êºô²Ü SEVAN Newsletter Winter-Spring, 2012 Primate's Easter Message What’s inside? esus said to her, "...Go was wrong. The grave J to my brothers and say was open: its sealing- Women’s Guild to them, ‘I am ascending to stone pushed away. And Update 4 my Father and your Fa- inside the tomb they Sunday/ ther, to my God and your found, not a dead body, Armenian God.'" Mary Magdalene but a mysterious fig- School Update 6 went and announced to the ure—an angel—who disciples, "I have seen the beckoned them to draw Avak Seniors Lord!" And she told them Update 7 closer. Here is how St. that he had said these Matthew tells the story: ACYOA News 8 things to her. (St. John 20:17-18) The angel said to the women: "Do not be Profiles 9 IT WAS STILL DARK, EARLY IN afraid. For I know that you are looking Puppet Theater THE MORNING of the first day of for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not from Armenia the week: a Sunday, close to 2,000 here. He has risen, just as he said! Come Visits St. James 12 years ago. To most of the world, the and see the place where he lay. Then go Diocesan News 13 sun would rise on a day no different quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He is risen from any other. Only a handful of from the dead.'" (Mt 28:5-7). News from the people would later realize that some- Mother See 16 thing of importance had occurred. Some 2,000 years later, we use the Parish Events 18 But those few people understood very same words to remember the that overnight, the world had miracle of that Sunday morning: Great Week changed. Krisdos haryav ee merelotz! Christ is and Easter at risen from the dead! And as Chris- St. James 19 Three pious women rose early to tians we celebrate Easter to mark the Calendar of bear spices and burial ointments to most important, most joyous, most Upcoming the grave of their departed teacher glorious day in all of human history. Events 22 and friend. But approaching the tomb, they sensed that something But think again of what it must have Page 2 SEVAN been like on that first Easter Sunday. In the shows how very close we still are to these darkness before dawn, when the pious oil- events, despite the obvious gulfs of time and bearing women set off on their journey to space. Taking place in the early hours of our Lord's tomb, things must have looked Easter Sunday, the service is dedicated to the very different. oil-bearing women: the "Myrophores" in Greek, or "Yughaperitz Ganaykh" in our own Two nights earlier, the women had watched tongue. The Yughaperitz service culminates in in horror as Jesus endured the torments of a reading from the Gospel of St. John (John crucifixion. They had stood in silent witness, 20:1-18), which begins "Early on the first day of as his lifeless body was brought down from the week, while it was still dark..." and ends the cross, wrapped in a burial shroud, and with Mary Magdalene's ecstatic announce- placed in a tomb. All their hopes and dreams ment to the disciples: "I have seen the Lord!" had come to ruin. Their Master was dead. His mission was over. The salvation of man- And here is the astonishing thing: History kind had failed. The women approached the indicates that this service originated in the tomb that morning, fully expecting to find early centuries of the Christian movement, in Jesus buried within. Jerusalem itself—perhaps at the very site of Christ's tomb!—where the celebrants would But—he was not there. gather at dawn, just as the women had done, Instead, the women discovered that their to re-enact their world-changing discovery. greatest hope had come to pass: "Christ is Through this beautiful ritual, preserved over risen from the dead!"—just as he had prom- many centuries by the Armenian Church, the ised. voices from that original Easter Sunday echo down to us, as if for the first time. Imagine the overwhelming joy, the incredi- ble sense of hope, the feeling of limitless pos- It is surely significant that the oil-bearing sibility that swept over the women at that women held no exalted or privileged status moment. They must have been bursting with in the world of their day. Indeed, even the excitement—eager to share this news with disciples refused to believe them when they others. came to the upper room, breathless, to relate what they had witnessed. Yet it proved that And indeed it was these women—the first these women, even from their humble sta- witnesses to the resurrection—who brought tion, were the ones who had seen the truth the Good News to the disciples. Through with clear eyes. Certainly it was their humi- them, the Gospel mission began: they were lity, their willingness to rise before dawn to the first link in a great chain of evangelism perform a ministry of love and respect at a that would eventually encompass the world, friend's grave, that placed them in the right and transform our own homeland with its place to receive this truth. Perhaps it was the message of love, hope, and victory over sin same attitude of humble ministry to our Lord and death. which prepared their minds to believe in it, A beautiful service of the Armenian Church and prepared their hearts to share it. Newsletter, Winter-Spring 2012 Page 3 Armenian history is filled with similar stories Orhnyal eh harootiunun Krisdosee! of people—often from the most powerless Christ is risen from the dead! Blessed is the and marginalized stations of their surround- resurrection of Christ! ing societies—who saw and heard; who be- lieved and shared; and ultimately who trans- This Easter, let us proclaim those words formed their worlds from within. That is the loudly, with conviction to everyone we meet. power and the promise that genuine Chris- Even "while it is still dark," let us pierce the tian ministry—the "Ministry of the Faithful," darkness with our song of joy. And through as we have been calling it in our Diocese this it, may our Risen Lord draw forth the trans- year—can bring to our churches and commu- formative ministry that truly brings Light to nities, to our families and our individual the world. lives. It starts with those simple announce- With prayers, ments of joy and amazement: "He is not here; he has risen!" "I have seen the Lord!" Or in the Archbishop Khajag Barsamian words of our beautiful Easter greeting. Primate Krisdos haryav ee merelotz! The Feast of holy Nativity and Theophany of our Lord Jesus Christ Blessing of water service Chris Grey, a member of our community, served as godfather (gunkahayr) of the cross during the "Blessing of Water" service. Page 4 SEVAN Women’s guild update the late 1930s, Armenian women li- In ving in Richmond banded together to begin fundraising efforts for what they hoped would one day be land on which to build a church for themselves and for future generations. In 1941 the Lady’s Auxiliary (today’s Women’s Guild) was able to pur- chase the first land to realize the dream of community members. Fifteen years later, St. James was built. That is why in November of last year, at the church’s anniversary ban- quet, the Women’s Guild of St. James was honored with a plaque commemorating over 70 years of service. In honor of the vision and Lucia Manoukian and her dance partner was open to members and friends of the Guild. The festivities included a potluck din- ner, a surprise DVD presentation honoring the Women’s Guild, and an even bigger sur- prise—ballroom dancing as performed mas- terfully by Lucia Manoukian and her dance partner. Attendees were also asked for vo- luntary donations that were collected for Families of the Wounded Fund, a local cha- rity. The Guild collected an amazing $1,000 Women’s Guild Executive Commettee: L to R: Lilly Bouroujian Thomas, Sona Pomfret, Linda Sharigian, Peruz Manoukian, Lucy Keshishian Grey, Rev. Fr. Mesrob Hovsepyan, Stella Bandazian determined spirit of those women, the Women’s Guild of today carries the torch for future generations. If you would like to be- come a member or if you would like to rejoin the ranks, the Women’s Guild needs you. In December, the annual Christmas party L to R: Marni Pilafian, Lucy Keshishian Grey, Shocky Pilafian Newsletter, Winter-Spring 2012 Page 5 for the very worthy cause. The annual Ar- menian Christ- mas lunch took place January 8 when pari- shioners cele- brated the Ar- menian Christ- mas Divine Lit- always, she did an outstanding job. The Rev. Fr. Mesrob Hovsepyan & urgy and Bless- Lenten dinners were prepared by different Anahid Ghazarian ing of the Water volunteers every Friday. To all the women service. The highlight of the day was of who gave so graciously of their time and ta- course the visit from Santa Claus who de- lent, we thank you for coming through for us lighted young and younger with his jolly yet again! demeanor. There are too many to thank here for the success of the event, but a sincere Lastly, a spe- thank-you must be expressed to Jamie Ac- cial note of cashian for always being so kind, gracious, thanks—two and willing to help with a very special as- outgoing exe- signment that was requested of him.