PRELATE PRESIDES OVER VARTANANTZ FEAST IN NEW JERSEY
On Thursday, February 27, on occasion of the Feast of Sts. Vartanantz, His Eminence Archbishop Anoushavan, Prelate, celebrated the Divine Liturgy and delivered a sermon at St. Vartanantz Church in Ridgefield, New Jersey. Fourth-eighth grade students from Hovnanian School were in attendance.
In his sermon, Archbishop Anoushavan spoke about the crucial role of the battle of Avarayr and the heroic deeds of the Armenian army commanded by St. Vartan Mamigonian in strengthening our Armenian Christian identity and faith. The Prelate said that the Vartanantz covenant remains a timeless example for all Armenians, to exercise our free for preserving our faith in God. As always, today too, the exercise of our free will may determine the direction of our personal, family, collective, and national life.
Addressing the Hovnanian students, His Eminence encouraged them, as representatives of the new generation, to fully take full advantage of their experience in the school they attend to forge their Armenian identity.
Following the Divine Liturgy, the church hosted a special celebration, which included Hovnanian students’ recitations and solo performances dedicated to the martyrs of Vartanantz. Parish Council Chair Hratch Mesrobian welcomed attendees, noting that the annual celebration is a longstanding tradition, particularly involving the school’s students, as Sts. Vartanantz Church itself was the birthplace of the Hovnanian School in 1976.
The Prelate offered closing remarks, expressing his joy at the appointment of Rev. Fr. Vache Balekjian as the church’s new Pastor and commended the Board of Trustees for its dedicated efforts. He also praised the Hovnanian School—the only full-time Armenian day school in the community—not only as a center of education but as a pillar of cultural and religious preservation. He encouraged parents to remain committed to the sacrifices necessary to provide their children with an Armenian education.
Among the attendees were Rev. Fr. Mesrob Lakissian, Pastor of St. Illuminator’s Cathedral in New York, and Rev. Fr. Vahan Kouyoumdjian, Pastor of the Holy Cross Church in Troy, New York.