St. Vartan Armenian Church of Mississauga

P.O. Box 53010, 5100 Erin Mills Parkway, Mississauga, Ontario L5M 5A7

Very Rev. Fr. Hayrik Hovhannisyan, Pastor

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

Feast of the Discovery of the Holy Cross

The Feast commemorates the finding of the Holy Cross in 326 by St. Helena, the mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine. Despite her advanced age, she traveled to Jerusalem in search of the cross on which Jesus was crucified.  It was Constantine who made Christianity the state religion of the empire after his conversion.

The pagan Roman emperors had tried to completely eradicate from human memory the holy places for Christians. St. Helena had the statue of Aphrodite and a temple that had been built on the site where Jesus had been crucified, destroyed.  During excavation of the site, however, the three crosses were discovered underneath the earth.

At the inspiration of Saint Macarius, Archbishop of Jerusalem, a woman on her deathbed was brought to the site to touch the crosses and as soon as she came near to the Cross of Jesus, she was made well.  Many miracles are said to have occurred through contact with the true cross.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was then built at the site of the discovery, by order of Helena and Constantine, and the cross placed inside it.  In 614, the cross was carried away by the Persians until recaptured by the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius in 628 and returned to Jerusalem.

Because of her discovery of the cross, Helena became a saint in the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches.

The cross is a very important Christian symbol because it is symbolic of the crucifixion of Christ and his suffering and death for the sins of the people of the world. Relics connected with Christ’s suffering and death are imbued with the utmost religious importance.  With the discovery of the Holy Cross, Jerusalem became the principal site for Christian pilgrimages.

October 23, 2005

Today’s service features Rev. Archpriest Fr. Sarkis Gulian, Preacher and Celebrant @ 1 p.m. Sunday School @ 1:30 p.m. with teacher Christine Ermarkaryan. The children will be learning about the Feast of the Discovery of the Holy Cross.

“There they crucified him.  There were two others crucified with him, one on either side, with Jesus between them.  And Pilate posted a sign over him that read, ‘Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.’  The place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and the sign was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, so that many people could read it.” John 19: 18-20

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, Nov. 4, 2005.

Fight Truth Decay:  Study the Bible Daily

Friday Nights Are St. Vartan Youth or Family Nights

Twice a month, St. Vartan Armenian Church will be holding evening service and Bible Study at 7:30 p.m. on Friday nights. They will be followed by youth/family activities, all to take place at St. Cuthbert’s Anglican Church at 1541 Oakhill Drive, Oakville. We invite you and your family to participate.  Dates to mark on your calendar: Oct. 28, Nov. 11 and 25, and Dec. 9 and 23.

Evening Service and Movie Mayrig Friday, Oct. 28

Friday, Oct. 28, St. Vartan will hold an evening service at 7:30 p.m. followed by the final screening of the Henri Verneuil film Mayrig.

Henri Verneuil was born in  October 1920, in Turkey, as Achod Malakian. When he was four years old, his family joined thousands of Armenians fleeing the Turkish government’s massacres of the Armenians, and arrived in Marseille. Henri became a well-known director, writer, producer and actor.

Join us at St. Cuthbert’s Anglican Church at 1541 Oakhill Drive, Oakville. Please note the film is not suitable for young children.

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 hour and we invite you to join us in the parish hall.  We’re glad you’re here and we hope to see you again.  Our next service is Sunday, Nov. 6 at 1 p.m.

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.

Wanted:  Generous Sponsors

Would you like to help make the St. Vartan “Let it Snow” Ball on Nov. 19 an even more fantastic night? The Dance Committee is looking for sponsors and booklet advertisers:

Band                                        $500 x 5 Still need 2 sponsors.
Lottery gifts                             donations can be gifts or services.

Early Bird Gift                          $500.

Booklet Ad, Full Page              $100.
Booklet Ad, Half Page             $50.

All donations will receive a tax receipt from St. Vartan Armenian Church. Your contribution will be recognized in the dance booklet and will help make the evening a memorable one for everyone. Please contact Maggie Satouri (905) 858-5043 or Najda Zada (905) 796-6769 to be a sponsor or to advertise. Thank you.

Psalm 100 - A Psalm of Thanksgiving

Shout with joy to the Lord, O earth!

Worship the Lord with gladness.

Come before him, singing with joy.

Acknowledge that the Lord is God!

He made us, and we are his.

We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise.

Give thanks to him and bless his name.

For the Lord is good.

His unfailing love continues forever,

And his faithfulness continues to each generation.

Everyone Loves to Party With the St. Vartan Crowd  Because   WE KNOW HOW TO PARTY!

Join us for a memorable night of dining and dancing at the Novotel Hotel on Saturday, Nov. 19, with the popular Montreal band Nostalgia. 

The “Let It Snow” Ball is a chance to get dressed up and enjoy a night out with your loved ones and friends.  For tickets, please call Maggie Satouri (905) 858-5043 or Najda Zada (905) 796-6769 or any Parish Council members, or email margritt@rogers.com. 

If you purchase tickets before Nov. 5, you’ll be eligible for the Early Bird Draw.

Did you know? News Stories and Photos Now Available on St. Vartan’s Website:  www.stvartan.ca

Thanksgiving is: Togetherness, Love, Sharing

By Taleen Balian

On Sunday, Oct. 9, 2005, following Holy Badarak, St. Vartan Armenian Church of Mississauga hosted a Thanksgiving dinner, bringing together friends and families from Mississauga and surrounding areas. 

Over 95 guests, young and old, took part in this warm and inviting event.   Following a wonderful buffet dinner consisting of chicken, rice, potatoes, salad and vegetables, the guests were entertained by local talent. 

Starting things off, Dr. Berdj Artinian took centre stage at the piano and accompanied the guests as they sang Yerevan – Erepouni.  Meghri Moussakhanian performed a short piece on the guitar, followed by Gregory Balian, who after attending only three piano lessons had the confidence to play a few pieces on the piano.  Aramig Moussakhanian dazzled the crowd with his talent while strumming his guitar.

As the crowd started to scatter, and night time fell, guests left with smiles on their faces, peace in their hearts and memories which they will cherish.

Meet St. Vartan’s Leaders

This is the second in a series of articles introducing you to our church leaders.  This week, we introduce you to St. Vartan’s Parish Priest, Very Rev. Fr. Hayrik Hovhannisyan.

Very Rev. Fr. Hayrik Hovhannisyan

My mission here is to serve my parish spiritually, to pray and hope that our people will be faithful believers who know the price of the blood of Christ and do not forget it.  I want them to know spiritual peace, closeness to God and to be worthy of eternal life. Very Rev. Fr. Hayrik Hovhannisyan

Hayr Hayrik is the Parish Priest of St. Vartan Armenian Church of Mississauga and St. Mary’s Armenian Church of Hamilton.  He was appointed to the Canadian Diocese in 2004. 

Hayr Hayrik is also the Primate’s representative in the Golden Horseshoe.  He is the Visiting Priest at Holy Resurrection Armenian Church in Windsor, and he is the president and spiritual director of Camp Ararat, the Diocesan Summer Camp in Kingston, Ont. and St. Vartan’s Summer Day Camp.

Hayr Hayrik was born in Yerevan, in the Republic of Armenia in 1975.  He is the oldest of three children.  His parents, his brother and married sister all live in Yerevan.

Before coming to Canada, Hayr Hayrik served two years as Vicar General to the Chaplain and Vice Minister of Defence of the Republic of Armenia. 

In 2001, he was ordained a deacon by His Grace Bishop Mikael Ajapahian and in 2003, was ordained and consecrated as a celibate priest by His Eminence Archbishop David Sahagian.  In 2003, Hayr Hayrik also completed his thesis in “Contemporary Spiritualism”.

In 2001, he served St. Greogory the Illuminator Cathedral in Yerevan, after graduating from the Gevorkian Theological Academy of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.  From 1993-95, Hayr Hayrik studied at and graduated from the Theological Seminary of the Diocese of Shirak in Armenia.  From 1989-93 he studied at and graduated from Yerevan College in Armenia.

Hayr Hayrik speaks Armenian and Russian well and is improving his English daily.

Our next Badarak will be Sunday, Nov. 6, 2005 at 1 p.m. at St. Cuthbert’s Anglican Church.  We hope to see you then.