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PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Chris Zakian
Tel: (212) 686-0710 or (973) 943-8697
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: http://www.armenianchurch-ed.net
August 26, 2014
___________________
A New Deacon and Four New Tbirs Ordained in Livingston, NJ
Parishioners and friends filled the sanctuary of the St. Mary Church of
Livingston, NJ, on Sunday, August 17, 2014, to witness an uplifting
spiritual milestone for the parish.
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church
of America (Eastern), visited the parish to celebrate the Divine Liturgy,
and to confer the sacrament of Holy Orders on five altar servers.
The occasion, the Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother-of-God, marked
the "name-day" of the Livingston parish, which is dedicated to the blessed
mother of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Archbishop Barsamian was assisted on the altar by the parish pastor, the
Rev. Fr. Arakel Vardazaryan, as well as the long-serving senior deacons of
St. Mary Church.
During the badarak, just before the gospel readings, the Primate conducted
the first ordination service of the day, ordaining Matthew Hagop Dalakian to
the rank of deacon. Matthew, who has been serving on the altar since he was
10 years old, often in the company of his father and brothers, had
previously achieved the demanding requirements for this rank after much
study and training-through St. Nersess Seminary programs and under the
tutelage of the pastor and senior deacons of the St. Mary Church altar.
In the age old tradition of the Armenian Church, Matthew came to the altar
on his knees, with hands raised, to receive the "laying-on of hands" from
Archbishop Barsamian, signifying the descent of the Holy Spirit. The
congregation was asked if he is worthy to receive the sacrament, and the
parishioners answered the Primate by saying, "Arjanee eh"-"He is worthy."
Following the ordination, Matthew was presented to the congregation for the
first time as a deacon, and in clear and melodious Armenian read the gospel
lection of the day.
The minor orders were conferred directly after badarak, as Archbishop
Barsamian conferred the rank of tbir on Yetvart Eddie Istanbul, Joseph Artin
Casali, Christopher Albert Kapoian, and Bedros Vartavar Maldjian. All of
them have likewise devoted much time and energy to preparing for this role,
which the Primate noted was the first step on a longer road of service on
our Lord's altar.
At the back of the sanctuary, the Primate said prayers over the kneeling
candidates, and clipped a small amount of hair from each one's head, before
conferring on each the four minor orders that constitute the tbir or acolyte
rank.
The service concluded with the traditional "Blessing of Grapes" ceremony,
which is such a beloved part of the Armenian celebration of Holy Assumption.
In his homily for the day, Archbishop Barsamian spoke of the Mother of God,
St. Mary, as the great example of a human being saying "Yes" to God's call.
He added that while God calls each person in different ways, the day's
candidates for ordination represent a special way of affirming that call.
"Opening yourself up to God, receiving the Holy Spirit through ordination,
is one of the most profound ways that a person can say 'Yes' to our Lord's
call," he said. "And this parish is blessed to have quite a few examples to
lead and inspire you."
He congratulated Fr. Vardazaryan on the 5th anniversary of his ordination to
the priesthood, thanked senior deacons Roy Stepanian and Martin Dalakian for
their long service, and exhorted the newly ordained to continue their
devotion to the Lord's altar. He noted that the impulse to say "Yes" to God
runs through the families of each of them.
"I know that each of our candidates for ordination is responding to a call
that has also been answered by other members of their families: fathers and
mothers, grandfathers and grandmothers, people all around them," he said,
looking out among the crowd. "Today, they are saying 'Yes' to ordination,
because the loved ones around them, in their families and throughout this
parish, have also said 'Yes' to God-through their dedication, service, and
love of our church."
Following services, the Primate joined the parishioners gathered in
Haroutune and Siranoush Toufayan Hall for a splendid luncheon, courtesy of
the Casali, Dalakian, Maldjian, Kapoian, and Istanbul families.
Parish council chair Levon Ariyan was the master of ceremonies for a program
that included the singing of the American and Armenian national anthems by
Daniella Badishkanian and Christian Krommenhoek.
"We were honored to have our Primate among us on our name-day, to bless the
grapes and ordain our altar servers," parish pastor Fr. Arakel Vardazaryan
said. "My congratulations go to our new deacon and tbirs and their families.
It was a beautiful day for St. Mary Church, with many parishioners and
friends from throughout the community among us."
###
Photos attached.
Photo 1: Archbishop Barsamian ordains Matthew Hagop Dalakian to the rank of
deacon.
Photo 2: The ordination of four acolytes at St. Mary Church on August 17.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Chris Zakian
Tel: (212) 686-0710 or (973) 943-8697
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: http://www.armenianchurch-ed.net
August 26, 2014
___________________
A New Deacon and Four New Tbirs Ordained in Livingston, NJ
Parishioners and friends filled the sanctuary of the St. Mary Church of
Livingston, NJ, on Sunday, August 17, 2014, to witness an uplifting
spiritual milestone for the parish.
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church
of America (Eastern), visited the parish to celebrate the Divine Liturgy,
and to confer the sacrament of Holy Orders on five altar servers.
The occasion, the Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother-of-God, marked
the "name-day" of the Livingston parish, which is dedicated to the blessed
mother of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Archbishop Barsamian was assisted on the altar by the parish pastor, the
Rev. Fr. Arakel Vardazaryan, as well as the long-serving senior deacons of
St. Mary Church.
During the badarak, just before the gospel readings, the Primate conducted
the first ordination service of the day, ordaining Matthew Hagop Dalakian to
the rank of deacon. Matthew, who has been serving on the altar since he was
10 years old, often in the company of his father and brothers, had
previously achieved the demanding requirements for this rank after much
study and training-through St. Nersess Seminary programs and under the
tutelage of the pastor and senior deacons of the St. Mary Church altar.
In the age old tradition of the Armenian Church, Matthew came to the altar
on his knees, with hands raised, to receive the "laying-on of hands" from
Archbishop Barsamian, signifying the descent of the Holy Spirit. The
congregation was asked if he is worthy to receive the sacrament, and the
parishioners answered the Primate by saying, "Arjanee eh"-"He is worthy."
Following the ordination, Matthew was presented to the congregation for the
first time as a deacon, and in clear and melodious Armenian read the gospel
lection of the day.
The minor orders were conferred directly after badarak, as Archbishop
Barsamian conferred the rank of tbir on Yetvart Eddie Istanbul, Joseph Artin
Casali, Christopher Albert Kapoian, and Bedros Vartavar Maldjian. All of
them have likewise devoted much time and energy to preparing for this role,
which the Primate noted was the first step on a longer road of service on
our Lord's altar.
At the back of the sanctuary, the Primate said prayers over the kneeling
candidates, and clipped a small amount of hair from each one's head, before
conferring on each the four minor orders that constitute the tbir or acolyte
rank.
The service concluded with the traditional "Blessing of Grapes" ceremony,
which is such a beloved part of the Armenian celebration of Holy Assumption.
In his homily for the day, Archbishop Barsamian spoke of the Mother of God,
St. Mary, as the great example of a human being saying "Yes" to God's call.
He added that while God calls each person in different ways, the day's
candidates for ordination represent a special way of affirming that call.
"Opening yourself up to God, receiving the Holy Spirit through ordination,
is one of the most profound ways that a person can say 'Yes' to our Lord's
call," he said. "And this parish is blessed to have quite a few examples to
lead and inspire you."
He congratulated Fr. Vardazaryan on the 5th anniversary of his ordination to
the priesthood, thanked senior deacons Roy Stepanian and Martin Dalakian for
their long service, and exhorted the newly ordained to continue their
devotion to the Lord's altar. He noted that the impulse to say "Yes" to God
runs through the families of each of them.
"I know that each of our candidates for ordination is responding to a call
that has also been answered by other members of their families: fathers and
mothers, grandfathers and grandmothers, people all around them," he said,
looking out among the crowd. "Today, they are saying 'Yes' to ordination,
because the loved ones around them, in their families and throughout this
parish, have also said 'Yes' to God-through their dedication, service, and
love of our church."
Following services, the Primate joined the parishioners gathered in
Haroutune and Siranoush Toufayan Hall for a splendid luncheon, courtesy of
the Casali, Dalakian, Maldjian, Kapoian, and Istanbul families.
Parish council chair Levon Ariyan was the master of ceremonies for a program
that included the singing of the American and Armenian national anthems by
Daniella Badishkanian and Christian Krommenhoek.
"We were honored to have our Primate among us on our name-day, to bless the
grapes and ordain our altar servers," parish pastor Fr. Arakel Vardazaryan
said. "My congratulations go to our new deacon and tbirs and their families.
It was a beautiful day for St. Mary Church, with many parishioners and
friends from throughout the community among us."
###
Photos attached.
Photo 1: Archbishop Barsamian ordains Matthew Hagop Dalakian to the rank of
deacon.
Photo 2: The ordination of four acolytes at St. Mary Church on August 17.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress