The Mountain of Varak, on which was built the Monastery of Varak and the Monastery of the Holy Sign, is at the centre of the uniquely Armenian feast of the Cross we celebrate as the Feast of the Holy Cross of Varak (Varague). The Armenian Church celebrates this feast two weeks after the Feast... Read More »

  Besides the 12 Apostles, Jesus also had Seventy Two (72) disciples, whom he sent to “preach the Good News to all nations”. The Seventy Two Disciples are firmly rooted in Scripture, but only the Gospel of Luke mentions them. Unfortunately, those disciples’ names are not mentioned in the Gospels. In the New Testament the... Read More »

For the Armenian people the Feast of the Holy Translators is one of the most favourite and beloved national-ecclesiastical feasts.

  Ananais of Damascus (favoured of the Lord), was a disciple of Jesus at Damascus. He is mentioned in Acts 9:10, when the Lord speaks to him and asks him to go to Saul, place his hands on him and restore Saul's sight. When Ananias placed his hands on Saul, he was filled with the... Read More »

  Dionysius the Areopagite was an Athenian judge at the Areopagus Court in Athens. He is thus also known as protector of judges and the judiciary. At the time of Jesus’ crucifixion, Dionysius was in Egypt in a town called Heliopolis (the City of the Sun) near today’s capital of Cairo. On Good Friday, the very... Read More »

  The Armenian Church commemorates the Holy Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the authors of the four Gospels. The were known as “evangelists” because they proclaimed the good news about Jesus Christ as each author provides traces and insights into Christ’s life. The word Evangelist comes from the Greek euangelistes which means “one who... Read More »

Feast of Saints Captain Lukianos, who believed in Christ’s Crucifixion; Joseph the Godfather; Joseph of Arimathea; Friends of Christ, Lazarus and his two sisters, Martha and Mary The Holy Martyr Longinus the Centurion (Captain Lukianos), a Roman soldier, served in Judea under the command of the Governor, Pontius Pilate. When our Savior Jesus Christ was... Read More »

Commemoration of the Twelve Holy Doctors – Saints, Hierotheus of Athens, Dionysius of Areopagite, Silverst of Rome, Athanasius of Alexandria, Cyril of Jerusalem, Ephraem the Syrian, Vasil (Barsegh) of Caesaria, Gregory of Nyssa, Gregory the Theologian, Epiphanius of Cyprus, John Chrysostom and Cyril of Alexandria   The Twelve Archimandrite (Holy Doctors) or Church Fathers have been... Read More »

  This is the crowning of the celebrations of the Holy Cross, within the cycle of an entire calendar year. The Apostolic Churches owe this important feast, upon which the other celebrations of the Cross throughout the year are established, to Queen Helena (Heghineh), the mother of Byzantine Emperor Constantine. In 327, the Queen, who was... Read More »

  St Severianos (St Severian) was a senator from Sebastia, who was both an illustrious man of wealth and a fearless Christian. During the 4th century, the Forty Holy Martyrs (Karasoun Mangounk) were imprisoned by the pagan emperor Licinius, because of their steadfast refusal to renounce their faith. St Severian showed sincere compassion for the... Read More »

  The Pontiff St John the Chrysostom, is one of the most prominent and gracious Fathers of the Universal Church. He was born in Antioch, in 347 AD. He studied in the Theological School of Antioch and advanced his skills in public speaking in the School of Libanios. From a young age, he led an... Read More »

  Feast of All Saints - the old and the new, the known and the unknown By this feast the Armenian Apostolic Church commemorates the memory of all those saints, whose names are not included in the Church Calendar, but whose names are registered in the sacred book of the Heavenly Kingdom. Many people have... Read More »