St. Vartan Armenian Church of
Very Rev. Fr. Hayrik Hovhannisyan,
Pastor
Telephone (905) 549-2711
stvartan@cogeco.ca
(905) 617-7888
Sunday of the
This is a uniquely Armenian feast, celebrating the one holy
apostolic catholic church—as we say in the Nicene
Creed (Havadamk) at each Soorp
Badarak—“We believe also in only one universal and apostolic Church.”
Held the second Sunday after Easter, the Sunday of the
The Armenian Church is Apostolic (arakelagan)
because it was founded by two of Christ’s Apostles, St. Thaddeus and St.
Bartholomew. If you trace back the
origins of the current Catholicos of All Armenians in
Etchmiadzin, 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 Armenian Church is also called The Holy Catholic Church.
This doesn’t mean we belong to the Catholic Church of Rome headquartered in the
The Upper Room, where Jesus shared the bread and wine with
his disciples, is believed to belong to Mary, the mother of John Mark, maybe
the author of the second Gospel, and has but a single reference, in the New
Testament. It appears in Acts
Today is also called Green Sunday (Ashkharamatran
Giragi). Ashkharh means world and matoor
means chapel, meaning the first church established in the Christian world. Green is the symbolic color for fertility in
the purest, most Christian sense, as we believe that it is the Holy Spirit that
came down at Pentecost to establish the Christian church, to breathe life into
it. We refer in the Creed to the Holy
Spirit as the Lord and Giver of Life.
Divine Liturgy @
Come to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s
temple. He was rejected by the people,
but he is precious to God who chose him.
And now God is building you, as living stones, into his spiritual
temple. What’s more, you are God’s holy
priests, who offer the spiritual sacrifices that please him because of Jesus
Christ. As the Scriptures express it, “I am placing a stone in
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 evening. 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.
Requiem services have been requested today by
Mr. and Mrs. Vahe and Irma Davidkhanian and their children Alex and Suzy, and the Hovakimian and Najarian families
for the loving memory of their beloved mother, mother-in-law and grandmother Alfreda Komorowska-Hovakimian,
who passed away 40 days ago in Paris, France. May God bless her soul.
Remembering Victims of the Armenian Genocide And
Pre-1915 Massacres by the Turks
Massacres committed by
Armenians lived in
About 50 people attended the evening lecture that extended
their knowledge about one of the oldest races in history. Book sale monies were
generously donated by Mr. Pederian to St. Vartan Armenian Church.
We Welcome Newcomers and Visitors
Immediately following the service today we have 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 on
Are You On Our Mailing List?
Please fill out the forms you can find on clipboards at the
doors of the church today. The Parish
Council needs your help to keep its mailing list up-to-date. Sign up to receive church news by email.
Primate Urges Youth to be Passionate about Church, Be Proud to Belong to
a Victorious Nation and Faith
For the first time ever, St. Vartan
Armenian Church of
On Good Friday, we were blessed by the Primate, Bishop Bagrat Galstanian, who walked us
through the Good Friday service, explaining its different parts. This is the saddest day of the year for
Christians.
Good Friday is the day we remember the suffering,
crucifixion and death of Jesus. At the
burial service, a wooden replica of a tomb, fashioned to look like a little
church with an Armenian khatchkar (cross) on top, was
placed in the chancel of the church. It
was adorned with fresh flowers and had a special place for the wrapped bible
and cross in the centre.
During the service, this tomb was lifted by several strong
men and taken in procession through the church and outside onto the
grounds. The faithful walked beneath the
wooden tomb before it was carried back inside.
As they left, everyone approached the tomb, kissed the Bible
and took some flowers home with them.
Srpazan’s message on Friday evening was
directed to the youth. He urged them to
be passionate about their church, to become involved, to not take it for
granted, but to always take pride in belonging to a victorious nation and a
faith that has endured for over 1,700 years.
There were evening services again on Holy Saturday (Easter
Eve), dedicated to the Saviour’s burial and the
sealing of the tomb. The Divine Liturgy, called Jurakalooytz
(Candlemass), was celebrated by Very Rev. Fr. Hayrik Hovhannisyan at the end of
the day, when every lamp was lit to signify the beginning of a new day. The
mystery of salvation in the Resurrection of Christ was celebrated on Holy
Saturday. Lights were dim until Isaiah
60 was read, then they were suddenly turned on and the joy of Easter Eve begun.
The largest crowds came on Easter Sunday, when Father Hayrik asked if the faithful had heard the good news. He told them, Christ is Risen!
And there was joy in the congregation. Kristos Haryav ee merelotz! Blessed is his Resurrection!
Families stayed for cheoreg and
other treats, celebrating the end of Lent and the fasting period of Holy
Week. Homemade cheoreg,
coloured eggs and bunnies with chocolates were sold
in the church hall.
Blessing High School, University and College Graduates
Very Rev. Fr. Hayrik Hovhannisyan would like to bless our graduating students on
Did you know?
News Stories and Photos Now Available on St. Vartan’s Website: www.stvartan.ca,
and on the Canadian Diocese of Armenian Apostolic Church’s Website: www.armenianchurch.ca.
Join Father Hayrik on a Special Visit This
Summer to
An information session and registration for this summer’s
tour of
Join the pilgrimage, July 26 to August 9, being led by our
pastor, Very Rev. Fr. Hayrik Hovhannisyan. The package, at $3,390 (double occupancy),
includes all breakfasts and dinners, with accommodation at Hotel Ani in
Pilgrims will meet with His Holiness Karekin
II, Supreme Patriarch of All Armenians, celebrate the Divine Liturgy at the
Holy See of Etchmiadzin, and sightsee in
As seats are limited, priority will be given on a
first-come, first-served basis. The
deposit of $300 is non-refundable. The
last day for registration is
DIVINE LITURGY
Evening Service & Bible Study*
Schedule for May and June 2006
At St. Mary ‘s Armenian Apostolic
Church
Our next Soorp Badarak will be
held