January 27

Way of a Warrior: The Feast of St. Sarkis

He became a figure of enduring spiritual stature in the Armenian Church. But he began his sojourn among our people as a stranger. We will honor his memory once more—some 17 centuries after his death—during the Feast of St. Sarkis the Warrior, on Saturday, February 4.

Sarkis, or Sergius, was a 4th-century Roman soldier who became a Christian and was persecuted for his faith. Fleeing Rome with his son Mardiros, Sarkis found refuge in Armenia, which at the time had been a Christian nation for two generations. Father and son were eventually martyred in Persia. But years later, their relics were retrieved by St. Mesrob Mashdots, and brought back to Armenia—where Sarkis has remained a beloved saint, and an inspiring example of courage and conviction for our people.

It’s noteworthy that St. Sarkis came to our homeland seeking refuge. What he found in Armenia was a welcoming home, a sanctuary of safety and acceptance, and a place where his memory would make a lasting, inspirational impression.

His story still holds meaning for us today. To learn more, click here.

The Eastern Diocese is blessed to have three parish communities named for St. Sarkis: in Niagara Falls, NY; Charlotte, NC; and Dallas-Fort Worth, TX. The last of these—the beautiful edifice consecrated in Carrollton, TX, last spring—is in the running to be named 2022’s “American Building of the Year,” by the editors of the influential web platform, World-Architects. The determination will be made by online balloting, and faithful throughout the Eastern Diocese are invited to cast votes for their sister church.

To do so, click on this link, scroll down to select St. Sarkis Church, and follow the prompts to cast your ballot. But don’t delay: voting ends on January 29.

January 29, 2023

Morning Service 

10:00 AM

Holy Badarak 

10:30 AM

Celebrant

Rev. Fr. Hovsep Karapetyan 

Usher

Sara Arabian

Parish Council Members on Duty

      Robert George

Choir

Mrs. Edita Kalayjian

Organist

Mrs. Karine Muradyan

Bible Readings: 

     Is 61:10-62:9

2 Timothy 2:15-26

John 6:15-21

For the Soul of:

 Gulbenk Sivaslian

Requested by:

Sivaslian and Koseian families

For the Soul of:

 Takouhi Keledjian

Requested by

 Kaspar and Gerard Keledjian (sons of Takouhi)

The hospitality table is hosted by:

Sivaslian and Koseian 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

In faith I confess and bow down to you, Father and Son and Holy Spirit, uncreated and immortal nature, creator of angels, of men, and of all things. Have mercy upon your creatures, and upon me, great sinner that I am.

    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.

A Presentation on the Current State of Artsakh

On January 22, 2023, parishioners and friends gathered at St. Mary Cultural Hall to learn about and discuss the urgent topic of the situation of Artsakh today. Robert Avetisyan, NKR Representative to the U.S., provided a briefing on the grave status of living conditions in Artsakh. Food and medical supplies have vanished as the people struggle to survive under the 7th consecutive week of the blockade. Jake

Bournazian, from the Knights of Vartan, presented on the current economic projects in the border villages. The economic stimulus programs provide tools and equipment for vocational trade and greenhouse farming businesses.

This was also a good opportunity to raise funds in support of our brothers and sisters in Artsakh. A group of women under the leadership of Elvina Azaryan baked Jingialov hats, a famous Artsakhi bread stuffed with multiple herbs. This delicacy was sold to raise much-needed funds to help Artsakh.

We thank our parishioners and friends for their generous donations, which helped St. Mary raise nearly $5000 in support of Artsakh.

Women's Guild 2023 First General Meeting

The Women's Guild held their first General Membership meeting on Sat. Jan 21. Over thirty members gathered to enjoy a morning of fellowship and fun. 

Members started with a "Chair Yoga session by Holly" where all enjoyed a relaxing session of yoga with the amazing Holly Gardner. After that, everyone enjoyed a delicious brunch. Finally, a short business meeting was held where members reviewed upcoming events for the Spring and received important updates about Guild business. 

The Current Women's Guild Executive Committee, which includes Yn. Jennifer Karapetyan, Ilda Bolat, Roxanne Paul and Janet Arabian, gave special recognition to the outgoing Executive Committee members Hripsime Sivalisan and Nadya Koseian for their incredible service in the previous year. Special appreciation to those who contributed to bringing dishes to the brunch and to everyone who brought their participation. 

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." - Matthew 5:16. The Women's Guild of St. Mary welcomes all women of our community and parish to participate in our events (membership is not required)! For more information or to sign up for our emails contact stmarywgdc@gmail.com.  

Upcoming Parish Assembly - February 19, 2023

St. Mary Annual Parish Assembly will take place on February 19th in the cultural hall , after Badarak. 

An Appeal from His Holiness

Last week, in a directive to parishes, Diocesan Primate Fr. Mesrop Parsamyan alerted the faithful to the appeal of His Holiness Karekin II, urging us to help the Armenians of Artsakh during the cruel blockade of the Lachin corridor.

The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin has arranged through the International Red Cross to send 20-ton containers filled with necessary supplies into Artsakh. To send one such container will cost $40,000—which includes the cost of transport. In his appeal, His Holiness said: “At this crucial juncture, Artsakh needs all of our dioceses to participate in this initiative.”

In response, the Primate directed parishes in the Eastern Diocese to hold special collections during Sunday badarak. Many churches held such a collection last weekend, while others will do so on the upcoming Sunday, January 22.

“Our goal is to raise funds to send two 20-ton containers into Artsakh: a fundraising goal of $80,000. All of the proceeds will be turned over to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, to support this particular initiative,” wrote Fr. Mesrop in his directive. Read it by clicking here.

Funds collected by our parishes should be marked “Artsakh Supplies Containers” in the memo and sent to the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016) by Friday, January 27.

You can also click the link to make an individual donation online; please make sure to select “Artsakh Supplies Containers” from the dropdown menu.

Thank you for your compassionate concern. As always, we continue to pray to our merciful Lord Jesus Christ, to place his protection over his devoted children in holy Artsakh.

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

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which includes your preselected

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Restored Mardigian Museum Opens at Jerusalem Patriarchate

Late last year, the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem re-opened its Edward and Helen Mardigian Museum, after a five-year-long renovation project. The project was undertaken by the Mardigian family of St. John Church (Southfield, MI), in honor of the late Edward and Helen Mardigian: two of the great benefactors of the Eastern Diocese, who were also heroic supporters of the Jerusalem Patriarchate, Holy Etchmiadzin, and numerous church causes across the globe.

The Mardigian Museum showcases the fruits of Armenian Christian civilization, reveals the centuries-long history of Armenians in the Holy City, and stands as a memorial to the martyrs of the Armenian Genocide. It is housed in a building that originally saw use as a pilgrim guesthouse in the 1850s and later served as the monastery, an orphanage, a seminary, and the original Mardigian museum and library.

From elaborately carved khatchkars to painted tiles, priestly vestments, and manuscripts, the museum showcases centuries of Armenian material culture, while also telling the Armenian story of survival. Throughout Jerusalem’s tumultuous history, Armenians have remained a vital presence with a distinct and honored identity. In times of international crisis, the Armenian Patriarchate has often played an indispensable role in the survival and propagation of the Armenian people—as when it took in Armenian orphans escaping the Genocide, or when it supplied a new generation of clergy to the Armenian Church Diocese of America in the 1940s.

The Mardigian Museum documents much of this history, in a beautifully refurbished setting. The current exhibit—on view through February 4, and pictured here—is titled “Mystery of the Nativity,” and incorporates rare items from the Patriarchate’s St. Theodoros Manuscript Library.

Click here to view photos.

A City Doctor Finds a New Path in Armenia’s Rural Countryside

Ever since she was a child, Mane Mkrtchyan has wanted to work in medicine. Her parents, both scientists, encouraged her to work in IT—but she never wavered from what she believed was her true path.

Today, the 25-year-old Yerevan native is a radiologist based in Armenia’s Ijevan region, who wants to make a difference in rural healthcare. Dr. Mkrtchyan is currently enrolled in the Clinical Residency Sponsorship Program of the Fund for Armenian Relief. And her move from Armenia’s capital city to the outlying country is an unexpected turn in her life’s work.

“I never thought I would leave my beloved Yerevan,” says Dr. Mkrtchyan. “But FAR completely changed my mind. Now I’m here and I am very happy. This is a new path, a new life.”

As part of FAR’s Breaking the Cycle of Poverty Program (BCPP), the Clinical Residency Sponsorship Program has enabled Dr. Mkrtchyan and four other physicians to further their two-year residency programs and work in their specializations.

“My life completely changed when I learned about FAR and this program. I was in the last year of my degree and was about to do my residency. Then I met my future husband, himself a doctor from Ijevan. We got married; I moved to Ijevan, got my job here, and had my baby. Soon, my husband will be back from Yerevan, meaning that FAR is not only improving the medical gap of the region but has also changed our lives,” she says with a smile.

BCPP is sponsored by Edward and Janet Mardigian. The multi-faceted project aims to tackle the roots of endemic poverty in Armenia’s Berd region, in Tavush province, through improved education, healthcare, economic development, and psychosocial support. Read more on FAR’s blog.

February 11 Ararat Avak Society St. Sarkis Luncheon

February 12 Shnorhali School Boon Barekendan event

February 14 Presentation of the Lord to the Temple

February 19 Great Barekendan

February 19 Annual Parish Assembly

February 22 Lenten Service, discussion & dinner @7pm

March 1,8, 15, 22 & 29 Lenten Service, discussion & dinner @7pm

March 12 Women's Guild Mid-Lenten/Mitchink Luncheon

March 15 Median Day of Lent

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

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

15 Երբ Յիսուս իմացաւ, որ գալու են իրեն բռնել-տանելու, որպէսզի իրեն թագաւոր անեն, դարձեալ միայնակ դէպի լեռը գնաց: 16 Եւ երբ երեկոյ եղաւ, նրա աշակերտները ծովեզերք իջան: 17 Եւ նաւակ նստելով՝ գալիս էին դէպի ծովի միւս կողմը՝ դէպի Կափառնայում: Եւ երբ մութն ընկաւ, Յիսուս դեռ իրենց մօտ չէր եկել. 18 եւ ծովը հողմի ուժգին փչելուց փոթորկւում էր: 19 Երբ շուրջ քսանհինգ կամ երեսուն ասպարէզ թիավարելուց յետոյ տեսան Յիսուսին, որ քայլում էր ծովի վրայով եւ նաւակին էր մօտեցել, սաստիկ վախեցան: 20 Եւ նա ասաց նրանց. «Ես եմ. մի՛ վախեցէք»: 21 Եւ ուզում էին նրան նաւակի մէջ առնել. եւ նաւակը շուտով հասաւ այն տեղը, ուր գնում էին: Հովհաննես 6:15-21

15 When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

Jesus Walks on the Water

16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, 17 got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18 The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. 19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. 20 But he said to them, “It is I;[b] do not be afraid.” 21 Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were going.

Read full chapter John 6:15-21