Dear Parents of St. Sarkis Suzzane and Hovsep Hagopian Saturday School,

 

I hope you and your family are safe and healthy as you read this letter. Thank you so much for your patience and understanding as we have been adjusting, like yourselves, to the drastic changes in life during the last few months.

 

As you know, schools across the nation, including ours, closed to stop the spread of 2019/2020 coronavirus.

 

According to the result of the recent survey that you had responded to, the school executive board has decided to reopen the school until the end of this year 2020 and to have online sessions (via Zoom). These online sessions will be for students in grades 1st and higher.

Unfortunately, we won't be able to resume the Nursery, Pre K and Kindergarten classes at this time, because the feedback has been that the younger students may not be able to concentrate in front of the computer screen for the duration of the class.

We are planning for the online session not to exceed more than 45 minutes. Currently we are finalizing the structure of each Saturday morning session.

 

God willing, we would like to continue the onsite Saturday school classes, with enhanced safety precautions in place, starting January 2021.

 

The school will reopen with online classes only on Saturday, September 26, 2020. Before this date, we will provide an update to all registered families, how and what time students classes will be resuming.

We will email you the lesson plan in advance of the school start date, by the assigned teacher of your kids.

The Lesson plans will be planned according to where we had left off last spring of 2020. The moving up of the grade levels will take place in January 2021, with the exception of last spring's Kindergarten class, they will be moving up to 1st grade starting this coming September.

 

There will be no tuition fees or charges involved until the end of the year 2020.

Please see the attached registration form and fill it out as soon as possible.

 

I'm extremely appreciative of our students, parents, teachers and administrators for their positivity, patience and flexibility during these trying times.

 

Respectfully,

The Principal of Saturday School,

 

Nairy Zohrabian

 

*The above mentioned total reflects The General & The Salt & Light Drives.

May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation. Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, even to the Israel of God.   

Finally, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.   

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.

Գալով ինծի, քաւ լիցի որ մեր Տիրոջ Յիսուս Քրիստոսի խաչէն զատ ուրիշ բանով պարծենամ: Այդ խաչին միջոցաւ մեղքի աշխարհը մեռած է այլեւս ինծի համար, ինչպէս ես մեռած եմ այդ աշխարհին համար: Կարեւորը մարդուս թլփատուած կամ անթլփատ ըլլալը չէ, այլ նոր արարած ըլլալը: Թող Աստուծոյ խաղաղութիւնն ու ողորմութիւնը ըլլան բոլո՛ր անոնց հետ՝ որոնք այս սկզբունքին համաձայն կ՚ապրին. բո՛լոր անոնց՝ որոնք իր ընտրեալ ժողովուրդը կը կազմեն: 

Այսուհետեւ, խնդրեմ, ոեւէ մէկը աշխարհիկ հոգերով թող զիս չնեղէ, որովհետեւ ես Յիսուսի կը պատկանիմ, ինչպէս մարմնիս վրայ վէրքերուն սպիները կը վկայեն: 

Եղբայրներ, մեր Տէր Յիսուս Քրիստոսի շնորհքը ձեր բոլորին հետ ըլլայ: Ամէն:

    

No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven-the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.  

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

 

This Sunday, September 13, the Armenian Church commemorates the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Khachverats), which is the last of the five Tabernacle Feasts observed by the Armenian Church during the liturgical year.

Most Christian churches commemorate this holy day on September 14. The Armenian Church celebrates it on the closest Sunday. Christ's apostle James, the first Patriarch of Jerusalem, elevated the Holy Cross during a religious ceremony while chanting the hymn, "Khachee Ko Krisdos Yergeer Bakanemk," (To Your Cross We Bow), thus accepting the cross as a symbol of salvation and an object of utmost veneration. James was later martyred in Jerusalem, and upon his grave stands the expansive Armenian monastery of St. James in Jerusalem.

There are four feasts devoted to the cross in the Armenian liturgical calendar, with the Exaltation being the most important. The other three are: Apparition of the Holy Cross; Holy Cross of Varak; and Discovery of the Cross. Each of these four holidays devoted to the Holy Cross are related to the life and the salvific work of our Lord.

The ceremony for the Exaltation begins with the decoration of the Cross with sweet basil (rehan), a sign of royalty, and also as a symbol of the living cross that is carried around the church in a procession led by the priest, and followed by deacons and altar servers. After the Bible readings, the officiating priest lifts the Cross and makes the sign of the Cross, and blesses the four corners of the world (Andastan service), asking God's blessing and bounty for the prosperity of the Armenian Church and for the fruitfulness of the land, and all the holy places and inhabitants thereof.

The Khachveratz ceremony was prepared by Catholicos Sahag Dzoraporetsi (677-703). He also composed the hymn that is sung on this day. As with other Tabernacle Feasts, the Exaltation is preceded with a period of fasting (Monday to Friday), and followed by a Memorial Day (Merelotz). The Eve of this Feast is also celebrated (Navagadik). Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, following Memorial Day are feast days dedicated to the Holy Church.

Name day commemorations this Sunday include: Khachadour, Khachig, Khacher, Khacheres, Rehan, Khachouhi, and Nshan.

The day after the five Tabernacle Feasts is a Memorial Day in the Armenian Liturgical Calendar. Traditionally the Divine Liturgy is celebrated on this day and the faithful go to the cemeteries where graves are blessed to honor the memory of their departed loved ones as an act of faith and love. On this Memorial Day, we especially remember the lives lost on September 11, 2001.

- Mr. ALBERT KAZANGIAN, passed on Monday, August 31, 2020. Funeral services were held on Friday, September 11, 2020, at St. Sarkis Armenian Apostolic Church. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family. May he rest in peace.

 

- Mrs. AZADOUHI KADIAN, passed on Monday, September 7, 2020. Wake and Funeral services were held on Friday, September 11, 2020, all at St. Sarkis Armenian Apostolic Church. We extend our heartfelt condolences to her family. May she rest in peace.