AT STS. VARTANANTZ CHURCH, PRELATE URGES THE FAITHFUL TO REMEMBER THE LESSONS OF HISTORY

On Sunday, March 1, His Eminence Archbishop Anoushavan, Prelate, participated in the Divine Liturgy at Sts. Vartanantz Church in Ridgefield, New Jersey. Very Rev. Fr. Vache Balekjian, Pastor, was the celebrant and delivered the sermon on the day’s Gospel reading. The Prodigal Son—the main character of the parable—is a young man who wants to lead his life away from the paternal inheritance, said Fr. Vache. His lofty ideals lead him to success, albeit for a short time, as he squanders his fortune and his life heads to an abyss. After a realistic examination of his predicament, he decides to head back to his father’s home, where he finds love and care again.  

Following the Divine Liturgy, the Prelate presided over a requiem service for the souls of the Armenian Relief Society founders, members, and friends, as well as for the innocent Armenian victims of the pogroms in Sumgait, Kirovabad, and Baku. Archbishop Anoushavan extolled the mission of the greater ARS family, saying, “Spreading its benevolence throughout the world, the ARS attends to the needs of sons and daughters of our nation, cherishes the Armenian cultural heritage, and sponsors the higher education of our young generation.” 

He also spoke about the massacres in Baku and its vicinity, which started on February 27-28, 1988, in Sumgait, and culminated in the 1990 anti-Armenian pogrom in Azerbaijan’s capital. “We must not forget the past, because if we follow with attention the series of tragedies—the Hamidian massacres in the 1890s, the massacres in Cilicia in 1909, the 1915 Genocide, the 1988 pogroms, and the forced displacement of the Armenians of Artsakh in 2023—they all point to one thing: that a satanic crime has been perpetrated against our people, which continues to this day, and we must be ready to face that and much more with determination, always believing in God’s providence, which has been the protector of our people and will always be.” 

Following the Divine Liturgy, Archbishop Anoushavan joined the meeting of seven chapters of Homenetmen scouts in the parish hall and addressed them, saying that the organization not only educates its members in physical culture but helps build character and personality, urging them to continue their work in the same spirit.