On Saturday, September 21, the first bell of the Sts. Vartanantz Nareg Saturday Armenian School of Ridgefield, New Jersey, rang with the national anthem of the Republic of Armenia and the school anthem. The students enthusiastically arrived at the school in their uniforms and went to the church to receive Holy Communion, so they could begin the school year with God’s blessing.
With the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Anoushavan, Prelate, Rev. Fr. Mesrob Lakissian, pastor of St. Illuminator’s Cathedral in New York and a member of the Religious Council, congratulated those present on the 33rd anniversary of the Republic of Armenia’s independence and beautifully explained the meaning of Armenia’s independence to the children, also recalling that one day we shall celebrate the return of Artsakh as well. Fr. Mesrob had brought a very valuable publication, “Voice of Artsakh,” which contains the poems and stories of Armenian writers from Artsakh. He presented the book to the school principal, and then all the students received Holy Communion.