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Armenian Church In Swansea Celebrates 50 Years

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  • Armenian Church In Swansea Celebrates 50 Years

    ARMENIAN CHURCH IN SWANSEA CELEBRATES 50 YEARS
    By Teri Maddox
    News-Democrat

    Belleville News-Democrat, IL
    Nov 12 2006

    Lisa Bedian drives more than 100 miles round trip to attend services
    at Holy Virgin Mary and Shoghagat Armenian Church in Swansea.

    She was married by its Armenian Orthodox priest last weekend.

    "It's very important to me personally to keep the Armenian culture
    and traditions alive," said Bedian, 49, of St. Charles, Mo., the
    granddaughter of Armenian immigrants. "Armenia was the first country
    to adopt Christianity (as its national religion) in 301 A.D."

    The church is celebrating its 50th anniversary today with a 10
    a.m. service and Divine Liturgy by Archbishop Khajag Barsamian of
    the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America.

    The service will be followed by a 1 p.m. banquet at the Sheraton Four
    Points Hotel in Fairview Heights.

    Many church members are descendants of people who survived or died in
    what some historians call an "Armenian genocide" that peaked during
    World War I, when Armenia was ruled by Ottoman Turks. Hundreds of
    thousands of non-Muslims were killed.

    "My mother was a survivor," said 50th anniversary committee chairwoman
    Zabelle Vartanian, 65, of Belleville. "My father was already (in the
    United States)."

    Vartanian's parents were founding members of the church, organized in
    East St. Louis in 1956. The Swansea building was consecrated in 1978.

    Today, the church has about 100 members from throughout the St. Louis
    region. That includes recent Armenian immigrants escaping political
    unrest and religious persecution in Azerbaijan.

    "For the Armenian community, this church is a lifeline," said
    Vartanian, a school counselor. "It's our religious home. It's our
    cultural home."

    The church is led by the Rev. Abraham Ohanesian, who commutes from
    Detroit two weekends a month.

    "I fly in on Saturday and visit families, take care of issues and
    get the altar ready for the Sunday service," he said.

    On Saturday evening, the church dedicated a khachkar (stone cross).

    It will be surrounded by a memorial garden, where people can meditate
    and remember genocide victims.

    The 6-by-3-foot cross was handcarved in Armenia out of native stone.

    "It's a true piece of art," Vartanian said. "It's gorgeous."

    Holy Virgin Mary and Shoghagat Armenian Church is at 400 Huntwood
    Road in Swansea, near Wolf Branch schools. Today's celebration will
    include remarks by U.S. Rep. Jerry Costello. For more information,
    call Vartanian at 398-4302.
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