St. Vartan Armenian Church of Mississauga

P.O. Box 51010, 5100 Erin Mills Parkway, Mississauga, Ontario L5M 2C4

Very Rev. Fr. Hayrik Hovhannisyan, Pastor

Telephone (905) 549-2711    stvartan@cogeco.ca

Yes, We Are Orthodox, Apostolic and Catholic

Is the Armenian Church Orthodox or Apostolic and is there a difference? How is it Catholic?

The Armenian Church is Apostolic (arakelagan) because it was founded by two of Christ’s Apostles, St. Thaddeus and St. Bartholomew.  It was established through their preaching and through people ordained by them to be their successors.  If you trace back the origins of the current Catholicos of All Armenians, you can go all the way back to these two saints who themselves received their authority from Jesus Christ (Matt. 28:16-20) and, in turn, ordained others to continue their work.

The word orthodox (ooghapar) comes from the Greek and means “of right belief”.  The Armenian Church is orthodox as it holds firmly to the teachings of the Apostles and their ordained successors as well as the early orthodox fathers of the church. 

The Nicaean Creed (Havadamk) which is said each Sunday during the Divine Liturgy avows:  “We believe also in only one universal and apostolic Church.”  This refers to the fact that our church was founded by the Apostles and bequeathed to us over the centuries through those chosen and ordained to continue Christ’s work as he taught us.  It also affirms that we believe in the one church founded by Christ. This is why the Armenian Church is called the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church.

The Armenian Church is also called The Holy Catholic Church. This doesn’t mean we belong to the Catholic Church of Rome or are under the jurisdiction of the Pope, both of which are headquartered in the Vatican.  Catholic is a Greek word meaning universal.  The Church of Rome began to use the term catholic to identify itself and it became known as the Catholic Church.  Like the Armenian Church and other ancient churches of apostolic origin, it, too, is part of the catholic, meaning universal, church.  Jesus Christ founded one church, and this term catholic emphasizes the universality and oneness of the church for all Christians. 

Like the Church of Rome, the Armenian Church has its very own church leader, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians. The Catholicate of All Armenians is located in Etchmiadzin, Armenia.  Etchmiadzin is the special and holy place where Christ, according to a vision of St. Gregory the Illuminator, descended from heaven and struck Armenian soil with a golden hammer. The name Etchmiadzin means “the Descent of the Only Begotten (Jesus Christ”.  St. Gregory built an altar at that site and later, with the support of King Drtad of the royal family, constructed the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin which still stands today and is the Mother Cathedral and Mother See of Armenia.

June 5, 2005

Today’s service features Very Rev. Fr. Hayrik Hovhannisyan, Preacher and Celebrant @ 1 p.m. Sunday School @ 1:30 p.m. with teacher Ani Altounian. The children will be having their year-end Sunday School party and receiving awards.

“So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners.  You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people.  You are members of God’s family.  We are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets.  And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself.  We who believe are carefully joined together, becoming a holy temple for the Lord.  Through him you Gentiles are also joined together as part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.” Ephesians 2:19-22

Welcome to St. Vartan Armenian Church

If you are a newcomer to St. Vartan, it is a pleasure to welcome you to our Badarak this afternoon. Thank you for making time in your busy schedule to be with us.  We believe that you will sense God’s Spirit among  us as  we  worship today.

Requiem services can be requested for the next church service by calling Very Rev. Fr. Hayrik Hovhannisyan in early September, when our regular unday Badaraks will resume.

Requiem services have been requested today by Mrs. Mathilda Stephanian and children Nushig, Greg and Rakel and their families for their husband and father Barkev Stephanian who passed away April 12, 2005.  May God bless his soul.

Dr. and Mrs. Nurel and Lena Beylerian, their daughter Talar and son Haig Ashod, and Mr. and Mrs. Ara and Maral Nalbandian for their mother and grandmother, Diramayr Mrs. Ahahid Tashjian on the seventh anniversary of her passing.  May God bless her soul.

See You at the Church Picnic Sunday, June 19

St. Vartan’s annual summertime picnic takes place at Fogolar’s Country Club in Oakville Sunday, June 19.  Pick up a flyer at the doors of the church today for more information, including a map to the picnic location.  Bring your swimsuits, your sunhats and the whole family for a day of fresh air, healthy outdoor activities including soccer and swimming and Armenian foods.

St. Mary’s Junior Choir Singing at Our Badarak

Today’s church service features the voices of Armenian boys and girls with St. Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church Junior Choir of Toronto.  The children are from seven to 17 years old and sing the Badarak once a month at St. Mary’s. Led by Choirmaster Lena Beylerian since 1999, the Junior Choir is a group of 40 children, including one from Mississauga, Karin Simonian.  Please welcome them to St. Vartan’s.

Space for Rent

If you would like to advertise in our Sunday Service Booklets in September, please call Ani Shalvardjian (905) 826-6319 or Ian MacLennan (905)842-2101.

Mailing List Being Updated - Make Sure You’re On It

Please fill out the mailing list forms you can find on clipboards at the doors of the church today.  The Parish Council needs to update its mailing list and doesn’t want to miss anyone in future mailings.  If you would like to receive church news by email, please let us know.

Are You New to St. Vartan Armenian Church?

At St. Vartan, we understand how being a newcomer can be a bit intimidating.  It is our goal to do all we can to make your time with us comfortable and enjoyable. Immediately following the service today we have planned a coffee time for everyone and we invite you to join us in the parish hall.  We’re glad you’re here and we hope to see you again! 

Blessing Five High School Graduates

Following the sermon today, Hayr Hayrik will be blessing St. Vartan’s Grade 12 graduates Steven Beler, Danny Hannah, Nairy Kazazian, Lara Sevadjian and Taline Shalvardjian.  We wish them success as they continue their education in September.

St. Vartan Summer Day Camp July 11-15

For the third summer in a row, St. Vartan Armenian Church is running a summer day camp for children four to eight years old.  Under the guidance of Mississauga’s Very Rev. Fr. Hayrik Hovhannisyan, the camp will offer five days of activities with an Armenian theme at Fogolar’s Country Club in Oakville.  The children will be able to swim every day in the pool, sing songs, learn prayers, do crafts and play games. Youth, 12 and older and parents are invited to volunteer at the camp. For more information or to volunteer, contact Christine Ermarkaryan at (905) 825-5299.

We hope to see you at our summer events and again in September when church services and Sunday School resume at St. Cuthbert’s Anglican Church, Oakville. Happy summer!