CATHEDRAL MARKS HOLY TRANSLATORS’ FEAST WITH SPIRITUAL READINGS
On Sunday, October 12, 2025, St. Illuminator’s Cathedral presented a unique program called Spiritual Bread (Ոգեղէն Հաց, Vokeghen Hats), to commemorate the Feast of the Holy Translators. The event, which took place in Pashalian Hall after the Divine Liturgy, featured readings by thirteen young adults and parishioners of the Cathedral from spiritual works by religious and lay Armenian writers through the centuries.
The program, which was the first of its kind in our community, commenced with opening remarks on the significance of the Holy Translators delivered by Liza Yessaian. She detailed how the Armenian Apostolic Church observes the Feast of the Holy Translators each October, an occasion that commemorates Mesrob Mashdots’ invention of the Armenian alphabet in 405 AD. She highlighted this event as the cornerstone of Armenian culture, education, and national identity, as it ushered in the Golden Age. This transformative era included the translation of the Bible, a text revered as the “Queen of Translations,” which was instrumental in consolidating the Armenian national and spiritual identity during a period of considerable foreign influence. She concluded by explaining that the phrase Vokeghen Hats, or Spiritual Bread, symbolizes how the Armenian language has sustained the nation’s soul, safeguarding its unique Christian faith and identity against centuries of foreign domination.
Throughout the program, the readings were accompanied by a slide presentation compiled by Mrs. Yessaian featuring information about the authors and their works. The slides featured photographs that illustrated the authors’ lives as their biographies were read aloud.
The event concluded with closing remarks by Archpriest Fr. Mesrob Lakissian, Pastor, who thanked Mrs. Yessaian for her hard work in organizing the program and presented her with a plaque inscribed with the Lord’s Prayer in recognition of her effort. Fr. Mesrob expressed his special joy and appreciation for the way in which the program inspired many of the readers, especially those new to reading and writing Armenian, to invest time and effort in learning their material. He extended heartfelt praise for their efforts and encouraged them to continue their inspiring journey of learning Armenian, particularly Western Armenian. Der Mesrob also presented each reader with a special gift: a copy of V. Rev. Fr. Barouyr Shernezian’s prayer book, Listen Lord, personalized with a thoughtful message from Fr. Mesrob.
The gathering at St. Illuminator’s proved to be a meaningful opportunity for the community to honor this precious legacy.