ST. ILLUMINATOR’S CATHEDRAL KEEPS ARTSAKH’S SPIRIT ALIVE

On two consecutive Sundays in September, St. Illuminator’s Cathedral opened its doors to two special events commemorating the 44-Day War of 2020 and the tragic mass exodus of September 2023, when more than 100,000 Artsakh Armenians were forced to flee their ancestral homeland.

Against this painful backdrop, the afternoons, organized by Sarine Arzoumanian and Nina Shahverdyan, sought to celebrate the rich cultural traditions of Artsakh and affirm our collective obligation to keep alive the spirit of Artsakh. 

The program on Sunday, September 21, commemorated the mass exodus of September 2023, bringing together parishioners and friends of St. Illuminator’s for an afternoon of food, dance, and remembrance. It featured a hands-on cooking workshop on preparing jengyalov hats, the beloved flatbread of Artsakh filled with fresh herbs, and traditional Artsakh dances. 

The afternoon, rooted in faith and reflection, began with a prayer offered in both Armenian and English by Archpriest Fr. Mesrob Lakissian, Pastor of St. Illuminator’s, and Dn. Thomas Toghramadjian, a seminarian at St. Nerses Seminary. In opening remarks following the prayer, Ms. Arzoumanian set the tone for the gathering, after which Ms. Shahverdyan gave a short talk about jengyalov hats and its preparation. 

The hands-on cooking workshop was led by Marietta Avagyan, originally from Hadrout, who, together with her husband, owns 7Beans Café in Brooklyn. Laughter and conversation filled the hall as participants rolled dough and stuffed it with greens, led playfully by Archpriest Fr. Mesrob Lakissian, Pastor, who really threw himself into the task with gusto. Later, Fr. Mesrob circulated with a tray of premade jengyalov hats, professionally prepared by Marietta. 

The celebration continued when participants of all ages joined together in a circle to dance traditional dances of Artsakh, led by Armin Minassian.  

The event during Fellowship Hour on September 28 commemorated the 44-Day War, featuring a screening of Endless Exile, a documentary by Mano Baghjajian, and the making of postcards by congregants for the children of Artsakh now living in exile in Armenia, preceded by a light luncheon of jengyalov hats and Artsakh gata. 

After an opening prayer by Fr. Mesrob, Ms. Arzoumanian delivered brief remarks about the war, the mass exodus of our people, and the meaning of Artsakh for all Armenians.

Mr. Baghjajian’s short but powerful film drew parallels between the 1915 Genocide and the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh. Following the screening, Mr. Baghjajian answered questions from the audience after it was screened. Fr. Mesrob then offered his reflections on Artsakh, encouraging all Armenians to keep the idea of Artsakh alive in their hearts in spite of the forces pushing Armenians to forget and move on. Ms. Shahverdyan then shared her own story of life in Artsakh and her work as a teacher there, bringing a personal and heartfelt perspective on the humanity and resilience of the people of Artsakh.

Inspired by these messages, participants created postcards carrying messages of love and encouragement to children from Artsakh living in Armenia. Ms. Shahverdyan will personally deliver the postcards to the children around Christmas time. At Fr. Mesrob’s behest, the postcards will come with a little Christmas gift for each child from St. Illuminator’s, a gift Fr. Mesrob announced on the spot.