St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church
Rev. Fr. Hovsep Karapetyan, Pastor
Address: 4125 Fessenden St. NW, Washington, DC 20016
Tel: 202-363-1923
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The Apparition of the Holy Cross
On May 7 in the year 351, those living in Jerusalem witnessed an intensely illumined cross appear in the sky extending from Golgotha to the Mount of Olives; a span of almost two miles. As it remained visible for several hours, the population of Jerusalem assembled in the church to praise Jesus Christ for the miraculous sign, but this apparition not only affected the locals. St. Cyril the Bishop of Jerusalem wrote about the miracle in a letter to the Emperor Constantius of Constantinople who at the time, believed in the Arian heresy which denies Jesus is God and claims He was a created being, subordinate to God the Father. Upon reading the letter, Emperor Constantius was deeply moved and returned to the orthodox teaching of the Church that Jesus is God, equal in nature to the Father. The Armenian translation of this letter is read on the Feast of the Appearance of the Holy Cross «Երեւումն Սուրբ Խաչին» during the Անդաստան service.
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HOKEHANKIST
REQUIEM SERVICE
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SUNDAY SCHEDULE
MAY 2, 2021
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To request a Hokehankist/Requiem Service
Please contact the Church Office by 12:00 Noon on Thursday
202-363-1923 or
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Prayer of the Week
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou are with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
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Morning Service
10:00 AM
Holy Badarak
10:30 AM
Celebrant
Archbishop Vicken Aykazian
Ushers
Mr.Armik Khatchatourian
Parish Council Members on Duty
Mr. Bagrat Bayburtian
Mr. Ara Stepanyan
Choir
Mrs. Edita Kalayjian
Organist
Mrs. Karine Muradyan
Bible Reading
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Please tune in to St. Mary YouTube channel for the upcoming services and Badaraks |
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Commemoration of the Holy Martyrs
A solemn commemoration of April 24 took place at St.Mary Church. The day began with the Holy Badarak, which was followed by a special service commemorating the Holy Martyrs who gave their lives during the Armenian genocide for their faith and for their homeland in front of the Khatchkar on the church plaza.
Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day this year was rather a celebration of the truth and the honest recognition of history, as president Biden, with honor, dignity and courage used the accurate terminology in describing the Ottoman Empire's killing of more than 1.5 million Armenians a century ago and called the Armenian Genocide by its name.
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ST. MARY ARMENIAN CHURCH WED EDUCATIONAL
FUND SCHOLARSHIP
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Application for WED Educational Fund Scholarship is now available at St. Mary's website www.stmaryaac.org. The application deadline for the 2021-2022 academic year is
May 31, 2021.
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AVAK Society and Gift Shop Carry-Out Event
Ararat AVAK Society and Gift Shop Committees joined efforts to present the Armenian-Middle Eastern Fusion Menu Carry-Out Event on Sunday, May 2nd, 2021.
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Graduating Seniors
We are trying to gather up information about students who are graduating Sr High School or College so Der Hayr and the parish can congratulate them. Is your student graduating from Sr High School or College? If so please respond to this email with the following information:
- Student Name:
- School Name and city:
- Type of Diploma (Sr High School, trade school, BS, BA, MBA, etc):
- College or trade school he/she will attend in the fall (if going to school):
- Student's email address so the parish can stay in touch with student:
- Photo of student - you can attach one if you have one.
Or submit the following information to the church office by clicking the link below.
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St. Mary Armenian Church
Legacy Brick Drive
Buy A Brick ... Leave A Legacy
Buy a brick and leave your legacy at St. Mary Armenian Church.
When you buy a brick, it is then engraved with your specified words or message, installed in front of the church, and becomes
a memory to view for years to come.
Laser engraved bricks will replace the existing bricks in our Church plaza,
in front of our beautiful Khatchkar, and can be dedicated to those
you wish to remember, honor Loved Ones, commemorate a
special milestone like a baptism or wedding, or
acknowledge an organization or business.
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Testimonies to the Life of the Lord
Saturday, April 24, 2021, dawned as a day of expectation for Armenians across the world, as the previous week had heralded the news that U.S. President Biden would officially recognize the Armenian Genocide in a message marking the day.
That expectation was fulfilled in the opening sentence of the Presidential statement: “Each year on this day, we remember the lives of all those who died in the Ottoman-era Armenian genocide and recommit ourselves to preventing such an atrocity from ever again occurring.” (Click the following link to read the historic statement.)
On that same day, at New York’s St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral, a special badarak marked the Feast of the Holy Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide, with Fr. Vazken Karayan, pastor of the Holy Cross Church of Union City, NJ, celebrating.
Diocesan Primate Bishop Daniel delivered the sermon on the occasion, in which he referenced the President’s statement. “This is a momentous event in the life of the Armenian people,” he said, “because the words of the American President are heard around the world…. For all of this, we give thanks.”
He continued: “But we also have to ask: What will change?” He recalled the 1.5 million Armenian lives lost in the Genocide, and more recently the 5,000 Armenians who perished in the Artsakh war, and lamented that no declaration—no merely human entity—could restore those martyrs to life. “The only true hope,” he said, “comes from God. The only true justice comes from Jesus Christ.”
Reflecting on the meaning of martyrdom, Bishop Daniel affirmed that the Martyrs of 1915—now canonized as saints of the church—are not strangers from remote history, but “our grandparents and great grandparents. Those who died in Artsakh last year were our brothers and sisters. And they did not die for nothing. They gave their lives as testimonies to the life of our Lord Jesus.”
The Primate was also featured in a Martyrs Day video produced by the Knights and Daughters of Vartan, which included greetings from distinguished church and community leaders. Click the following link to watch the program, and view Bishop Daniel’s prayer and message.
In anticipation of April 24, Diocesan Legate and Ecumenical Director Archbishop Vicken Aykazian gave a televised interview shown on the RT America network as part of a feature documentary, Forgotten Genocides: The Sin of Silence. Click the link to watch it on the network’s YouTube channel.
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New VEMKAR Module on the Horizon: “Christ as Hope”
In a video message this week, Diocesan Primate Bishop Daniel announced that the next VEMKAR module would be built around the timely theme, “Christ as Hope.”
“This module on Hope couldn’t come soon enough,” says the Primate in the video. “As we look around the world, Hope seems in short supply. And yet we children of the Armenian Church have Hope in our midst: not as an emotion or optimistic attitude, but Hope as a person: Jesus Christ himself.”
Click here to watch the video. As the “Christ as Hope” module moves forward, the Diocesan Ministries staff is enlisting the public’s support in its development.
All faithful of the Armenian Church are welcome to submit multi-media resources for the project. For information, consult the “Christ as Hope” module description and submission guidelines, linked below. Also, click the link below for guidance on how to use the VEMKAR module system. And share the links with your parish community using newsletters, social media platforms, and bulletins.
The deadline for submissions is Thursday, May 13. Contact the VEMKAR team at vemkar@armeniandiocese.org with questions and suggestions. And stay tuned for the launch of the “Christ as Hope” module in July, on VEMKAR.us.
Click these links for information:
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Honoring Martyrs, Past and Present
His Holiness Karekin II led the sacred observance of the Feast of the Holy Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide on April 24, at Holy Etchmiadzin and Armenia’s iconic Genocide monument.
The Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians presided over a special Divine Liturgy at St. Gayane Monastery, where in his message he lamented that the century-old “pain of the tragedy of the Genocide” had now been “further burdened by the heavy losses of the Artsakh war.” (Click here to read an English translation of His Holiness’ message.)
Archbishop Barkev Martirosyan, Pontifical Legate, and former Primate of Artsakh celebrated the liturgy, which included a procession in which holy relics of the Genocide martyrs were brought out among the faithful. The relics were carried to the courtyard of the Mother Cathedral, where His Holiness led a prayer at the khatchkar memorial to the Genocide saints.
His Holiness also led members of the Etchmiadzin Brotherhood to the Genocide Monument at Dzidzernagapert, to lay wreaths and pray before the eternal flame.
To complete the day, Catholicos Karekin II sent a letter to U.S. President Biden expressing gratitude on behalf of the Armenian people for the President’s forthright April 24 message. In the letter delivered by hand to the U.S. Embassy in Armenia, His Holiness stressed that Armenian Genocide recognition has taken on an even greater urgency at this difficult moment, as Armenia faces the uncertain aftermath of the Artsakh war.
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Diocesan Scholarship Applications Available Online
Applications for Diocesan scholarships are now available online. The application deadline for the 2021-22 academic year is May 14, 2021.
Each year the Diocese awards scholarships to promising youth who are headed to college. The Diocese seeks students who are active in their local parishes and have assumed leadership roles in their communities.
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FAR's Support Makes a Difference for Those Who Fled Artsakh
FAR provides financial assistance to the families of Artsakh War victims. It is through this support that Arpenya Balayan, a recent widow, was able to cover her rent, utilities, and baby formula for Areg, her newborn who entered the world at the end of November, shortly after her husband Vanik’s tragic death.
Before the war, the Babayans used to live in Berdzor, Artsakh. On September 27th, Vanik took the family out of Berdzor and found a temporary shelter with his relatives in Goris. He then voluntarily headed to the frontline and fought in different areas of Artsakh. He was killed on November 9th by a cluster munition just a few hours before the ceasefire.
“It was too hard for me to cope in this new reality. I couldn’t reconcile with his death," said Arpenya.
Still, she is looking ahead. She hopes to be able to take some cosmetology classes to learn a new skill and build a new life in Armenia.
Arpenya’s incredibly tragic story is representative of our collective loss, but also our resiliency.
Best Regards,
Erin
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FAR Launches “Doctors for Artsakh”
Even before the devastation of war, Artsakh’s healthcare system existed in a fragile state. But in recent months Artsakh has seen an exodus of trained medical staff from its hospitals and facilities. A study by Artsakh’s Ministry of Health reports that there is an urgent need for 70 medical specialists at present—with 20 such posts categorized as “extremely urgent.”
To address the problem, the Fund for Armenian Relief partnered with the Armenian American Health Professionals Organization (AAHPO) to launch a new project: “Doctors for Artsakh.” Coordinating with Artsakh’s Ministry of Health and the NGO Progressive Medicine, Doctors for Artsakh aims to fill the gaps in personnel by bringing leading doctors from Armenia’s medical centers to Artsakh on a rotating basis.
The project includes training for Artsakh-based healthcare workers, using virtual communication tools, and occasional in-person sessions. Critically needed medical equipment will be also provided through the project.
The first Doctors for Artsakh group left for the Martuni Region in early April; each member will stay for a “tour of duty” lasting from two weeks to six months. In addition to AAHPO, this life-saving program is generously sponsored by the Nazarian Family Foundation, FAR’s Dr. Raffy Hovanessian Education Fund, and the Armenian Medical Fund.
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Artsakh Fundraiser to Support FAR Ayo Program
All funds raised will support Ayo!, established in 2013 as a fundraising platform for Fund for Armenian Relief or FAR (rated 4 stars on Charity Navigator) by which Armenian and Artsakhi citizens can raise money for local projects —including humanitarian assistance. Ayo’s administrative costs are covered 100% by a FAR board member. For project updates, please visit weareayo.org.
Thank you for your support! Organized by Cynthia Bosnian and supported by Armenian Network of America – Washington Region Chapter. www.ArmNet.org
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CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS |
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May 2
AVAK Society and Gift Shop Middle Eastern Carry-Out Event
May 21,22 & 23
Spring Food Festival
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PRAYERS FOR SPEEDY RECOVERY FOR |
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Anne Andonian, Aram Andonian, Agopian David, Hripsime Apkarian, Lucy Badalian, Ellen Boudreau, Araxi Bozadjian, George Doris, Mari Dogum, Anahit Greene, Antaram Grigoryan, Susana Grigoryan, Simon Gukasyan, Karen Hatchik, Charles Hoke, Tamara Hramushina, Takvur Hubi, Jo-Anna Jacob, Edward Jamgochian, Yn. Anahid Kalayjian, Brig. Gen. Al Kaehn, Meline Kaehn, Kapikian Catherine, Michael Kolenick, Haigouhi Koudousian, Anahid Ghazarian Luka, Queen Manoogian, Susanna Mkrtchyan, Virginia (Corkigian) Mule, Armen Mark Nostrant, Robert Schlee, Grace Shahinian, Tamara Shatvoryan, Bob Semonian, Alyce Tamzarian, Mihran Tavoukjian, Hacik Ozdul, Marilyn Ziver
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14Տօնակատարութեան կէսին Յիսուս տաճար ելաւ եւ ուսուցանում էր։ 15Հրեաները զարմանում էին ու ասում. «Սա ինչպէ՞ս գիտէ Գըրուածքները, քանի որ բնաւ չի սովորել»։ 16Յիսուս նրանց պատասխան տուեց ու ասաց. «Իմ ուսուցումն իմը չէ, այլ՝ նրանը, ով ինձ ու¬ղարկեց։ 17Եթէ մէկը ուզում է նրա կամքը կատարել, կ՚իմանայ այս ուսուցման մասին, թէ Աստծո՞ւց է արդեօք, թէ՞ ես ինքս ինձնից եմ խօսում։ 18Ով ինքն իրենից է խօսում, իր համար է փառք փնտռում, իսկ ով փնտռում է նրա՛ փառքը, ով իրեն ուղարկել է, նա ճշմարիտ է, եւ նրա մէջ սուտ բան չկայ։ 19Օրէնքը ձեզ Մովսէսը չտուե՞ց, բայց ձեզնից ոչ ոք Օրէնքը չի կատարում։ 20Ինչո՞ւ էք ուզում ինձ սպանել»։ Ժողովուրդը պատասխան տուեց ու ասաց. «Քո մէջ դեւ կայ, ո՞վ է ուզում քեզ սպանել»։ 21Յիսուս պատասխան տուեց նրանց ու ասաց. «Մի գործ արեցի, եւ ամէնքդ զարմացել էք։ 22Մովսէսը դրա համար ձեզ տուեց թլփատութիւնը (թէեւ այդ ոչ թէ Մովսէսից էր, այլ՝ հայրերից)։ 23Եւ շաբաթ օրով մարդ էք թլփատում։ Իսկ արդ, եթէ մարդը շաբաթ օրով թլփատւում է, որպէսզի Մովսէսի Օրէնքը չըխախտուի, իմ վրա՞յ էք բարկացած, որ շաբաթ օրով մի ամբողջ մարդ բժշկեցի։
(Յովհ. 7:14-23)
About the middle of the feast, Jesus went up into the temple and taught. The Jews marveled at it, saying, "How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?" So Jesus answered them, "My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me; if any man's will is to do his will, he shall know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. He who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but he who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood. Did not Moses give you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill me?" The people answered, "You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill you?" Jesus answered them, "I did one deed, and you all marvel at it. Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man upon the sabbath. If on the sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the sabbath I made a man's whole body well?"
(John 7:14-23)
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Please Stay Current with Your Membership
St. Mary Church brings us together to worship, educate, and serve, yet we need your help to sustain this mission. We call upon you to renew, or become a new member, because dues are the largest part of our church income to help keep our beloved parish doors open.
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Your Membership
MAKES A DIFFERENCE
Help us fulfill our mission to sustain and grow our ministries, worship programs and activities to strengthen our church family for generations to come. Thank you for your generosity and support. To Learn More About Membership
To Become A Member
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Please check out new Armenian products at our Gift Shop.
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 and tapestry icons, children and adult books, T-shirts, hats, bags, Armenian CDs, Armenian artwork, and much more.
The Gift Shop is open every week after Sunday Church services and by appointment. Click here to see the items available for sale in the Gift Store .
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St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church
Serves the Greater Washington, DC and Baltimore communities. Our mission is to proclaim and grow together in our Apostolic Faith in Christ Jesus and to sustain our Christian Armenian identity. We celebrate our long and enduring legacy,
the beautiful traditions of our religious and national heritage, with Christian servitude, and with love and reverence towards our Church.
We invite you and welcome you to be a part of our church,worship with us, and experience the true love of Christ as we grow together as a community.
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Signup / Stay Connected with St. Mary Church E-Newsletters and Correspondence.
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St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church relies on the generosity of individual donors so that it may continue ensuring service to God and fellowship to the Armenian Community. Your support is deeply appreciated.
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St. Mary Armenian Church, Rev. Fr. Hovsep Karapetyan, Pastor
4125 Fessenden St. NW, Washington, DC 20016 | stmarychurchdc@gmail.com
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See what's happening on our social site |
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