shelters for the poor. He instituted reforms in the church that placed Christian charity, moral cleanliness, sincere worship, marriage, and childrearing at the heart of religious observance.

But Nersess was also outspoken in defiance of Armenia’s impious leaders, and his unwavering moral integrity came at great cost.

Click here to read more about the courage and compassion of this great Armenian saint.

For a contemporary take on Nersess the Great and his connection to modern social concerns, read this essay on the website of Diocesan Ministries, VEMKAR.

Fatherhood: Privilege, Duty, Blessing



Sunday will be observed as Father’s Day across the United States: a chance to reflect, with gratitude, on the deeper meaning of fatherhood. While the surrounding popular culture often fails to treat fatherhood with due seriousness, the Armenian Church accords great reverence and respect to fathers.

The greatest tribute we pay to fatherhood lies in the way we apply the word “Father” to God. Our ability to call upon Him as our Father is a privilege and blessing—beautifully conveyed in prayer from our Divine Liturgy:

“God of truth and Father of mercy, we are grateful that you have exalted us above even the Old Testament patriarchs. For you were called ‘God’ to them, but you are pleased to be named ‘Father’ to us.”

The priest recites this prayer right before the congregation sings the Hayr Mer—reminding us that it was Jesus, God’s only-begotten Son, who taught us to call God “Our Father.” And when we understand God in terms of His Fatherhood, we also understand godliness to be the duty to which all fathers are called.

This Sunday, thank the fathers who strive to provide such an example in your own life and remember those who have departed this world in your prayers.

June 18, 2023

Morning Service 

10:00 AM

Holy Badarak 

10:30 AM

Guest Celebrant

 Fr. Bedros Kadehjian

Usher

Ms. Sara Arabian

Parish Council Members on Duty

Mr.Robert George

Choir

Mrs.Edita Kalayjian

Organist

Mrs. Karine Muradyan

Bible Readings: 

Isaiah 1:1-15, 

Romans 6:12-23,

Matthew 12:1-8

For the souls of :

Ms. Zvart Yegavian and Ms. Arpine Yegavian

Requested by:

Bozadjian and Kolandjian families

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

Dear Lord, you parted the Red Sea and the Jordan River as your people journeyed to the Promised Land.

Lift away those things that keep us from you today, as we continue the journey.

We ask this in your name, and with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Keep watch, Lord, over your faithful people and the holy soil of Artsakh and Armenia, now and always. Foil every aggressor against our homeland. Defend the innocent and voiceless. Deliver the world from every conflict and bestow your peace on all mankind. Amen.

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

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!

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.   

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. 

An Update on Melina Kaehn's Burial Service

Dear Parishioners, we hereby announce the interment for Melina Kaehn will take place on June 28, 2023, at 3:00 pm at Arlington National Cemetery.  

May the Lord rest Melina Kaehn’s soul in peace and grant His comforting Holy Spirit to the family members and friends.

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

Celebrating a Legacy of 125 Years

“It is the will of a mysterious Providence that our nation should live in exile, as settlers in foreign lands. Yet that same God has not forgotten the Armenians, or Armenia. He has protected our people wherever they live, granted them success, and has day by day multiplied their number...

"My fatherly advice to you is this: Know who you are.”

Those words were penned on July 2, 1898, by the great Catholicos Mkrtich Khrimian, known to the ages as “Khrimian Hayrig.” His heartfelt advice was embedded in a pontifical encyclical, by which Khrimian Hayrig formally established the Armenian Church’s new Diocese of America.

This year marks 125 years since that momentous development, and the Eastern Diocese will be celebrating the 125th anniversary throughout the coming months, at St. Vartan Cathedral in New York and among our local parish communities.

Diocesan Primate Fr. Mesrop Parsamyan made the announcement this week, in a directive to Diocesan leaders describing the schedule of events, and presenting a host of digital resources to promote the milestone. These include a poster, banner, bookmark, and prayer book—all available for immediate download at armenianchurch.us/125.

As planned, the 125th Anniversary Celebration will include liturgical and ecumenical services, concerts and cultural events, and charitable outreach activities, at the Diocesan Center and among all local parishes. It will culminate in a grand banquet at the New York Botanical Garden in April of 2024.

But it will all launch on Sunday, July 2, 2023—exactly 125 years since Khrimian Hayrig’s encyclical—with a special Divine Liturgy at St. Vartan Cathedral in New York. Fr. Mesrop Parsamyan will celebrate the Badarak to officially inaugurate the 125th anniversary year.

On the same day, Diocesan parishes will conclude their Sunday liturgies with a prayer service honoring the occasion, and with the reading of a congratulatory message from His Holiness Karekin II, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians.

In his announcement this week, the Primate expressed his hope that “this anniversary milestone will invigorate spiritual and cultural life across our Diocese. As the immortal Psalm expresses it: ‘The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy’ [Ps 126:3].”

Look for frequent updates regarding the 125th Anniversary on the Eastern Diocese’s online platforms, and in your local parish. And see the item below under Events for details about the inaugural badarak on Sunday, July 2, at New York’s St. Vartan Cathedral.

Etchmiadzin’s Monastic Brotherhood Holds its Convocation

With the blessings of His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, the Brotherhood of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin met from June 5 through 11. This year’s meeting convened on the 1,720th anniversary of the founding of Holy Etchmiadzin, under the theme “Etchmiadzin as Mission.”

Traditionally this convocation, attended by some 70 vartabeds and monks, meets every two years at the Mother See. However, due to the pandemic and the 2020 Artsakh war, the Brotherhood had not met since its last meeting in 2019. Representatives of the Catholicate of Cilia and the Patriarchates of Jerusalem and Constantinople were also in attendance.

With a meeting of the Supreme Spiritual Council taking place concurrently, members of the Brotherhood had the opportunity to spend time with visiting dignitaries such as His Beatitude Patriarch Sahak II Mashalian of Constantinople (pictured above, upper right), and Pontifical Legate of Western Europe Archbishop Khajag Barsamian.

In his message to the Brotherhood, His Holiness stated: “You, too, are Holy Etchmiadzin; its mission is your service, in the fatherland and in different locales of the world.” He exhorted the clergy to remain steadfast in their calling, because their success in ministry keeps the Armenian Church strong. He mentioned various areas of concern, including challenges to the church’s spiritual and national role in society; the threatened removal of the Armenian Church History curriculum from schools in Armenia; as well as a host of challenges in the wake of the Artsakh war. His Holiness also encouraged the clergy to seek out new methods to communicate the message of the gospel and the faith of the Armenian Church.

As members of the monastic brotherhood, Fr. Simeon Odabashian, Fr. Aren Jebejian, and Fr. Mamigon Kiledjian of the Eastern Diocese (above, lower right) were in attendance throughout the proceedings, with Fr. Jebejian serving on the organizing committee for the 2023 Brotherhood Convocation.

Click here to read more

Join the Eastern Diocese on a Pilgrimage to Armenia!

This September, the Eastern Diocese will lead a pilgrimage to Armenia, to witness the historic events scheduled to take place at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. These include the Blessing of the Holy Muron, and the re-opening of the Mother Cathedral after an extensive restoration process.

Pilgrims will also bear witness as our Primate, Fr. Mesrop Parsamyan, is consecrated as a bishop of the church, by the hand of His Holiness Karekin II, the Catholicos of All Armenians.

The trip—which runs September 27 to October 10—also visits spiritual and cultural sites of our homeland, including Khor Virab, the Genocide Memorial, Noravank, Lake Sevan, Dilijan, Garni, Geghard, and Haghpat.

Click here to view a flyer with further details. The deadline to register is June 25. For information, contact Sima Tours at simatours@gmail.com, or (610) 359-7521.

Registration Extended for ACYOA’s Armenia Service Program

Registration is still open for ACYOA’s 2023 Armenia Service Program (ASP), scheduled to run July 1 through 21, 2023.

ASP provides young adults (18 years and older) with a unique opportunity to affirm their faith, discover their homeland, and serve their people in a meaningful way. Participants return home enriched and inspired by their experience, and eager to strengthen their bonds with the homeland and the Armenian Church.

Fr. Hratch Sargsyan will lead this year’s trip, guiding young adults from across our Diocese as they experience the wonders of our homeland. As in the past, ASP service opportunities will be organized with the Fuller Center, the Fund for Armenian Relief, FAR’s Ayo! crowdfunding platform, and Camp Aragats.

Those interested in this year’s ASP trip can still register, with registration now extended beyond the former April 25 deadline. Click here to register online. And find additional information, and a full trip itinerary, on the ACYOA website.

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!

18 June: Ararat Avak Society Father's Day Carry-Out/Dine-in luncheon.

24 June: ACYOA Seniors Potluck Party

16 July: Feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord ( Vartavar/Վարդավառ)

1 At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn, and his disciples were an hungered, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. 2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. 3 But he said unto them, Have you not read what David did, when he was an hungered, and they that were with him; 4 How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? 6 But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. 7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.      

                                                                                      (Matthew 12:1-8)

1 Յիսուս, շաբաթ օրով, անցաւ արտերի միջով. նրա աշակերտները քաղցած էին եւ սկսեցին հասկ պոկել եւ ուտել: 2 Փարիսեցիները երբ այս տեսան, Յիսուսին ասացին. «Ահա քո աշակերտները անում են մի բան, որ շաբաթ օրն անել օրինաւոր չէ»: 3 Եւ նա նրանց ասաց. «Դուք չէ°ք կարդացել, թէ ինչ արեց Դաւիթը, երբ քաղց զգաց նա եւ նրանք, որ նրա հետ էին: 4 Թէ ինչպէս մտաւ Աստծու տունը եւ կերաւ առաջաւորութեան հացը, որն ուտել օրէնք չէր ո°չ նրա եւ ո°չ էլ նրա հետ եղողների համար, այլ միայն` քահանաների համար: 5 Կամ թէ Օրէնքում չէ°ք կարդացել, որ շաբաթ օրերը տաճարում քահանաները պղծում են շաբաթը եւ անմեղ են: 6 Բայց ասում եմ ձեզ, որ այստեղ տաճարից մեծ մէկը կայ: 7 Եւ եթէ իմանայիք, թէ ի°նչ է` ողորմութիւն եմ կամենում եւ ոչ` զոհ, ապա դուք անպարտներին չէիք դատապարտի. 8 ուրեմն մարդու Որդին շաբաթ օրուայ տէրն է»:                                      

                                                                                               (Մատթեոս 12:1-8)