St

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

What is the Feast of the Ascension?*

The Feast of Ascension marks the ascent of our Lord Jesus Christ into heaven on the 40th day after his glorious Resurrection. Until that time, Christ presented himself alive to the apostles, “appearing to them during 40 days and speaking of the kingdom of God.” Acts 1:3

On the 40th day, “as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.” Acts 1:9 (see also Mark 16:19, Luke 24:51). From ancient tradition, we know that the Ascension of the Lord took place on the Mount of Olives. The Feast of Ascension is always celebrated on a Thursday, the 40th day after Easter. In the Armenian Church, observance begins on Wednesday evening during vespers. The hymn dedicated to the feast of Ascension is chanted from the centre of the nave of the church by all the clergy dressed in copes (a liturgical vestment), the deacons and the clerks. Thursday morning, the Night Hour and the Matins (vigil and morning services) are said and then the clergy, deacons and clerks form a procession, singing the Ascension hymn. After scriptural readings, they hold the Antasdan (Blessing of the Fields service). The Divine Liturgy is also celebrated on Ascension Day. In mid-afternoon, the clergy, deacons and clerks again form a procession, singing one of the Ascension hymns. This is followed by scriptural readings and the Antasdan for the second time, at the end of which, Matins are said. Ascension and the Resurrection of the Lord are celebrated over the following nine days until Pentecost.

The Feast of Ascension also marks the anniversary of the establishment of the Holy See at the Monastery of Holy Etchmiadzin in 1441. Prior to this, the Holy See was operating in exile for almost 1,000 years.

In Armenian folk tradition, Ascension was a festive day cherished especially by young girls. Water was collected from seven springs and pebbles from seven hills and they were placed together in a large container. Each girl in the village would put a small personal item into the container. An elderly woman would sit by the container which was covered by a large cloth and pull out items at random, making a wish for their owner. The girls believed her wish would come true during the course of the year. The process was called veejag.

*Taken from Frequently Asked Questions About The Armenian Church, St. Vartan Press, New York, N.Y. 2004

Sunday, May 1, 2005

Today’s service features Very Rev. Fr. Hayrik Hovhannisyan, Preacher and Celebrant @ 1 p.m. Sunday School @ 1:15 p.m.. Today’s teacher is Taline Paroyan. The Sunday School children will be learning about Jesus’ Ascension and Mother’s Day.

“Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them that I am ascending to my Father and your Father, my God and your God.” John 20:17

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 by Friday, May 13, 2005.

Requiems for 90th Anniversary of Armenian Genocide

Ecumenical interfaith prayer and commemoration services remembering the tragedy of the 1915 genocide were held by the Diocese of the Armenian Church of Canada in Notre Dame Cathedral, Ottawa April 15 and St. Joseph Oratory, Montreal April 23. Church leaders from different denominations prayed for the victims of genocide in two moving services that included the lighting of candles and the attendance of many elderly Armenian genocide survivors. Both churches were filled to overflowing, with more than 1,000 guests in Notre Dame, and more than 2,500 in the larger St. Joseph Basilica. Keynote speakers were Ottawa Centre MP Ed Broadbent in Ottawa, and Most Rev. Bishop Barry Clark of the Anglican Diocese of Montreal in Montreal.

Bishop Bagrat Galstanian, Primate of the Canadian Diocese, emphasized “we are here to join our hands with the people of good will and raise up our voice against those who perpetrated the Holocaust, the massacres and ethnic cleansings in Africa, Poland, the Ukraine, Paraguay, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Rwanda, East Timor, among other countries, and to say: NEVER AGAIN.”

Bishop Galstanian also proudly stated “we are here not to mourn but rather to celebrate the martyrdom of a people who has finally liberated itself from the shackles of a victim and emerged from the ashes as a victorious nation.”

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. We’re glad you’re here and we hope to see you again!

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.

Ararat Summer Youth Camp August 8-13

All parents are invited to stay after today’s Badarak for an information session and slide presentation about Camp Ararat. This is the first year the summer overnight camp will take place at Echo Lake, in Ontario. Fresh air and several acres of wooded property, a sandy beach and sports fields make for an ideal camp experience. Children from Quebec and Ontario are signing up for a fun six days in August (five nights).

Camp Ararat youth camp is open to children 8 to 14, with a counsellor-in-training (CIT) program for youth 15-17. The Canadian Diocesan camp’s mission is to provide a Christian environment where Armenian children can explore their religion and heritage and develop skills in fellowship and service to their church and community.

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.