Sts. Vartanantz Church

WEEKLY BULLETIN Archpriest Father Gomidas Baghsarian -- Pastor Reverend Father Kapriel Nazarian -- Assistant Pastor 402 Broadway, Providence, RI 02909 Office: 831-6399 Fax: 351-4418 Email: info@stsvartanantzchurch.org Website: stsvartanantzchurch.org

First Sunday after the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God August 21, 2016

Please Join Us in Worship this Sunday

Morning Service 9:30 am

Divine Liturgy 10:00 am - Sermon 11:15

Մասնակցեցէք Ս.Պատարագին`

Առաւօտեան Ժամերգութիւն 9:30

Ս. Պատարագ 10:00 - Քարոզ 11:15

Many thanks to all who worked hard to make

Our Annual Church Picnic a success!

ÚÇëáõë øñÇëïáëÇ ²õ»ï³ñ³Ý¿Ý Àëï ÔáõϳëÇ

(1:39-45)

GOSPEL Luke 1:39-56

Mary Visits Elizabeth

At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth.

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”

Mary’s Song

And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me – holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.

He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in

their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers.” Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home. (On Page 1013 in your Bible)

EPISTLE 2 Corinthians 6:16-7:1

What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

“Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”

“ I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”

Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. (On Page 1145 in your Bible)

Today's Altar Flowers are donated in Loving Memory of Haig Aghjayan

by His Loving Family

REQUIEM SERVICE August 21, 2016

Haig Aghjayan --- Fortieth Day Remembrance

Mary Elmasian --- Fortieth Day Remembrance

Sarkis Panosyan --- Forthieth Day Remembrance

Laura Albanese

Aris, Aghavnie and Virginia Arslanian

Oscar Ashukian

Diruhi Garabedian

Peniamu, Krikor, Garo and Harutioun Garabedian

Suren Ivanyan

Isabel K. Jordan

Samuel Kaprielian

Isabella Kashmanian

Elizabeth Marabian

Hasmig Merdinian

Mary Minassian

Robert Sahagian

Noubar Souvalian

Aghavni and Adom Tenkarian

Elizabeth Vagshenian

John Varadian

Lucine Zadourian

Barsam Zorabedian

REQUIEM SERVICE August 28, 2016

Seta Missakian --- Fortieth Day Remembrance

Elize Donoyan --- First Year Anniversary

Kacheg Topalian --- First Year Anniversary

John J. Aharonian

Satenig Sophie Arevian

Ofrand Auclair

Arakci Balian

Grace and David Bogoian

Hovannes Dedian

Haroutiun Jerejian

Shahen Kanarian

Vergine and Solomon Karentz

Vartan Keshijian

Angel Khatchadourian Sarkis Kozinian

Lucy Mangasarian

Peter Bedros and Vartouhie Markarian

Agnes Bedrossian Melikian

Sarkis M., Missak and Ossunna Nadjarian

Vartanush and Gevork Odabashyan

Sahag, Victoria, Mugurdich, Michael III and Ethel Palian, Susie Silvarian, and Takouhi and Marderos Chaderjian

Markar Rafaelian

Harry D. and Jivan Stepanian, and Vartig and Bedros Haratounian

Jack Toumasian

Parishioners

Please refrain from parking in the Gas Station Lot

as it is now open for business on Sundays.

Parishioners, Please Support Your Church

2016 Membership Dues and Stewardship are now due.

Forms are available in the Church Office.

Your 2016 Membership Dues must be paid in order for you to

vote during our upcoming Annual Membership Meeting

and Elections

Armenian Fest 2016 Preparations are Underway!!!

We need your help! Please come and join us for a few hours starting September 7th

Every Mon & Wed = Choreg & Katah 9 am Every Tues = Micheeg 9 am Every Thurs = Kufta 6 pm

Choreg, Katah and Kufta may be picked up Monday thru Wednesday between 10am and 1 pm or after Church on Sundays

CALENDAR of EVENTS

Tuesday, August 30, 2016 Annual AYF Olympics Pep Rally

Fermanian Fellowship Hall 7 pm

Sunday, September 4, 2016 Fortieth Day Remembrance Service for

Archpriest Dr. Mesrob Tashjian

Coffee Hour Fellowship hosted by the Tashian Family in Loving Memory of our beloved Der Mesrob

Saturday, September 10, 2016 Mourad Armenian School resumes 9 am

Sunday, September 11, 2016 Sunday School resumes

Retirement Reception honoring our Church Secretary, Alice Simonian Buratti and Receptionist, Helen Dayian

Aramian Auditorium following Church Services

Sunday, September 18, 2016

Coffee Hour and Dedication of our Kitchen in Honor of Sara "Sally Mouradjian

Sunday, October 2, 2016

Retirement Banquet in honor of our beloved Der Gomidas

Crowne Plaza, Warwick, RI

RSVP by September 12th

Visit our website for updated Church News

http://www.stsvartanantzchurch.org

Assistant Secretary Position

Sts. Vartanantz Church is looking to hire someone as an Assistant Secretary. Approximately 25 hours per week. Computer proficiency is a must. Knowledge of the Armenian language is preferred but not mandatory.

Those qualified and interested should contact the Church Office [401-831-6399]

for an application and complete job description.

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From the August 18, 2016 edition of Crossroads

SAINTS JOACHIM and ANNA and the OIL-BEARING WOMEN

On Tuesday, August 23, the Armenian Church commemorates Saints Joachim and Anna, parents of Mary, the mother of Christ. Joachim, son of Barpathir, was a descendant of King David, to whom God had revealed that the Savior of the world would be born through his descendants. Anna was a descendant of the tribe of Levi through her father and the tribe of Judah through her mother. Joachim and Anna were childless through years of marriage. Joachim fasted for forty days in the desert and both of them prayed for a child, ultimately placing their trust in God’s will. An angel appeared to each of them telling them that in spite of their old age they would be the parents of a daughter.

On the same day the Church remembers the oil-bearing women (Myrophores). These are the eight women who are identified as the oil- or myrrh-bearers in the four Gospels who had different roles during Christ’s ministry, at the Cross, and the tomb on Easter morning. The eight women are: Mary Magdalene, Mary (Theotokos), Joanna, Salome, Mary (wife of Cleopas), Susanna, Mary of Bethany, and Martha of Bethany.

Frankincense and Myrrh were the “gifts of kings,” more valuable than gold. Myrrh is mentioned frequently in both the Old and New Testaments. Gold, frankincense and myrrh were the precious offerings of thanks to Mary by the three Wise Men for bringing forth the Son of God. Myrrh is mentioned occasionally throughout the life of Jesus of Nazareth: “And they offered him wine mingled with myrrh (Mark 15:23); after his death, “Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pound weight,” which was used to prepare the Body for burial (John 19:39).

O God, by wise foreknowledge you established the mystery of the holy church, having laid down the assembly of the righteous as its deep and firm foundation; through their prayers, have mercy on us. The blessing given by you to husband and wife, the pair created by God, buds forth today in Joachim and Anna like a splendid flower; through their prayers, have mercy on us. Today you manifested from Anna the promise given to Abraham, our patriarch according to the Spirit, in the union of staffs both priestly and kingly; through their prayers, have mercy on us. O God, without beginning, unspeakable, boundless might, from the beginning of the ages you have cared for the sons of Adam, today by grace from above, you have designated by her birth the mother of your chosen and only-begotten Son. Through her prayers, have mercy on us. (Canon to Saints Joachim and Anna from the liturgical canons of the Armenian Church)

SAINT JEREMIAH THE PROPHET

Next Thursday, August 25, the Armenian Church remembers Jeremiah, one of the major prophets of the Old Testament. His writings are collected in the Old Testament Book of Jeremiah, in I and II Kings, and the Book of Lamentations. God appointed Jeremiah to confront Judah and Jerusalem for the worship of idols and other violations of the covenant (described in the Book of Deuteronomy). Jeremiah had the task of explaining the reason for the impending disaster—the destruction by the Babylonian army and captivity: “And when your people say, ‘Why has the Lord our God done all these things to us?’ you shall say to them, ‘As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods in your land, so you shall serve foreigners in a land that is not yours.’”

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From the Armenian Language Corner in Crossroads

Do You Understand What the Lord’s Prayer Says?

You have a regular knowledge of Armenian, but are perhaps among those who have said that you

attend the Badarak (Պատարագ – Mass) and do not understand it because it is krapar (գրաբար)

or Classical Armenian. Let’s put aside the fact that, besides the hymns and some texts, a good part of the Sunday ceremony is in Modern Armenian. Let’s focus on what you may have said or still say.

Is it true? You cannot understand krapar?

Yes, you can!

As we have said other times, krapar is not to Modern Armenian what Old English is to Modern English or Latin is to French or Spanish. This means that, unlike the case of Old English or Latin, you may have never learned krapar, but if you know Modern Armenian, you can do a lot.

You just need to pay some attention. Let’s take the most representative and commonly used text: the Lord’s Prayer. Here’s the original: Hayr mer vor herginus es, soorp yegheetsee anoon Ko. Yegestseh arkayootyoon Ko. Yeghitsin gamk Ko vorbes herginus yev hergri. uZhats mer hanabazort door mez aysor. Yev togh mez zbardees mer, vorbes yev mek toghoomk merots bardabanats. Yev mi danir uzmez I portsootyoon ayl purgya uzmez ee chareh. Zi ko e arkayootyoon yev zorootyoon yev park havideans Amen.

(Հայր մեր որ յերկինս ես, սուրբ եղիցի անուն Քո։ Եկեսցէ արքայութիւն Քո։ Եղիցին

կամք Քո որպէս յերկինս եւ յերկրի։ Զհաց մեր հանապազորդ տուր մեզ այսօր։ Եւ թող

մեզ զպարտիս մեր, որպէս եւ մեք թողումք մերոց պարտապանաց։ Եւ մի տանիր զմեզ

ի փորձութիւն այլ փրկեա զմեզ ի չարէ։ Զի քո է արքայութիւն եւ զօրութիւն եւ փառք

յաւիտեանս Ամէն)։

The assumption that you know Armenian entails that you also know how to read it. Therefore, you

will surely be able to identify յերկինս (hergins) and յերկրի (hergri) with երկինք (yergink

“heaven; sky”) and երկիր (yergir “earth; land”). Such being the case, you will be able to

understand that the first three sentences include the words “father” (հայր/hayr), “our” (մեր/mer),

“heaven” (երկինք/yergink), “holy” (սուրբ/soorp), “name” (անուն/anoon), “your” (քու/koo),

“kingdom” (արքայութիւն/arkayootion), “will” (կամք/gamk). Thus, you know almost everything,

because these are common words in Modern Armenian too!

You may not get at first glance what եղիցի (yegheetsee) and եկեսցէ (yegestse) mean, because

they are not Modern Armenian. To solve the “puzzle,” you need to pick your own brain. If you

know that soorp yegheetsee anun ko means “holy [blank] your name,” perhaps yegh (եղ), the root of

yegh(eetsee), would be related to yegh(av) (եղաւ), a past form of the verb ullal (ըլլալ) “to be”! If you

know that yegestseh arkayootioon ko means “[blank] your kingdom,” then yeg (եկ), the root of yeg(estse),

might be related to yeg(av) (եկաւ), a past form of the verb kal (գալ) “come.” Now go and look into

the English version.

You will have some trouble with hanabazort (հանապազորդ), because this adjective does not

relate to any word in Modern Armenian. However, you do not need to know what the word means at first glance to understand the essential: the prayer asks the Lord to “give us today our bread.” If you are too anxious, then check a dictionary: you will find that hanabazort means “daily.”

The words togh and toghum in the fourth and fifth sentences are the most complicated, because they

are both related to the same verb, toghul (թողուլ), which is rarely used in Modern Armenian with

one meaning: “to leave.” As a regular speaker of Modern Armenian, you know that the root

bard(is) (պարտիս) must be related to the word bard(k) (պարտք “debt”), and you may guess

that bardaban is related to the latter. The word toornaban (դռնապան) means “doorkeeper”; thus,

bardaban should mean “debt-keeper” (= debtor).

(Don’t get confused. Instead of “debt,” the English Bible speaks about “trespass” or “sin,” but we all know that the Bible has different translations for different words.) We ask from God something for our debts, in the same way that we do the same for our debtors. Can we understand that we ask to be “left alone” with our debts, in the same way that we “leave alone” our debtors? A little improbable, but the meaning is not too farfetched. To be left alone may be somehow understood as to be pardoned for something we did. Actually, the verb toghul had

another meaning in krapar, “to pardon,” namely, nerel (ներել) in Modern Armenian.

In conclusion: if you try to penetrate the meaning of your prayer, it will not take you long to crack the code. We will study other examples in the future.

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PLEASE DO NOT FORGET:

SYRIAN ARMENIAN COMMUNITY NEEDS OUR HELP MORE THAN EVER

The crisis in Syria requires our financial assistance.

Please keep this community in your prayers, your hearts, and your

pocketbooks.

PLEASE DO NOT FORGET OUR ONGOING RELIEF EFFORTS FOR

THE ARMENIAN COMMUNITY IN SYRIA WHERE CONDITIONS ARE

BECOMING INCREASINGLY MORE DIFFICULT.

THE NEED IS REAL.

THE NEED IS GREAT. .

TO DONATE PLEASE MAY MAIL YOUR DONATION TO:

Armenian Prelacy

138 E. 39th Street

New York, NY 10016

Checks payable to: Armenian Apostolic Church of America

(Memo: Syrian Armenian Relief)

Sts. Vartanantz Armenian Apostolic Church

Nominating Committee Dear Sts. Vartanantz Church Community Members, As we approach another church election, the Nominating Committee would like to remind church community members of the opportunity to serve the church as a member of the Board of Trustees or as a delegate to the National Representative Assembly (NRA). If you are interested in this opportunity and would like to be considered as a potential candidate or have questions about the positions, please contact a member of the Nominating Committee listed below. Also, if you would like to suggest a church community member as a potential candidate, please contact a member of the Nominating Committee. All suggestions will be considered by the Nominating Committee as a slate of candidates is prepared for the election. When making suggestions for potential Board of Trustee candidates, please keep in mind some of the roles and responsibilities of a Trustee. Board meetings are typically held twice a month (once a month in the summer) and a Trustee should regularly attend the Divine Liturgy on Sundays. The Trustees execute and implement all motions passed at the membership meeting, present the proposed annual budget, and supervise all collections, church dues and donations. It should be noted that a Trustee serves a two-year term and can be elected to a maximum of three consecutive terms. An NRA Delegate serves a four year term and can be elected to a maximum of two consecutive terms. An NRA Delegate is expected to attend the NRA Convention, which is held on a Thursday

through Saturday each year in May. The Convention provides delegates a chance to discuss their local and regional communities, elect the Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America, elect the members of the Prelacy Executive Council, and vote to approve the Eastern Prelacy Budget. The Nominating Committee members and their contact information is as follows:

Paula Burke paulacburke@yahoo.com (401) 282-0459

Dr. Fotini Dionisopolous fotinid@yahoo.com (401) 369-1292

Steve Mesrobian smesrobian1@gmail.com (508) 524-7631

Beth Pilla bpilla@gmail.com (401) 497-3190

Joyce Yeremian joycey41@cox.net (401) 354-8770

Sincerely yours, 2016 Sts. Vartanantz Church Nominating Committee

Special Upcoming Events Please join us on Sunday, September 4th, as we pray for the soul and honor the memory of our pastor of 38 years, Archpriest Rev. Dr. Mesrob Tashjian. Following his 40th day Requiem Service on this day, a special fellowship hour will take place which will feature a slideshow of Der Mesrob’s life that was compiled by his grandchildren and a video of the Final Unction that took place in California. We invite you to share your own photos and memories on this special day of remembrance.

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Der Gomidas, Der Kapriel and the Board of Trustees are pleased to announce that on September 5, 2016, Pauline Getzoyan will become our new office manager/secretary. We as a church community are blessed to have such a talented person to continue the excellent work that our dedicated office staff has done over the years. May our Lord bless her and guide her as she continues her service to our church in this new role.

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Der Gomidas, Der Kapriel and the Board of Trustees cordially invite you to join us in congratulating Alice Buratti and Helen Dayian for their years of faithful service as they prepare to retire. Please join us in Aramian Auditorium for a light luncheon on Sunday, September 11th, following the Divine Liturgy. This will be a beautiful opportunity for each of us to express our gratitude to Alice and Helen for all that they have done for our church and for us as a community to pray for our Lord’s continued blessings upon them.

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Please join us on Sunday, September 18th, as we dedicate the Church Kitchen to Mrs. Sally Mouradjian for her many years of dedicated service in the kitchen. A Special Fellowship Hour will follow as we honor Sally for her faithful commitment to all of the work of our kitchen for over 40 years.