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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260527
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260528
DTSTAMP:20260416T175638
CREATED:20211023T093159Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250520T074850Z
UID:29583-1779840000-1779926399@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:The Feast of Pentecost: Hokekaloust
DESCRIPTION:  \n“When the day of Pentecost came\, they were all together in one place.  Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.  They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.  All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:1-4).\n\nOn the day of Pentecost (Hokekaloust)\, tongues of fire filled the upper room resting upon the heads of Jesus’ disciples who had gathered together as had been instructed. In this dramatic scene\, the disciples felt the Holy Spirit descend upon them as they began speaking in other languages and could be understood by a crowd of believers from other nations.\n\nWith the tongues of fire came the ability for the spread of Christianity to other nations which would soon reach the land of Armenia by the Apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew. This would become the birth of the Armenian Church and the nation’s religion. \nTongues symbolise God’s purifying presence which burns away the undesirable elements of our lives and sets our hearts aflame to ignite the lives of others. \nThe coming of the Holy Spirit (or Hokekaloust in Armenian) is celebrated by the Armenian Church\, as in all Christian churches\, 50 days after Easter. \nAs possessors of this beautiful faith\, Pentecost points us to our personal Pentecost\, for just as the Holy Spirit came to the Apostles\, so too does the Holy Spirit come to each one of us at the time of our chrismation or confirmation with the anointing of the Holy Oil. As baptised infants\, if we are open to that gift\, it transforms us and inspires us to live a Christ centred existence\, in which the fruits of the Spirit — love\, joy\, peace\, patience\, kindness\, goodness\, faithfulness\, gentleness and self-control — can grow and thrive. \nBut the fruit of the Spirit is love\, joy\, peace\, forbearance\, kindness\, goodness\, faithfulness\,  gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. \n(Galatians 5:22-23)
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/the-feast-of-pentecost-hokekaloust-2-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Pentecost.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260531
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260601
DTSTAMP:20260416T175638
CREATED:20211023T095043Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250520T075543Z
UID:29596-1780185600-1780271999@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of the Prophet Elijah
DESCRIPTION:  \nWelcome the Stranger: Elijah \nHe was a man of holiness and generosity; but also a man who could countenance the cruelest violence. His very name confessed his loyalty to God; but also prefigured the loneliness that can follow any man with such loyalties. He was Elijah the Tishbite\, Elijah “the Stranger”: the Hebrew prophet the Armenian Church remembers the Sunday following the Feast of Pentecost. \nAs the “model” prophet\, Elijah cuts a gigantic figure in the Old Testament\, with his name and influence echoing through the New. He even makes a personal appearance in the Gospel\, alongside Christ and Moses\, during the cosmic vision of the Transfiguration. \nBut he was truly an isolated figure in his day: a friend of God in an age when all his countrymen (so it seemed) had abandoned their holy heritage; when a profane ruling class had infected the people with the spirit killing disease of idolatry. \nElijah was a severe opponent of the pagan cults imported into the court of the Israelite King Ahab\, and his early prophetic career was marked by divine signs and miracles. But at the very moment of his vindication; his extravagant triumph over the pagan idols\, leading to the horrifying slaughter of their priesthood\, Elijah’s fortunes turned. \nA public vendetta against him by the infamous Queen Jezebel sent Elijah into hiding. In fear for his life\, he scaled the mountain where Moses had once received the Ten Commandments\, to stand in the presence of his God. A hurricane wind\, a mighty earthquake\, a blazing fire all passed before him. But God (Scripture assures us) inhabited none of these. \nOnly a “still\, small voice”\, a gentle whisper in Elijah’s hearing—was recognisable as the sign of God’s presence. And the Voice asked the prophet\, “What are you doing here\, Elijah?” \nWeary in body and spirit\, Elijah could only answer as one who had given his all\, in a lost cause. “I have been your champion\, Lord\,” he said. “But the people have rejected your covenant\, torn down your altars\, put your prophets to the sword. I am the only one left. And now they want to kill me too.” Earlier he had dared to utter a prayer of even deeper bitterness\, “I have had enough\, Lord. Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” \nBut God’s reply to the prophet’s spiritual exhaustion was a miracle of mercy and simplicity. He gave Elijah a human companion to share his burdens. The young plowman Elisha would be the chosen disciple for Elijah to instruct; the “son” who would carry the prophet’s mantle in the next generation\, extending Elijah’s achievements\, and perhaps correcting his mistakes. \nThere would be further adventures for the prophet with no respite from the hardships of his vocation. But after the experience on the mountain\, Elijah’s heart was eased enough to permit him to peacefully depart this world\, which he did in the most dramatic way imaginable: carried away to heaven in a chariot of fire. \nBut his story doesn’t end there. Subsequent generations\, reflecting on his mysterious departure\, insisted that Elijah would one day return\, as a herald of the Messiah. The preaching style of John the Baptist so closely resembled Elijah’s that observers of the day thought the two might be one and the same. Though John directly disabused people of that notion\, Jesus attested that John was indeed the spiritual successor to Elijah\, who had come to announce Christ’s advent. \nArmenian spirituality holds that Elijah never actually died. Our haunting Requiem hymn paints a word picture of the “Supernal Jerusalem” (Ee verinn Yerousaghem) where Elijah still lives in vastly advanced old age\, alongside the antediluvian (before the flood) Patriarch Enoch. The inscrutable classical Armenian word aghavnagerb (usually translated as “dove-like”) describes their present state\, offering us a dim glimpse into what it might be like to live as an immortal resident of God’s heavenly city. \nThe story of Elijah “the Stranger” is told in the Books of Kings (1 Kings 17 -2 Kings 2)\, with its uncanny sequels related in the gospels and our liturgy. In preparation for his remembrance\, welcome “The Stranger” into your heart. \n 
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/commemoration-of-the-prophet-elijah-2-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Elijah-770x330.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260601
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260602
DTSTAMP:20260416T175638
CREATED:20211023T104339Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250520T080044Z
UID:29609-1780272000-1780358399@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of St Hripsime and her Companions
DESCRIPTION:  \nSt Hripsime\, along with her companions in martyrdom\, are venerated as the first martyrs in Armenian history. \nNoble Hripsime was one of the 37 Christian nuns who\, together with the Abyss Gayane\, lived during the period of the reign of the Roman King Diocletianus (284-305) in the Monastery of St Paul located in the mountains of Rome. The Holy sisters had dedicated their lives to Christ. \nHripsime’s beauty captivated the King who wished to get married to her. Disobeying the King\, the pious nuns\, led by their Abyss Gayane\, ran away. According to oral traditions\, a Holy Godmother appeared to them and told them to leave for the Araratian country; Armenia. So\, the nuns went to Vagharshapat. On their way\, they passed the Mountain of Varague (Varak). Here\, Hripsime buried in the earth a relic from the wooden Holy Cross\, which she always had on her neck. The relic was found by a miracle in the 7th century and since then\, the Feast of the Holy Cross of Varague (Varak) has been celebrated in the Calendar of the Armenian Apostolic Church\, along with the other feasts dedicated to the Holy Cross. \nThe Pagan Armenian King Tiridates III (Drtad/ Trdat)\, becoming aware of the nun’s beauty\, also wished to get married to Hripsime. Accordingly\, Hripsime was brought to the palace\, with Gayane\, in order to convince Hripsime to obey the King. However\, Gayane told Hripsime to hold true to her faith and in his anger\, Tiridates ordered that all the nuns be killed. \nIn this storm of destruction\, King Tiridates became afflicted with strange maladies\, and no physician or pagan priest could heal him. It was only St. Gregory\, who the King had condemned to the pit in 287AD\, that was able to restore Tiridates\, through the power of prayer and faith. \nThe nuns’ martyrdom is a turning point in the history of the Armenian nation. After their martyrdom\, St Gregory was released from the pit and was able to spread the light of Christ in Armenia. \nUpon his delivery from the pit\, in the early 4th century\, St Gregory the Illuminator found the relics of the nuns and built chapels on those sites. Later\, during the time of St Sahak Partev (Bartev)\, these chapels were rebuilt and then again\, during the pontificate of Catholicos Gomidas (7th century)\, two beautiful cathedrals were erected. One of these\, the Cathedral of St Hripsime\, remains a monument of Armenian architecture. \nIn 1979 His Holiness Vasken I\, the Catholicos of All Armenians\, reported joyously to His Holiness Khoren I\, the Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia\, at Antelias\, that as a result of recent archaeological excavations firmly sealed graves were found and thought to be those of the witnesses\, Hripsime and her companions. \nHis Holiness Vasken I wrote: “It is with deep emotion that we wish to inform you that the ancient tomb\, discovered during the past year under the walls of the St. Hripsime monastery\, has disclosed graves of interred bodies without heads. It is highly probable that those remains are those of some of the maidens.” Because of the indication of how the bodies had been severed\, the direction in which they were buried\, and the absence of pagan like burial practices\, the archaeologists were able to confirm the authenticity of Hripsime and her followers’ relics at the site. \nIt is said that Hripsime was tortured and martyred at the location of Saint Hripsime Church\, while Gayane was tortured and martyred at the site of St Gayane church. The remaining group of unnamed nuns were martyred at the location of Shoghakat Church. \nIn the Armenian Apostolic Church\, on the days of the feasts dedicated to the memory of St Hripsime and her companions\, a Divine Liturgy is celebrated in all Armenian Churches. On the eve of the feast\, ceremonies are held\, which start after the evening service and Church hymns and songs\, dedicated to the nuns\, are sung.
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/commemoration-of-st-hripsime-and-her-companions-2-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Hripsime.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260602
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260603
DTSTAMP:20260416T175638
CREATED:20211023T111443Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250520T080705Z
UID:29624-1780358400-1780444799@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of St Gayane and her Companions
DESCRIPTION:  \nThe Commemoration of St Gayane takes place on the day following the Commemoration of St Hripsime. \nSt Gayane\, the abbess and St Hripsime\, along with their companions\, remind us of the central role of strong\, determined\, faithful women at the root of Armenian Christianity. While the recounting of the conversion to Christianity usually centres on King Tiridates (Drtad) and St Gregory the Illuminator\, St Gayane and St Hripsime’s actions start the whole narrative of the conversion of Armenia. \nAfter Hripsime bests and embarrasses King Tiridates III\, the king tries to force Gayane to convince her protegee to give herself over to the king. Instead\, Gayane encourages Hripsime to keep her vows and reminds her of the eternal reward Christ promised to all those who believe in Him. When the king realises the conviction of both women\, he has them and all their companion nuns killed. \nSt Hripsime\, St Gayane and their companions become some of the earliest martyrs of the Armenian Church and some of the earliest saints. It is this violent action on the part of the king that leads to his illness and at his sister Khosrovitoukht’s urging\, the king finally appeals to St Gregory to heal him\, leading to the king’s conversion to Christianity and his declaration that Armenia will be a Christian kingdom. \nWithout the valiant martyrdom of St Gayane and St Hripsime\, or the faithful encouragement of Khosrovitoukht\, all women\, the conversion of Armenia would never have happened. \nIt is worth noting here that the very first “native” saint and martyr of the Armenian Church was also a woman\, St Santukht. \nPlaying such a crucial role in the conversion of Armenia\, standing right at the source of Christianity in Armenia\, St Gayane\, St Hripsime and their companions have inspired Armenians for centuries. They are an important source and inspiration for women involved in the Armenian Apostolic Church. As an abbess\, St Gayane is the precursor to all women monastics and ordained women in the Armenian Apostolic Church. In the twenty first century we often feel the scarcity of women engaged in active ministry in the Armenian Church. However\, there is a long tradition of Armenian nuns and female monastics. Likewise\, while there are only a few ordained women deacons\, deaconesses\, around the world today\, in certain times and places\, Istanbul\, Tiflis\, and Isfahan in particular\, Armenian women were ordained to the order of the diaconate. Most often\, this took place in the context of a monastery or a monastic order. Ultimately\, all Armenian deaconesses\, women monastics and women serving the Armenian Church have as a source of inspiration and a model St Gayane and St Hripsime. \nThese two women\, their companions and the story of their intense faith in Jesus Christ and the strength afforded them through the Holy Spirit\, have inspired both men and women to commemorate them. After their martyrdom there was an early tradition that placed their burial sites in the city of Vagharshapat\, most commonly known as Etchmiadzin\, after the mother Cathedral. These shrines were eventually built up and today the two churches of St Gayane and St Hripsime both stand in the city of Vagharshapat as some of the oldest standing Armenian churches in the world. Notably\, Catholicos Komitas I\, known both for his building projects and his hymns\, was behind the project to build the church dedicated to St Hripsime. Dedicated in 618\, Catholicos Komitas I also composed a celebrated hymn\, Andzink Nviryalk\, or “Devoted Persons\,” to commemorate the dedication of the church. The hymn is sung as the Orhnutyun Sharagan the morning of the commemoration of St. Hripsime. \nRef: vemkar.us
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/commemoration-of-st-gayane-and-her-companions-2-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Gayane.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260604
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260605
DTSTAMP:20260416T175638
CREATED:20211023T112533Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250520T081610Z
UID:29637-1780531200-1780617599@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of St John the Baptist (the Forerunner) and Bishop Atanagine
DESCRIPTION:  \nThe Armenian Church commemorates the day when the relics of St John the Forerunner (the Baptist) and Bishop Atanagine were transferred to Armenia. \nMariam\, the wife of St Gregory the Illuminator\, had a brother named Atanagine. He was the Bishop of Pitacton and died while defending the faith. After his consecration in Caesarea\, St Gregory brought the relics of St John and Bishop Atanagine to Armenia and buried them in locations named Innaknya and Bagavan\, in the region of Ashtishat and built martyriums (shrines) at those sites. \nAfter baptising King Tiridates and the royal court in 301 AD\, St Gregory the Illuminator celebrated the Divine Liturgy and gave instructions that the memories of St John and Bishop Atanagine should be commemorated on that specific day\, every year\, instead of the feast of Vanatour\, which was the pagan god of the New Year.
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/commemoration-of-st-john-the-baptist-the-forerunner-and-bishop-atanagine-2-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/St-John-Atanagines.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260606
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260607
DTSTAMP:20260416T175638
CREATED:20211023T114254Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250520T082213Z
UID:29650-1780704000-1780790399@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Feast of St Gregory the Illuminator’s deliverance from the pit
DESCRIPTION:  \n\n\n\n\nThe Feast of St Gregory the Illuminator’s deliverance from the pit is also known as Khor Viraben Yelkuh. Gregory is revered as the patron saint of the Armenian Church. He is recognised and memorialided in both eastern and western hierarchical churches. The Armenian liturgical calendar reserves three feast days in his honour: Entrance into the pit; deliverance from the pit and the discovery of the relics. In addition to these three days\, there are several feast days to which he is closely connected\, namely the feast days for Saints Hripsime and Gayane\, Shoghakat\, Holy Etchmiadzin and King Tiridates (Trdat). The Roman Catholic Church\, Orthodox churches\, and Oriental Orthodox churches have special days in their calendars for the veneration of St Gregory\, who is considered to be one of the Fathers of the early Christian church. \nSt Gregory was condemned to the pit in 287 AD by King Tiridates III which preceded the persecution of Christians. After the martyrdom of a group of nuns who came to Armenia from Rome\, led by Hripsime and Gayane\, Tiridates was stricken with strange maladies. His sister\, Khosrovitoukht\, had a dream that St Gregory was the only person who could heal her brother. Miraculously\, Gregory was still alive after many years in the pit\, thanks to the daily visits of an angel. Gregory emerged from the pit and with the intercession of his prayers\, the king recovered and was thus baptised as Tiridates III declared Christianity to be the official religion of Armenia in 301AD. \nSt Gregory became the patron saint of the Armenian Church and Tiridates and his wife\, Queen Ashkhen\, became ardent supporters in Gregory’s efforts to preach Christianity throughout Armenia and baptise the Armenian nation. \nSt Gregory was not the first to preach Christianity in Armenia. That distinction belongs to the apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew\, who came to Armenia in the first century\, and thus gave the Armenian Church its Apostolic designation. Nevertheless\, Gregory is revered and is considered by Armenians to be the father of their faith. Hundreds of churches have been built and named in his honour. \n“The ancient calendars of the still undivided Church celebrated him [Gregory] on the same day in both the East and the West as a tireless apostle of truth and holiness. The father in faith of the whole Armenian people\, St Gregory still intercedes from heaven today\, so that all the children of your great nation may at last gather round the one table prepared by Christ\, the divine Shepherd of one flock.” \nPope John Paul II in his “Apostolic Letter for the 1700th Anniversary of the Baptism of the Armenian People\,” issued February 2\, 2001.
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/feast-of-st-gregory-the-illuminators-deliverance-from-the-pit-2-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/St-Gregory-deliverance.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260607
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260608
DTSTAMP:20260416T175638
CREATED:20211023T115444Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250520T082631Z
UID:29663-1780790400-1780876799@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Feast of the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin
DESCRIPTION:  \nOne of the most celebrated feasts of the Armenian Church is the day when the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin was established\, according to the inspired vision of St Gregory the Illuminator. \nAccording to hagiographic sources\, following the declaration of Christianity as the Official Religion of Armenia in 301 AD\, St Gregory had a famous vision\, wherein the Only Begotten Son of God\, Jesus Christ\, descended from Heaven\, his face lit aglow and with the strike of a golden hammer designated the site where the Mother Cathedral for the entire Armenian nation was to be founded. Hence\, the name of the spiritual centre for the Armenians\, “Etchmiadzin”\, means “the Descent of the Only Begotten” (Etch – descent\, mi – only\, dzin – begotten.) \nSt Gregory relayed the story about his vision to the Armenian King Tiridates III (Drtad)\, under whose royal auspices and support the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin was built.  King Tiridates and Queen Ashkhen participated in the construction\, as did the entire capital city of Vagharshapat\, by bringing stones from the biblical mountain of Ararat to lay the foundations. In the site marked by Christ\, a Holy Altar of Descent was built. \nAccording to Patriarch Malachia Ormanian\, from the days of her establishment\, the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin has been the residence of the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians.  Thus\, it is the Mother See of the Armenian Church and\, as such\, her universal\, spiritual and administrative headquarters. \nAnother title bestowed upon the cathedral is “Catholic”\, not to be confused with the Roman Catholic faith.  Catholic is a Greek word meaning “Universal”. Theologically\, the cathedral has been called “catholic” as a description of the catholicity (universality) of the Church. \nThe feast of the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin is celebrated 64 days following Easter.  A Divine Liturgy is celebrated and during services\, a special hymn is sung\, written by the eighth century Catholicos Sahak of Dzorap\, telling of St Gregory’s vision and the Cathedral’s construction.
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/feast-of-the-cathedral-of-holy-etchmiadzin-2-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Etchmiadzin.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260608
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260609
DTSTAMP:20260416T175638
CREATED:20250520T084109Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250520T084143Z
UID:29676-1780876800-1780963199@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of the Children of Bethlehem\, Acacius the Witness\, Movkima the Priest and Kotriatos the Soldier
DESCRIPTION:  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n\n\n\nIn the Gospel according to St. Matthew\, we read about the slaying of the innocent children prior to the birth of Jesus Christ (Matthew 2:16-18). Men\, who had come from the East to Jerusalem\, spread the news of the birth of a “baby born to be the king of the Jews”. When this news reached Heron\, King of Judea\, he became very troubled. As a result of his jealousy and rage in not being able to locate the newborn baby\, the King orders the death of all male children in Bethlehem who are two years old and younger. The blood of the innocent children became the first blood shed for the sake of Christ. The Armenian Church has dedicated many church hymns and songs to the memory of the Children of Bethlehem\, and they are commemorated on the Monday following the Feast of the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin. \nThe same day the Armenian Church celebrates the memory of three saints\, martyred for the sake of Christianity – Acacius the Witness\, Movkima the Priest and Kotriatos the Soldier.According to “Haysmavourk”\, Acacius was martyred for the faith during the reign of the Emperor Likianos.  Being subjected to indescribable torments and managing to survive surrounded by wild beasts\, the saint was beheaded in 310 AD. \nMovkima the Priest\, Byzantine by birth\, was the son of a high-ranking Christian officer. Being a devout preacher of Christianity\, he was subjected to many torments by the governor of the city Ampipolis of Macedonia. Later\, he was sent to Byzantium\, where he was condemned to death by beheading. Emperor Constantine would later build a magnificent church over the tomb of the saint. \nKotriatos the Soldier was martyred as a result of persecutions by the pagan King Dekos. Considering himself to be a “servant of the Heavenly King”\, the brave saint endured many tortures through the strength of his Christian faith and became an example for others to remain steadfast in times of trouble. Kotriatos was also put to death by beheading. \n  \n\n\n\n 
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/commemoration-of-the-children-of-bethlehem-acacius-the-witness-movkima-the-priest-and-kotriatos-the-soldier-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Children-of-Bethlehem.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260609
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260610
DTSTAMP:20260416T175638
CREATED:20211024T040254Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250520T084829Z
UID:29689-1780963200-1781049599@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of St Nune and St Mane
DESCRIPTION:  \nSt Nune and St Mane were two of the companions of St Hripsime\, who\, being persecuted by the King Dioklethianos\, left Rome with the Abbess Gayane and her order of nuns\, and reached Armenia where she was martyred. However\, Nune and Mane were not destined to die together with their companions. \nReaching Armenia together with Abbess Gayane and her companions\, St Mane left them and went to the area of Mount Sebouh\, where she remained isolated in a cave and lived an ascetic life. St Mane lived an “angel’s life”\, strengthened by means of prayers and divine consolation\, and later the cave was called by her name\, “Mane’s cave”. \nDuring that same period\, St Gregory the Illuminator\, in his old age\, also wished for solitude and wanted to live his last days in seclusion. He chose a cave on Mount Sebouh\, near Erzindjan.  Approaching the cave\, he heard the voice of the St Mane asking him to return to the cave three days later. Respecting the wishes of the nun\, St Gregory returned to the cave three days later and finding the nun dead\, buried her body in the cave. \nThe nun St Nune (or Nino)\, escaped the persecutions of the Armenian King Tiridates (Drtad) and left for Georgia’s capital city of Mtskheta. There she continued to live a prayerful life and preached the Gospel\, converting the entire nation to Christianity. She became famous for the miracles she worked and for her philanthropic activity. Hearing of her miracles\, Nune was taken to the royal palace\, where she healed the sick queen. Refusing all gifts\, Nune continued preaching the Gospel. The Georgian King Mihran\, feeling the presence of God\, converted to Christianity. The Gospel was preached throughout Georgia. Upon the advice of Nune\, a delegation was sent to the Armenian Pontiff St Gregory the Illuminator and the Armenian King Tiridates asking them to send clergy to perform baptisms and Holy Mass. Thus\, St. Nune became the apostle of Georgia.
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/commemoration-of-st-nune-and-st-mane-2-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260613
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260614
DTSTAMP:20260416T175638
CREATED:20211024T042212Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250520T085608Z
UID:29702-1781308800-1781395199@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of St Nersess the Great and St Bishop Khad
DESCRIPTION:  \nSt Nersess was an Armenian Catholicos (Patriarch) who lived in the 4th century and was the great grandson of St Gregory the Illuminator. His father\, Athenogenes\, and his uncle\, Bab\, who were next in line for the succession to the Throne of St Gregory\, were laymen and had no desire to become priests. As professional soldiers\, they showed no inclination to spirituality and their worldly behaviour convinced the Armenian bishops that neither of them were suitable for the position of chief bishop. \nTherefore\, the church turned its attention to Nersess\, the son of Athenogenes\, to assume the position. St Nersess had spent his youth in Caesarea where he married Sanducht\, (presumably the daughter of King Diran) and they had a son\, who later became the renowned Catholicos\, St Sahag the Parthian\, grandfather of St Vartan Mamigonian. St Nersess was a courtier and served as chamberlain of King Arshag II. \nHowever\, despite his secular background\, St Nersess was a pious Christian. His connection with St Gregory the Illuminator impressed the royal magnates who held council with the king and they advised the king to persuade St Nersess to become the spiritual leader of Armenia. A humble man by nature\, St Nersess refused their proposal\, feeling unworthy of such an honour. The king dismissed his arguments and insisted that St Nersess immediately be ordained a deacon\, then priest\, and ultimately chief bishop or Catholicos. He was ordained by Archbishop Eusebius of Caesarea in 353 A.D. \nSt Nersess’ patriarchate marked a new era in Armenian history. Previously\, the Church had been identified\, primarily\, with royal family and noblemen; St Nersess now brought the Church into a closer relationship with its people. St Nersess immediately undertook his duties of the chief bishop\, renovating old churches\, founding new ones and tending to the spiritual needs of his flock. In the early days of Christianity in Armenia however\, many of the people were not strong in their Christian practices. To that end\, St Nersess held a council of bishops in Ashdishad and introduced a number of reforms regarding divine worship\, laws on marriage and fast days in order to make the beliefs of the church more uniform. \nSt Nerses also became known for his concern for moral purity and preserving the sanctity of marriage and family life. He built schools and hospitals\, orphanages\, shelters for the poor and the lepers\, and he urged his people to maintain these institutions. Thus\, St Nersess has been described by many as the founder of Christian charity in Armenia and recognised as the clergyman who established the Church’s role as the guardian of the Armenian people in its spiritual\, social and educational aspects. \nAs a leader\, St Nersess also participated in the political life of his country and was among King Arshag’s chief advisors during the period 353-359 AD. Upon Nersess’ initiative\, a National Ecclesiastical Council was convened in Ashtishat in 354 AD. \nHowever\, King Arshag’s adherence to the religious policy (Arianism) of his ally\, the Roman emperor\, a policy which conflicted with St Nersess’ Christian Orthodox beliefs\, eventually necessitated the removal of St Nersess. He was exiled for nine years. When he returned\, King Bab\, Arshag’s son\, reigned. Due to the conflict in their beliefs\, the friction between the King and St Nersess intensified during the next few years. \nThe religious differences\, as well as St Nersess’ condemnation of King Bab’s moral depravity\, are cited as reasons for St Nersess’ sudden\, untimely death. At the king’s order\, St Nersess was poisoned in 373 A.D. He was buried in Til\, near the tomb of his great uncle St Aristakes (Arisdages). A cathedral built over the original grave site was destroyed in the 7th century. While the exact site is unknown\, relics were discovered and distributed in the 13th century between the church in Erzindjan and the nearby village of Kee\, where the Monastery of Dirashen stood. Another monastery near Til\, Chukhdag Hayrabedats\, also claimed to have discovered relics of St Nersess in the second half of the 7th century. \nFor his devout activity\, Nersess the Great is also called the “Illuminator of Hearts”. \nS Nersess is always commemorated with his associate Bishop Khad (Khat). Like Nersess\, Khat\, a native of the village of Marak near Karin (modern Erzurum) was a married man and had two daughters. He had been St Nersess’ pupil and deacon. Ultimately he rose to the rank of bishop and was placed in charge of two districts\, Pakrevant and Arsharunik. Through the marriage of his daughters\, he was associated with the noble Abahuni clan. During St Nersess’ tenure of office\, he was designated as supervisor of the poor and the charitable institutions founded by his mentor. The latter\, in his absence\, entrusted him with the care of church affairs\, officially naming him his vicar. Khat faithfully carried out his ministry. \nLike Nereses\, Khat was also an adamant supporter of orthodoxy against the royal court\, which adhered to the heretical teachings of Arius. For this reason\, he was in conflict with the king\, who tried to bribe him\, to no avail\, since Khat distributed the gifts bestowed on him among the poor. King Arshag had him driven from the royal camp and ordered his men to stone the bishop. He was spared the ordeal of a painful death thanks to his Abahuni clansmen\, related to him through marriage. One of his sons in law\, Asurk\, succeeded to his episcopal rank and office\, presumably after his own wife’s demise. \nKhat is not a martyr\, but his sufferings at the hands of King Arshag make him a confessor. \nBy the Very Rev. Fr. Krikor Maksoudian\, adapted from his volume\, “The Holy Feasts of St. Gregory the Illuminator” (St. Vartan Press\, 2002).
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/commemoration-of-st-nersess-the-great-and-st-bishop-khad-2-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260614
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260615
DTSTAMP:20260416T175638
CREATED:20211024T033355Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250520T090337Z
UID:29715-1781395200-1781481599@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Eve of the Fast of St Gregory the Illuminator
DESCRIPTION:  \nThis is the Sunday preceding the week prior to the feast of Discovery of St Gregory the Illuminator’s relics\, in the 5th century. The week long fast lasts from Monday to Friday.
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/eve-of-the-fast-of-st-gregory-the-illuminator-2-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260616
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260617
DTSTAMP:20260416T175638
CREATED:20211024T053026Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250520T090925Z
UID:29728-1781568000-1781654399@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of Sts Constantine (Kostandianos) the Emperor and his mother Helen (Helena)
DESCRIPTION:  \nKing Kostandianos (Constantine) was born in the city of Nish\, in the former Yugoslavia. He is one of the most prominent figures of the Roman Empire. It was he who officially released the Church from persecutions lasting more than 250 years and in 313 A.D. By the Encyclical of Milan he proclaimed Christianity to be a permitted religion. It was during the period of his reign that the first Ecumenical Council of 325 A.D. was convened\, which condemned Arius (and Arianism) and adopted the word “Birth” to show that the Holy Son has the same nature as the Holy Father and is God. King Kostandianos supported the construction of magnificent Churches and Cathedrals in the Holy Sites of Jerusalem and Bethlehem. \nKing Kostandianos was also a renowned and successful captain in battle. According to tradition\, before the decisive battle against the imposter\, King Maxentios\, he had the vision of the Holy Cross. With the sign of the Holy Cross he faced the battle and won. King Kostandianos passed away in 337 A.D\, and at death’s door he was baptised according to the Christian rite. \nQueen Helena (Heghineh)\, mother of the King Kostandianos\, supported the king’s pious activity. The discovery of the wooden Holy Cross\, is ascribed to the Queen. In 327AD\, the Queen\, who was in her mid seventies\, set out on a long journey to Jerusalem with the primary intention of finding the actual Cross upon which Jesus Christ had been crucified. Following a series of inquiries\, with the help of a local Jew named Judas in Golgotha (where Christ was crucified)\, the Cross was discovered\, and the authenticity of the relic was tested by a miracle. \nWhen the Cross was unearthed\, two other crosses were found in the same place. Jesus was crucified with two thieves\, and when the three crosses were discovered side by side\, it raised questions about which was the True Cross. Just then\, a funeral procession was passing by. The procession was stopped\, and the corpse of the deceased was placed upon the first cross. Nothing happened. The corpse was then placed upon the second cross. Again\, nothing happened. Finally\, the corpse was placed upon the third cross which happened to be the True Cross. Immediately\, the deceased came back to life having touched the very wood upon which Jesus had been crucified. \nAfter that miracle\, Judas Cyriacus is converted to Christianity and later becomes a bishop of Jerusalem. After the discovery of the Holy Cross\, Heghineh renovated the Holy Places of Jerusalem and built the Church of Holy Resurrection of Golgotha\, where later the Lord’s cross was installed. \nQueen Heghineh (Helena) passed away in 330 A.D.
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/commemoration-of-sts-constantine-kostandianos-the-emperor-and-his-mother-helen-helena-2-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260620
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260621
DTSTAMP:20260416T175638
CREATED:20211023T222956Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250520T091536Z
UID:29741-1781913600-1781999999@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration Day of the Discovery of the Relics of St Gregory the Illuminator
DESCRIPTION:  \nThe relics of St Gregory the Illuminator (Lousavorich) are one of our most revered within the Armenian Church\, as well as all Christian Churches. \nThe discovery of the relics of St Gregory the Illuminator is one of the three significant feast days dedicated to the memory of the Patron Saint of Armenia and the impact of the holy father on the foundation of that which has become our National Church. \nAs St Gregory grew old and became more involved in solitary life\, King Tiridates III (Drtad) asked him to ordain Gregory’s younger son Arisdagés\, a bishop\, and to take him on as his assistant. Gregory had already retired by 325AD\, when the Holy Council of Nicea took place\, and thus he sent his son Arisdagés in his place to participate in this first ecumenical gathering of bishops of the Christian Church. In his retired state\, however\, Gregory continued his pastoral work by preaching and writing homilies\, employing a simple language so that people could understand. \nAccording to Holy Tradition\, following Armenia’s conversion to Christianity\, in his final years\, St Gregory led an ascetic life in the cave of Mane. The “Caves of Mane” were located on a mountain named Sebouh\, near Erzindjan (now in Eastern Turkey)\, where he died.  This place had previously been the residence of the Virgin Mané\, one of St Hripsime’s companions. It is unclear how long St Gregory lived there and when exactly he died. Shepherds found his body and buried him beneath a pile of stones\, not recognising the Armenian Pontiff. The St Krikor the Illuminator or Medz Lousavorich Monastery was founded on this site in the fifth century. \nDuring the fifth century\, a hermit named Karnig of Basen was guided by a vision to the grave of the saint and discovered his relics. It was customary in those days to distribute relics of saints to various churches in different parts\, and most probably\, the same practice was implemented in St Gregory’s case. Karnig took the body of the saint to the village of Tortan\, in the province of Daranagh\, located to the east of Mount Sebouh\, and buried some of the relics there; the rest were taken elsewhere. At some point\, on or near St Gregory’s unmarked grave\, a church was built\, which is now known as The Holy Saviour Monastery of Tortan (Grave of the Nine Saints).  The exact site of St Gregory’s grave in Tortan was not known\, even to visitors in the tenth century; but nine other graves existed inside the church and were said to belong to King Tiridates\, his queen Askhen\, his sister Khosrovitoukht and other members of St Gregory’s family. The church has been abandoned since the events of 1915. \nHoly Relics \nThe remaining relics of St Gregory were later taken to the Monastery of St John the Baptist in Pakavan (Bagavan)\, where St Gregory had baptised King Tiridates and the Armenian people in the Aradzani River. The relics were kept in a box and taken out on important occasions. In 450 AD\, a rumour arose in Armenia that St Vartan and the Armenian wealthy and influentials had accepted the Persian religion during their visit to Persia’s royal court. On returning\, they were met by a gathering of priests\, noblemen and common people who held forth the box of St Gregory’s relics as a reminder of their Christian roots. Similar incidents occurred at times of turmoil and joy. \nThe relics of St Gregory were later taken and laid beneath the massive columns of the Holy Zvartnots Church\, whose ruins are still visible near the airport of Yerevan. The saint’s skull was kept separately in a box. At some point the skull was transferred to the West and is now kept in the church of St Gregory the Armenian in Naples\, Italy. Recently\, some other relics of St Gregory\, deposited in Naples\, were recently transferred to the Armenian Church by the Roman Catholic Church\, as a tribute to the 1700th anniversary of Armenia’s conversion to Christianity. \nToday\, relics of St Gregory may be found at Holy Etchmiadzin\, Holy Jerusalem and Antilias. The relic at Holy Etchmiadzin\, encased in an arm shaped reliquary\, is used to bless the Holy Chrism (Muron) once every seven years. It is on display in the treasury of the Holy See. \nIn the calendar of the Armenian Church\, the discovery of the relics of St Gregory is an important feast and is commemorated on the Saturday before the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost. \nRef: Very Rev. Fr. Krikor Maskoudian\, adapted from his book “The Holy Feasts of Saint Gregory the Illuminator: Celebrating the Life & Lineage of Armenia’s Patron Saint” (2003). \nClick here for further information on the Churches and Monasteries of Erzindjan.
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/commemoration-day-of-the-discovery-of-the-relics-of-st-gregory-the-illuminator-2-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260623
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260624
DTSTAMP:20260416T175638
CREATED:20211024T055141Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250520T092121Z
UID:29754-1782172800-1782259199@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of the Prophet Daniel and his Companions Saints Setrak\, Misak and Apetnakov
DESCRIPTION:  \nThe Prophet Daniel (meaning God is my Judge)\, is one of the four great prophets of the Old Testament. Nearly all that is known concerning the Prophet is derived from the book ascribed to him\, which dates back to the VII-VI centuries B.C. \nDaniel and his youthful companions Shadrach (Setrak)\, Meshach (Misak) and Abednego (Apetnakov) were captured during the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah. They were taken to Babylon and found favour with the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar. Soon after\, due to his intellect and talents\, he is given a high ranking position in the king’s chancellery. \nDaniel becomes famous when he rescues an innocent woman from the unfounded slander of two men. Having gained greater notoriety\, Daniel interprets a dream had by King Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel’s successes create envy amongst the other servants in the royal court. They accuse him of worshipping false gods and demand that the King imprison the prophet. Daniel is thrown into a den of lions. The following day\, the king approaches the pit to mourn the death of his devoted and wise servant. He is surprised to hear the Prophet Daniel responding to his cries of sorrow. Daniel tells the king that God sealed the mouths of the lions to protect him from harm. Daniel continues\, saying that he is innocent\, and has not wronged the king by his worship of God. The king is overjoyed\, and orders that Daniel be released from the lions’ den. \nThree young men and companions of Daniel; Hananiah\, Mishael and Azariah\, were also taken to Babylon.  Upon their arrival they received new names\, Setrak\, Misak and Apetnakov. They were raised and educated in the royal court together with the prophet Daniel and were very protective of their faith. Once\, during a solemn festival\, as everyone worshipped King Nebuchadnezzar’s golden statue\, Setrak\, Misak and Apetnakov refused to bow down before it. The king ordered the three men to be thrown into a blazing furnace for their disobedience. Instead of burning\, however\, they continued to render glory to God and were protected by an angel of heaven. Witnessing the miracle\, the king released the three young men\, blessed them and worshipped God. \nRef: Book of Daniel\, chapters 1 to 3 
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/commemoration-of-the-prophet-daniel-and-his-companions-saints-setrak-misak-and-apetnakov-2-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260625
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260626
DTSTAMP:20260416T175638
CREATED:20211024T061721Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250520T092545Z
UID:29767-1782345600-1782431999@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Feast of the Holy Translators St Sahak (Sahag) and St Mesrop (Mesrob)
DESCRIPTION:  \nCatholicos St Sahak Bartev (Partev) and Archimandrite St Mesrop (Vardapet) Mashtots are the founders of Armenian literature and ecclesiastical bibliography. \nSt Sahak Partev was the elder son of Catholicos St Nersess the Great. He was the last Catholicos of the Armenian Church who descended from the lineage of St Gregory the Illuminator. He became Catholicos of All Armenians in 387 A.D\, and reigned for an astounding 52 years. Being a talented musician and educated in the rhetorical arts\, philosophy and linguistics\, St Sahak greatly contributed to the development of the Armenian national culture. He was the strongest advocate for the creation of an Armenian Alphabet and became its chief patron. \nSt Mesrop Mashtots was born in 360 A.D. and studied the Greek and Persian languages from childhood. He initially served as a scribe in the royal court. Leaving secular life behind\, he became a monk and lived an ascetic life. During his preaching of the Gospel\, St Mesrop felt the necessity to create a distinct Armenian Alphabet and to have the Holy Bible translated into Armenian. During those years\, the Bible was only available in Greek and Syriac. In Armenia\, they used to use ciphers\, or symbols\, which were used by the former pagan priests. Following the Great Conversion of the Armenian nation to Christianity\, the symbols fell into disuse\, and the only remaining copy was in Mesopotamia with a bishop named Daniel the Syrian. Upon the order of King Vramshapouh\, the symbols were brought to Armenia. However\, as Mashtots taught his new students with these symbols\, he soon found them to be lacking\, as they were imperfect and defective. Together with his students\, he departed for Mesopotamia and visited the cities of Antioch\, Edessa and Samosata\, to conduct further research. \nIn 404-405 A.D\, St Mesrop created the Armenian Alphabet through Divine Grace. According to Koryun\, one day\, Mesrop received a vision from God\, who instructed and aided the saint in the modification of the ancient letters\, thus creating the 36 letters of the Armenian alphabet. For the first time in the history of the nation\, the Armenian people had a specific and distinctive alphabet. \nFollowing the creation of the Armenian Alphabet\, St Sahak and St Mesrop opened a school for translators in the city of Vagharshapat (Etchmiadzin). There they began the translation of the Holy Bible into Armenian and did it so perfectly\, that centuries hence\, the Armenian Translation is called the “Queen Translation of the Breath of God”. \nThe first sentence translated from the Holy Bible is the opening verse of the Book of Proverbs: “To know wisdom and instruction\, to perceive the words of understanding”. \nSt Mesrop Mashtots passed away in Vagharshapat\, and was buried in his home village of Oshakan. According to tradition\, during the entire journey of transferring the remains of St Mesrop to Oshakan\, a canopy of light fell upon the pilgrims and accompanied them until they reached the tomb. The Church of St Mesrop Mashtots\, which exists to this day\, was built over his grave.
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/feast-of-the-holy-translators-st-sahak-sahag-and-st-mesrop-mesrop-2-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260627
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260628
DTSTAMP:20260416T175638
CREATED:20211024T063541Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250520T093250Z
UID:29780-1782518400-1782604799@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of Saints King Tiridates\, Queen Ashkhen and Princess Khosrovitoukht
DESCRIPTION:  \nIn 287 A.D. Tiridates (Drtad)\, from the royal house of Arshakouni\, assumed the throne which once belonged to his father and he became Tiridates III\, King of Armenia. His name is inextricably linked with the Patron Saint of the Armenian Church\, St Gregory the Illuminator. In 301 A.D\, the king released the Christian Gregory from imprisonment in the pit and proclaimed Christianity to be the State Religion of Armenia. In doing so\, he became the greatest advocate of the spread of Christianity throughout the country. \nThe names of Queen Ashkhen and the King’s sister\, Khosrovitoukht are closely related to the Great Conversion of Armenia as well. Princess Khosrovitoukht’s vision of a cure for the King’s incurable illness resulted in the deliverance of  St Gregory the Illuminator from the pit. St Gregory was then free to begin the process of spreading the light of Christianity\, which is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. \nAccording to Greek historian Agathangelos\, St Gregory baptised the King\, the Queen and the Princess upon his return from Caesarea\, where he had travelled to receive episcopal ordination. St Gregory then baptised the the royal court and the nobles of Armenia. Through the baptism by St Gregory\, Tiridates became the first king in the world to rule over a Christian country. History also reveals that Tiridates\, Ashkhen and Khosrovitoukht personally participated in the construction of the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin. The stones they used to build the cathedral were brought to Vagharshapat from the slopes of Biblical Mount Ararat. \nAll three helped St Gregory spread Christianity throughout Armenia. In their later years the Queen and Princess lived in the fortress of Garni and the King retired to St Gregory’s retreat on Mount Sebouh.
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/commemoration-of-saints-king-tiridates-queen-ashkhen-and-princess-khosrovitoukht-2-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260628
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260629
DTSTAMP:20260416T175638
CREATED:20211024T121623Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250520T094748Z
UID:29793-1782604800-1782691199@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Feast of the Discovery of St Mary’s Box
DESCRIPTION:  \nAccording to tradition\, while on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem\, two Greek princes came across a chest that once belonged to St Mary. \nIn Galilee\, they saw a large crowd gathered in front of a Jewish woman’s house. On enquiring\, they found that the sick were being healed due to the inexplicable power of the chest. The princes took the box to Constantinople and presented it to the Patriarch\, who placed it in the Church of St Mary.  The Patriarch then established the Feast of the Discovery of St Mary’s Box. \nBecause there are no relics of the Holy Mother’s earthly body (she was assumed into Heaven)\, her personal belongings became the object of devotion and veneration. During the time of the early Church\, when Christians were persecuted\, her possessions were kept hidden and secret. \nThe Armenian Church celebrates this feast upon the order of the Catholicos Simeon from Yerevan\, who accepted this tradition from the Greek Orthodox Church in the late 18th century. \nThis feast day is celebrated on the fifth Sunday after Pentecost.
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/feast-of-the-discovery-of-st-marys-box-2-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260630
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260701
DTSTAMP:20260416T175638
CREATED:20211024T204109Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250520T095456Z
UID:29806-1782777600-1782863999@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of the Prophet Zechariah
DESCRIPTION:  \nEvery year\, the Armenian Church reserves a day in its liturgical calendar to remember one of the more obscure figures of the Old Testament: the Prophet Zechariah. \nZechariah’s collection of prophecies and oracles stands among the last books of the canonical Old Testament. In its opening verse\, Zechariah situates himself in time during the reign of the Persian King Darius the Great— some 500 years before the birth of Christ. It was a time when the Hebrews had returned to their ancestral homeland after the long\, enforced absence of the Babylonian Captivity. \nZechariah\, who seems to have descended from a priestly clan\, was deeply concerned with the re establishment of a holy\, Godly way of life for his people\, as they reclaimed their patrimony in Jerusalem and its surrounding regions. His name means “God remembered”; but it was clearly Zechariah himself who remembered the God of his fathers in his writing\, and who was trying\, with a certain desperation\, to awaken that memory in his forgetful countrymen. \nAs prophetic books go\, Zechariah’s is notoriously difficult to understand. It seems to lurch back and forth unpredictably between Zechariah’s living memory\, his experiences and observations\, and his ecstatic visions of a future when the Messiah would arrive to right the world’s wrongs and establish his everlasting rule. \nTo arrive at that day\, however\, the world would have to undergo a painful tribulation. It was Zechariah’s view that mankind’s own degeneracy would be the spur that invited the saving intervention of God’s Messiah\, and his prophetic oracles provided the vocabulary for the “apocalyptic” literature of later ages. Vivid images that we associate with the New Testament Revelation of John: the Four Horsemen and the Harlot of Babylon\, find their origins in Zechariah’s powerful visions. \nBut these are not the only New Testament echoes of Zechariah. The Gospel writers themselves seem to have been influenced by the prophet as they set down and made sense of the life of Jesus. Consider these extraordinary parallels with some of the most famous Gospel passages: \nFrom Zechariah 9:9: “Rejoice greatly\, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud\, O daughter of Jerusalem! Lo\, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he\, humble and riding on an ass\, on a colt the foal of an ass.” \nNow compare that to the story of Christ’s entry into Jerusalem\, at Matthew 21.5-7. “Say to Daughter Zion\,\n‘See\, your king comes to you\, gentle and riding on a donkey\, and on a colt\, the foal of a donkey.” \nFrom Zechariah 12:10: “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of compassion and supplication\, so that\, when they look on him whom they have pierced\, they shall mourn for him\, as one mourns for an only child\, and weep bitterly over him\, as one weeps over a first-born.” \nCompare that to John 19:34-37\, where the Roman centurion stabs Christ’s side following our Lord’s death on the cross: “Instead\, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear\, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.  The man who saw it has given testimony\, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth\, and he testifies so that you also may believe.These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled:“Not one of his bones will be broken\,” and\, as another scripture says\, “They will look on the one they have pierced.” \nFrom Zechariah 11:12-13: “Then I said to them\, ‘If it seems right to you\, give me my wages; but if not\, keep them.’ And they weighed out as my wages thirty shekels of silver. Then the Lord said to me\, ‘Cast it into the treasury’—the lordly price at which I was paid off by them. So I took the thirty shekels of silver and cast them into the treasury in the house of the Lord.” \nCompare that to Matthew 27:3-10\, the account of Judas’ guilt over his betrayal of Jesus: When Judas\, who had betrayed him\, saw that Jesus was condemned\, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. “I have sinned\,” he said\, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.” “What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.”  So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.  The chief priests picked up the coins and said\, “It is against the law to put this into the treasury\, since it is blood money.”  So they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners. That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day. Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “They took the thirty pieces of silver\, the price set on him by the people of Israel\, 10 and they used them to buy the potter’s field\, as the Lord commanded me.” \nAll of these examples show the Gospel writers drawing on the language of Zechariah to remind their readers that Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies—even in ways\, he couldn’t have controlled. \nElsewhere in the gospels\, however\, we see a conscious use of Zechariah by Jesus himself. On the night of his arrest\, camped out with the disciples on the Mount of Olives\, Jesus sadly predicted how his own friends would abandon him in his time of need. “You will all fall away because of me this night\,” Christ says at Matthew 26:31; “for it is written\, ‘I will strike the shepherd\, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’” \nThis is a direct allusion\, from the very lips of Jesus\, to Zechariah 13:7: “Awake\, O sword\, against my shepherd\, against the man who stands next to me\, says the Lord of hosts. Strike the shepherd\, that the sheep may be scattered…” \nIn these and other Scriptural moments\, we can see how an obscure\, misunderstood prophet affected the life of Jesus and his contemporaries\, and thus shaped the world that would arise on the Christian faith. \nThe deepest of Zechariah’s concerns was the purity of worship life\, especially as it was exemplified in the rituals of the Hebrew Temple. His ancestors had witnessed in horror the destruction of the original Temple of King Solomon; and his immediate forebears had erected a second\, less elaborate Temple when they returned to Jerusalem after their exile. \nIn this\, Zechariah’s experience was not so different from that of the Armenian people\, who at various times in their history would see their houses of worship seized and demolished; but who never gave up the hope of restoring them\, and revivifying them with the music and rituals of Holy Badarak. Perhaps this is why the Armenians took the unusual step of sanctifying one day each year in Zechariah’s memory. \nIn his own day\, however\, Zechariah could only dream of such a restoration to holiness. In his writings\, he laments the degraded worship life of his people. He rails against the commodification of the Hebrew Temple\, where material transactions had come to displace matters of the spirit. In the last line of his prophetic book\, he pictured a future time when worship would be purified\, and “there shall no longer be a trader in the house of the Lord of hosts on that day” (Zechariah 14:21). \nThough he did not live to see it\, Zechariah’s long-awaited Messiah did come\, to cleanse the Temple of the money changers and their wares. “Take these things away\,” said Jesus (at John 2:13-16)\, in what is arguably another nod to the Old Testament prophet. “You shall not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” \nRef: Christopher Zakian @ vemkar.us
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/commemoration-of-the-prophet-zechariah-2-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260704
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260705
DTSTAMP:20260416T175638
CREATED:20211024T211209Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250520T100516Z
UID:29819-1783123200-1783209599@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of Christ’s Twelve Apostles and the Thirteenth Apostle\, St Paul
DESCRIPTION:  \n\n\n\nThe Twelve Apostles elected by Our Lord Jesus Christ\, were Christ’s disciples and first preachers of His doctrine\, as well as the Incarnate Christ’s witnesses. \n“Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority to drive out devil spirits and to heal every disease and every sickness.” Matthew 10:1 \nThese were the names of the twelve Apostles Simeon (called Peter)\, Andrew\, James\, John\, Philip\, Bartholomew\, Thomas\, Matthew\, James son of Alphaeus\, Thaddeus\, Simon the Patriot and Judas Iscariot\, who betrayed Jesus. Later instead of Judas Iscariot\, Apostle Matthias was chosen\, who was added to the group of eleven apostles. \nRemaining faithful to Incarnate Christ’s last message the apostles went to all peoples everywhere and preached and taught the Commandments of Jesus\, baptised them in the name of the Father\, the Son and the Holy Spirit\, thus becoming the founders of the Christ’s Church. One of the greatest preachers of Christ’s commandments is Apostle Paul\, who is recognised by the Christian Church as the thirteenth Apostle. \nThe section of the Bible called “The Acts of the Apostles” is dedicated to the apostles’ activity. There are references on Apostle Paul’s preaching\, his person and his activity in his fourteen (14) letters addressed to the church communities\, established by himself and individual Christians. \n 
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/commemoration-of-christs-twelve-apostles-and-the-thirteenth-apostle-st-paul-2-2-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260705
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260706
DTSTAMP:20260416T175638
CREATED:20211024T211859Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250520T101206Z
UID:29832-1783209600-1783295999@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Eve of the Fast of Transfiguration
DESCRIPTION:  \nThis is the Sunday just before the week of the fasting period\, preceding the Feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ’s Transfiguration. \nIn the Armenian Apostolic Church\, it’s called the Fast of Transfiguration\, lasting from Monday to Friday.
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/eve-of-the-fast-of-transfiguration-2-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260711
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260712
DTSTAMP:20260416T175638
CREATED:20211025T035649Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240804T053251Z
UID:26985-1783728000-1783814399@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of the Tabernacle of Old Testament (Ark of the Covenant) and the Feast of the New Holy Church
DESCRIPTION:  \nThe Ark of the Covenant is the most sacred sanctity of the Old Testament. It consisted of a pure gold covered wooden chest with an elaborate lid called the Mercy seat. The Ark is described in the Book of Exodus as containing the two stone tablets of the Ten Commandments. According to the New Testament Book of Hebrews\, it also contained Aaron’s crosier (rod) and a golden urn full of manna. \nMoses had the Ark of the Covenant built to hold the Ten Commandments at the command of God. Approximately one year after the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt\, the Ark was created according to the pattern given to Moses by God when the Israelites were encamped at the foot of Mount Sinai. The Israelites carried the Ark with them during their 40 years spent wandering in the desert\, and after the conquest of Canaan\, it was brought to Shiloh. King David later took the Ark to Jerusalem\, where his son and successor\, Solomon\, eventually installed it in the temple. Since its disappearance\, some 2\,000 years ago\, numerous theories have arisen about its fate. One of the most well known holds that Levitical priests moved the Ark to Egypt just before the Babylonians sacked Jerusalem in 586 B.C. From there it was supposedly moved to Ethiopia\, where it resides to this day in the town of Aksum\, in the St Mary of Zion cathedral. Only one man\, a monk known as “the Guardian\,” is allowed to see the Ark\, and church authorities have never allowed it to be studied to determine its authenticity. \nThe Christian Church is considered to be the prototype of the New Testament\, that is\, the Church of Christ (New Holy Church). \nThese two combined commemorations take place on the Saturday prior to the Feast of the Transfiguration. Celebrating the old and the new shows the perpetuity of the Church. God revealed Himself to humankind gradually through Adam\, Noah\, Abraham\, Moses and the prophets. The church existed from the beginning\, and that is why the Old Testament is accepted as part of the Holy Scriptures and recognised as a preamble to the New Testament. The hymn designated for this day proclaims\, “Who from the beginning established your church with wisdom\, O\, Father of Wisdom\, who revealed to Moses upon Sinai.”
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/commemoration-of-the-tabernacle-of-old-testament-ark-of-the-covenant-and-the-feast-of-the-new-holy-church-2-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260712
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260713
DTSTAMP:20260416T175638
CREATED:20211010T095241Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240804T054345Z
UID:26995-1783814400-1783900799@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Feast of Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ (Vartavar)
DESCRIPTION:  \nThe Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ is one of the five main “Tabernacle” feasts of the Armenian Apostolic Church. It commemorates the transformation or the “transfiguration” that came over Jesus while He was praying.  Christ’s face shone like the sun and his clothes became a radiant and gleaming white. The Apostles Peter\, James and John witnessed that event which occurred on a high mountain named Tabor. \nEvangelists St Matthew\, St Mark and St Luke testify about the Transfiguration of Jesus in the Gospels (Matthew 17:1-13; Mark 9:1-12; Luke 9:28-36).\n“… As they looked on\, a change came over Jesus: his face was shining like the sun and his clothes were dazzling white. Then the three disciples saw Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus. So Peter spoke up and said to Jesus\, “Lord\, how good it is that we are here!  If you wish I will make three tents here\, one for you\, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”  \nWhile he was talking\, a shining cloud came over them\, and a voice from the cloud said\, “This is my own dear Son\, with whom I am pleased – listen to him!” \nWhen the disciples heard the voice\, they were so terrified that they threw themselves face downward on the ground. Jesus came to them and touched them. “Get up\,” he said\, “Don’t be afraid!” So they looked up and saw no one there but Jesus. (Matthew 17:2-8) \nIn the Armenian Church\, the Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ is celebrated 98 days following Easter. \nThe Feast is also known by the common name of  Vartavar: Festival of the Roses. Armenians would decorate the temple of the goddess Asdghig (goddess of love\, beauty\, fertility\, and water) with roses\, release doves and engage in water games on this popular pre Christian holiday. In modern times\, it’s a festival in Armenia where people drench each other with water. \nSt Gregory the Illuminator combined Vartavar with the Transfiguration. The fifth century historian Yeghishe wrote the prayer that is recited in church on this feast: “O Lord\, bless the harvest of this year and defend from all the perils\, and may your right hand\, O Lord\, protect us for the whole year.”
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/feast-of-transfiguration-of-our-lord-jesus-christ-vartavar-2-2-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Major Feasts (Daghavarner)
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260716
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260717
DTSTAMP:20260416T175638
CREATED:20211025T042646Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240804T055113Z
UID:27004-1784160000-1784246399@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of the Prophet Isaiah
DESCRIPTION:  \nThe Prophet Isaiah is the first of the four major prophets of the Old Testament. He was born and spent almost his entire life in the city of Jerusalem\, in the eight century B.C. \nThe Armenian Church commemorates the prophet Isaiah\, who is best known for the longest prophetic book in the Old Testament (66 chapters)\, that bears his name. The Book of Isaiah is considered to be an ocean of wealth\, concerned with issues related to God\, justice\, sin\, religion and various social ills. Being an educated and intelligent man\, he was the spiritual guide to four kings of Jerusalem\, expressing God’s will on many national matters. His book\, written in an unsurpassed style and spirit\, is the link between the Old and the New Testaments. \nIsaiah is also called the “Evangelist Prophet” as he foretells the birth of the Messiah by a virgin and describes the suffering of the Messiah’s church. Many of the New Testament teachings of Jesus refer to the book of Isaiah. In Chapter 61\, the prophet comes forth as a servant sent by the Lord’s Soul “to bring the good news to the poor and to take care of the desperate and hopeless.”  Christ would later read the words of Isaiah in the synagogue in Nazareth\, as He became the realisation of that mission in the world (Luke 4:16-21). \nAlthough it is not recorded in the Bible\, it is believed that Isaiah died a martyr’s death by order of the Hebrew king\, Manasseh. Relics of the prophet are preserved at Mt. Athos in the Greek Orthodox Khilendaria Monastery in Greece.
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/commemoration-of-the-prophet-isaiah-2-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260718
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260719
DTSTAMP:20260416T175638
CREATED:20211025T050821Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240804T055810Z
UID:27013-1784332800-1784419199@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of the Apostle Thaddeus and the Virgin Sandoukht (Santoukhd)
DESCRIPTION:  \nSt Thaddeus the Apostle and St Sandoukht the Virgin are two of the most venerated saints in the Armenian Church. The “Great Conversion” of the Armenian nation to Christianity is significantly connected with their names. \nFollowing the Ascension of Christ\, according to the Lord’s message: “Go then to all peoples everywhere and make them make them my disciples.” (Matthew 28:19)\, St Thaddeus and St Bartholomew were charged by St Peter to spread Christianity in Armenia in the 1st century A.D. \nIn his travels to Urfa\, St Thaddeus healed King Abgar\, king of the Armenians and Assyrians. This miracle\, witnessed by others\, led to the king’s conversion as well as the baptism and conversion of all the people of Edessa. Here St Thaddeus built a church and ordained priests and deacons. \nAfter leaving Urfa\, the apostle traveled to northern Armenia\, bearing the spear given him by Peter and a letter from King Abgar. He finally arrived at the town of Shavarshan\, where King Sanadroug lived in the province of Arda. He preached the Word of Life\, performed many astonishing miracles there and baptised many believers. \nOne night the young and beautiful Princess Santoukhd\, the king’s daughter\, went to see Thaddeus and find out about the new religion herself. According to accounts\, she changed her royal garments and dressed in ordinary clothes and was led by a servant to a house where these early Christian meetings were held. Santoukhd received instruction from Thaddeus\, and when she declared her belief in Christ and was baptised\, a sign from heaven designated her as a holy virgin. \nThose who witnessed this event immediately believed. The news enraged her father\, King Sanadroug\, who ordered all believers to be slain. As the soldiers were about to kill Thaddeus\, a tremor and bright light streaked across the sky\, frightening the unbelievers and sparing the apostle. Some time after this\, however\, the king’s soldiers came and arrested Thaddeus as well as Princess Santoukhd. \nDespite the king’s punitive actions\, the number of Christians increased. Even some of the king’s soldiers who witnessed the miracles of Thaddeus became believers and converted. Further enraged\, yet feeling some pity for his daughter\, the king summoned Santoukhd from prison to give her a last chance to renounce her new faith and to claim allegiance to her father and his pagan gods. \nSantoukhd was forced to choose between the crown and the sword. Because of her decision to stand firm in her Christian faith and reject her father’s false gods\, she was subjected to torture and ultimately ordered to be executed. During these times when she was weak and at her lowest\, she drew strength from St Thaddeus who encouraged her to hold fast\, reminding her that she was a holy virgin and would soon see Christ face to face. \nOne account of her death states that\, immediately after one of the soldiers thrust his sword into the holy virgin’s heart\, “a sweet fragrance filled the air and a light shone from heaven in the form of a fiery pillar that hovered over Santoukhd’s body for three days and three nights.” The more than 2\,000 people that witnessed these events\, it is said\, all converted and were baptised that night. St Santoukhd’s body was buried and entombed by St Thaddeus at the same site. \nRef: armenian church.us
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/commemoration-of-the-apostle-thaddeus-and-the-virgin-sandoukht-santoukhd-2-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260725
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260726
DTSTAMP:20260416T175638
CREATED:20211031T101109Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240804T061152Z
UID:27031-1784937600-1785023999@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of St Gregory the Illuminator’s Sons and Grandsons
DESCRIPTION:  \n\n\nThe Armenian Church commemorates St Aristages (Aristakes)\, Vrtanes\, Krikoris (Grigoris) and Housik (Husig); St Gregory’s sons and grandsons and Daniel the Syrian. \nThe day of commemoration (according to the present calendar in force since 1774-75) falls on the Saturday before the Third Sunday of Transfiguration. \nThe rest of the members of the Gregorid family\, namely Sts. Nersés the Great\, Sahag the Parthian\, Vartan and his daughter Shushanig are commemorated on different days during the year. \nSt Arisdages (Aristakes)\nWhile still a layman in Caesarea (Kayseri)\, St Gregory and his wife Mariam were blessed with two sons\, Vrtanés and Arisdagés.  When Gregory and Mariam parted to devote their life to God\, Arisdagés was still very young and in need of motherly care.  Mariam took him with her to the convent she joined.  Influenced by his early upbringing in the convent\, Arisdagés entered the service of God at an early age and became a hermit in the mountains. He became renowned for his austere way of life\, attracting young disciples who sought his company for pious instruction. He was particularly versed in Greek letters and philosophy. \nYears passed\, and when King Tiridates (Drtad)\, who was by now a Christian convert\, learned that St Gregory had sired two sons in his younger days\, he sent certain nobles to Caesarea to bring the sons to Armenia. St Gregory himself had withdrawn to the wilderness to lead a solitary life. At the time\, Aris­dagés was living in a hermitage; he initially refused to leave his austere way of life to go to the court of the king. Ultimately\, he yielded to the plea of Christians not to refuse the pastoral work that lay before him. \nUpon the arrival of Arisdagés and Vrtanés\, King Tiridates III took them with him to look for St Gregory. Finding the saint in the wilderness\, he begged Gregory to ordain his son Arisdagés a bishop and take him as his assistant. After his ordination\, Arisdagés diligently pursued his pastoral work\, preaching and wiping out the vestiges of pagan customs and traditions. \nArisdagés represented the Armenian Church at the Holy Council of Nicaea\, which met in 325 A.D\, at the order of the Roman Emperor Constantine.  His name appears on the list alongside those of the 318 bishops who participated in that council. He returned to Armenia\, bringing with him the canons of the renowned council. These canons are still venerated in the Armenian Church and form the foundation of discipline and order in our tradition. \nAfter St Gregory’s complete withdrawal from pastoral life and then his demise\, St Arisdagés succeeded him as the chief bishop of Greater Armenia. As a pastor he is said to have surpassed the accomplishments of his father. \nArisdagés died as a martyr\, and that is one of the reasons why he is considered a saint of the Armenian Church. The circumstances of his assassination are not very clear. All we know is that\, at some point in his career as chief bishop of Armenia\, he had reprimanded a high dignitary named Archilaeus\, who had been appointed governor of the province of Dzopk in western Armenia. We are not told what Archilaeus had done to deserve Arisdagés’ reprimand. When the bishop was on a pastoral visit to the province\, Archilaeus met him on the road and slew him. In order to avoid arrest and prosecution for his crime\, he fled to the Taurus Mountains in Cilicia. Arisdagés’ disciples took his body to the village of Til near Erzindjan and buried him there. His grave was later shown within the confines of the Chukhdag Hayrabedats Vank (“The Monastery of the Twin Patriarchs”)\, which was still extant until 1915. \nSt Arisdagés is said to have presided as the chief bishop of Armenia for seven years. The date of his martyrdom is calculated to have taken place at about 328 AD. \nSt. Vrtanés\nThe elder son of St Gregory the Illuminator chose to lead a secular life and got married while still in Caesarea.  At a later time he was ordained a priest\, either in Caesarea or Armenia. He and his wife’s desire to have children\, and their prayers to God towards this end\, were answered only in an advanced age. They were blessed with twins\, Krikoris and Husig\, who were reared in the Armenian court and given a solid education. He presumably lost his wife during the pontificate of his brother Arisdagés\, and after the latter’s death Vrtanés himself was raised to the episcopal throne of Greater Armenia. Vrtanés probably received episcopal ordination from his brother’s hand\, since there is no historical reference to any ceremony of ordination\, either in Caesarea or elsewhere. \nSt Vrtanés’ activities as chief bishop of Greater Armenia were closely linked with those of the Christian kings of Armenia: first Tiridates (Drtad)\, and later his son Khosrov Godag (330-337) and grandson Diran (337-344). Vrtanés stood by the side of the kings during various Persian invasions into Armenia as well as during internal rebellions. As an active pastor he continued the work of his father and brother. \nDespite the declaration of Christianity as the national religion of Armenia and the royal support that the church thereby received\, certain people of high position were not pleased with the new religion. Their displeasure led to serious repercussions. King Tiridates\, who had been responsible for the kingdom’s conversion\, was given a poisoned cup to drink to hasten his demise. Another version of the story about King Tiridates’ death says that anti Christian princes collaborated with the King of Kings of Iran\, and were instigated by the latter to put him to death.While on a hunt\, they shot Tiridates with an arrow\, and as the wounded king was recuperating from his wound\, they gave him a poisoned cup to drink. \nVrtanés himself almost fell victim to a scheme of a different nature. At the annual commemoration in Ashdishad of St John the Baptist and Bishop Athenogenes\, as instituted by St Gregory\, the chief bishop was celebrating the Divine Liturgy\, when two thousand mountaineers from Sasun converged on the place\, with the intent of assassinating Vrtanés. The assassins were unconverted idol worshippers\, instigated by certain magnates and particularly by the queen of Armenia\, whom Vrtanés had formerly rebuked for committing adultery. We are told that the hand of God made the conspirators motionless until Vrtanés released them.  Overwhelmed by what had happened\, the mountaineers heeded the admonitions of the bishop\, and after completing the period of penance set by him they were baptised. Subsequently the bishop withdrew to his paternal estate in Til\, near Erzindjan. \nSt. Vrtanés is said to have ordained a special day of commemoration for the Armenian forces under General Vaché Mamigonian\, who perished in a battle against the Persians in 338AD. He consoled the king\, his magnates and soldiers for the devastating effect of the war. According to this ordinance\, the commemoration was to be repeated annually. He also instituted a special canon for all those who would die for Christian Armenia\, that they be commemorated “before God’s holy altar at that point in the liturgy when the names of the saints are enumerated\, and after them.”  This commemoration was later replaced with that of St Vartan Mamigonian and his 1\,036 companions\, which has been celebrated every year up to the present day. \nSt. Vrtanés’ name is closely connected with a contemporary non Armenian churchman of renown\, namely St Macarius\, bishop of Jerusalem (313-334). Macarius was one of the fathers of the Council of Nicaea (325AD)\, responsible (with a few others) for drafting the Nicene Creed\, which we recite in church during the Divine Liturgy. It was during his tenure of office that the Church of the Holy Sepulcher was built in Jerusalem. St Vrtanés had the distinction of receiving a letter from Macarius. The letter\, originally written in Greek\, is preserved only in Armenian and bears the title: “To the Christ loving and pious Chief Bishop Vrtanés and all the bishops and priests of Armenia.” According to this docu­ment\, Vrtanés had sent certain priests to Jerusalem with specific ques­tions about church traditions. In his answer\, Macarius dwells on various traditions and practices that must be observed in the rite of baptism. \nSt. Vrtanés died in the third year of King Diran in 340 AD. He was buried near his father in Tortan and his grave was shown inside the village church. \nSt Krikoris (Grigoris)\nThe missionary work initiated by St Gregory in the regions of northern Armenia\, Georgia and Caucasian Albania was not neglected by his successors. To this end\, St Vrtanés’ son Krikoris was raised to the episcopal rank and appointed bishop of Georgia and Albania at a relatively young age. The young bishop extended his missionary activities over a vast expanse of territory reaching the shores of the Caspian Sea. He established churches and evangelised among the peoples and tribes under his care. Among the different northern semi-barbaric nomadic tribes to whom he preached the gospel were the Mazkuts\, who were ruled by a line of Arshaguni kings related to the royal dynasty of Armenia. At first\, the Mazkuts accepted Krikoris’ instructions favourably and were inclined to convert to Christianity. \nHowever\, when they learned that Christian teachings forbade some practices of their nomadic way of life e.g looting\, pillaging\, killing and coveting others possession\, they became disgusted and greatly angered. They saw in Krikoris’ teachings a plot on the part of the Armenian king to stop their plundering raids into Armenia. Krikoris was tied to the tail of a wild horse and driven over a plain. The bishop died as a result. His body was claimed by his followers and taken to Amaras\, which is located in present day Artsakh. He was buried in the church built by St Gregory. At the end of the fifth century\, a crypt was built to house his grave. That structure is now located under the main altar of the church of the Monastery of Amaras and is a place of pilgrimage. \nThe martyrdom of Krikoris took place shortly before the Mazkut invasion of Armenia and the seizure of its capital city\, Vagharshabad. That event took place in 335 AD. Krikoris’ relics were discovered in the latter part of the fifth century and were buried in a newly built crypt\, which is still extant\, as stated above. \nSt Husig (Housik)\nSt Husig\, the second son of St Vrtanés\, followed his father’s example by embracing secular life. As he was supported by King Diran\, he was forced into marrying the king’s daughter\, much against his will. He and his wife had twin sons\, Bab and Athenogenes. His inclination towards a celibate life\, however\, alienated his wife created hostility from the royal court. After his wife’s death\, Husig devoted himself to raising his children which appeased the royal court. In a dream\, the Lord appeared to Husig and told him that from his children there “will be born other children\, and they will be illuminators of knowledge and fonts of spiritual wisdom for the realm of Armenia.” \nAfter his father’s demise\, Husig was in line for the succession of the episcopal throne of Greater Armenia.  King Diran immediately dispatched a delegation of thirteen high ranking princes and dignitaries to accompany Husig to Caesarea. There\, Husig was elevated to the episcopal rank. On his return to Armenia he was met by the king and taken to the city of Ardashad\, where he was officially enthroned. Like his father and grandfather\, he became a wonderful pastor of his flock. \nHusig’s woes began when he\, as the upholder of the moral precepts of the church\, began to castigate the king and his magnates for their unchristian behaviour: they had engaged in immoral acts and had shed innocent blood for political ends. Husig excommunicated them\, forbidding their entry into the church. Predictably\, this created animosity form the royal court. On one occasion a day of annual celebration when Husig\, on a pastoral visit to the western province of Great Dzopk\, was present at the palatine church in the royal fortress of Pnapegh\, King Diran arrived with his retinue and tried to enter the church. Learning about their arrival\, Husig stepped out and cried aloud: “You are unworthy! Why have you come?  Do not go inside!” Angered by this\, the king’s attendants dragged him inside the sanctuary and beat him with rods\, shattering his bones. The servants of the church of Pnapegh carried the battered bishop\, who was still alive\, to his ancestral estate in Tortan. Unable to recover from his injuries\, Husig died there and was buried near the graves of his father and grandfather. His tomb was shown inside the church of Tortan. The martyrdom of St Husig is dated to 344 AD. \nSt Daniel the Syrian\nThe Feast of the Sons and Grandsons of St Gregory the Illuminator includes the name of St Daniel the Syrian\, though he is not an actual member of the Gregorid house. \nDaniel had been one of St Gregory’s pupils and associates. St Gregory himself had put him in charge of the province of Daron (the modern Mush area)\, where he held the office of “supreme justice” and looked after the church in Ashdishad\, where the relics of St John the Baptist and Bishop Athenogenes rested. His titles\, “overseer\, law-giver\, supervisor and guardian of all the churches of Greater Armenia” and his ecclesiastical rank as chorepiscopus (a bishop tending to the flock in the countryside\, as opposed to a bishop of a city or a district)\, indicate that he was a missionary who travelled from place to place. He is said to have preached in Persia and other foreign parts and to have converted many people to the Christian faith. He was also in charge of the graves and the possessions of the Gregorid family\, and was attentive to keeping the memories of the saints of that family as well as that of King Tiridates III alive among the faithful. \nSince St Husig’s two sons led secular lives and had no inclination to follow in the footsteps of their ancestors\, King Diran sent his magnates to summon Bishop Daniel\, now an elderly ascetic tending to church affairs in the village of Til\, to assume the spiritual leadership of the Armenian people. He met the king in southwestern Armenia and rebuked him and his magnates for their crimes. Enraged at Daniel’s outspokenness\, the king ordered his servants to strangle him\, against the advice of his nobles. His body was taken to the valley of Hatsyats Trakhd and buried in the cell where he had lived in solitary. St Daniel was martyred in 344 AD. The Monastery of Gopa Sourp Taniel stood at that site until 1915. \nThese five saints have been venerated as a group since the end of the twelfth century. It was at that time that Archbishop Nersess of Lampron wrote a hymn dedicated to them (“The Canon of the Sons and Grandsons of St Gregory the Illuminator”). In the hymn he mentions the saints by name and devotes five stanzas to briefly describing the merits of each one. This hymn is still chanted on the day of commemoration of these saints. \nBy the Very Rev. Fr. Krikor Maksoudian\, adapted from his volume\, “The Holy Feasts of St. Gregory the Illuminator” (St. Vartan Press\, 2002). \n\n\n\n\n 
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/commemoration-of-st-gregory-the-illuminators-sons-and-grandsons-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260730
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260731
DTSTAMP:20260416T175638
CREATED:20211023T052935Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240804T061958Z
UID:27041-1785369600-1785455999@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of the 12 Minor Prophets
DESCRIPTION:  \nSaints Hosea\, Joel\, Amos\, Obadiah\, Jonah\, Micah\, Nahum\, Habakkuk\, Zephaniah\, Haggai\, Zechariah and Malachi\nIn addition to Isaiah\, Jeremiah\, Ezekiel and Daniel (the four major prophets of the Old Testament)\, the Armenian Church commemorates the following twelve minor prophets.  The Prophets were those persons through which God spoke his will to the people of the world. They were the voice of God on earth and gave advice to the people of Israel\, warning them against dangers\, and trying to keep them from the temptations of sin. Each prophet clearly comprehended that God spoke to them directly. To that end\, in the Holy Bible\, we find expressions of “God told me”\, “This is what God is saying” etc. \nOften\, God gave them power to work miracles\, proving to people that they were chosen by Him. In the Nicene Creed\, we proclaim that the Holy Spirit “Spoke in the Law\, in the Prophets and in the Gospel”\, once more affirming that God has spoken to us by means of the prophets. \nThe prophets received their revelations through visions\, proverbs and symbols. They were the connecting link in the God and man relationship. The prophets’ purpose was to purify and instill in the human mind the conscience that God is their leader\, as well as to strengthen the faith in the coming of the Messiah and His Kingdom. All prophecies concerning the coming of the Messiah came true in the New Testament\, by means of Jesus Christ. The twelve prophets lived and worked over a broad range of time: \nHosea (Salvation): the Prophet Hosea was the preacher of the Word of God following Amos\, in 750 BC.  He continued his mission until Samaria was conquered in 722-721 BC\, and the Kingdom of Israel was eliminated. As the Israeli state disintegrated\, Assyria became increasingly powerful.  In his prophecies\, Hosea condemned the significant moral decay of Israel and the elimination of social justice. He made declarations concerning the responsibility of the elite.  God speaks of His Love through Hosea. That love demands us to struggle against all forms of injustice and to beware of false idols. \nJoel (the Lord is God) : Little is known about the period when the Prophet Joel lived and when his prophecies were compiled in a separate book.  He spoke of the “Day of the Lord” and exhorted people to turn to God. He has foretold that the day would come when God would “pour out His Spirit” over all people.  This prophecy came true during Pentecost\, when the Holy Spirit descended to earth in the form of tongues of flame. \nAmos (Burden Bearer): the Prophet Amos is the oldest prophet.  He was a shepherd\, who lived in the village of Thecua\, not far from Bethlehem. He lived and worked in the 8th century BC. In his prophecies\, he spoke of the greatness of God\, authority and justice\, the demands of the law\, and especially of the rights of the poor and the needy. He appealed to the rich\, the powerful\, the judges and the priests with great firmness. \nObadiah (Servant of God): the Prophet Obadiah’s book is the shortest of the Minor Prophets. It was most likely compiled in approximately 587 BC.  The prophet told that descendants of Esau (the people of Edom) would be punished and defeated as would all other nations that were the enemies of Israel. This was to make the people of Israel understand that the last word is God’s Word\, and that He alone would come be the final judge all peoples and nations. \nJonah (Dove): Unlike the other prophetic books\, the Book of Jonah is a narrative describing the adventures of a prophet who tried\, in every way\, to disobey God’s command. However\, in the end his attempts were in vain. By the Lord’s command\, a large fish swallowed Jonah\, where he remained for three days and three nights. Only after Jonah’s prayer and redemption did the Lord allow the fish to free Jonah. In the Gospels\, Christ repeatedly refers to this story. \nMicah (Who is like God?):  the Prophet Micah was from the village of Moresheth\, which many identify with the present day Tel-Al-Jadidah. Micah lived in the 8th century BC. He warned of the fall of Jerusalem\, which was the consequence of the sins of man. He called on them to repent and remain obedient to the Will of God. \nNahum (Consolation): the name of the prophet means “consoler” or “comforter”. The Book of Nahum was written in the period between the conquering of Thebes by the Assyrians in 663 BC and the fall of Nineveh to the Babylonians in 612 BC. Nahum taught of the Lord’s jealousy and vengefulness\, including a forceful description of the fright that seized all creation when faced with the judgment of the Lord. The book continues\, however\, and in contrast with this harsh picture of God\, Nahum describes the comforting assurance of God’s loving kindness towards His true servants. \nHabakkuk (Embrace): there is little information available on this prophet. Habakkuk shared in the misfortunes and sufferings of others\, while strongly condemning evil. The book was most likely written towards the end of the 5th century BC to the beginning of the 6th century BC.  The book reads as a dramatic dialogue between God and His prophet and presents the Lord as the eternal and righteous ruler of the world. \nZephaniah (God Hides): the Prophet Zephaniah preached in the latter part of the 7th century BC\, prior to Habakkuk. Zephaniah answered questions concerning the level of God’s interest in mankind\, and whether God has predetermined the course of history. He also preached very forcefully against idolatry in all its forms. \nHaggai (Festive or Festival): the Prophet Haggai preached to encourage the Israelites to rebuild the temple of Jerusalem. He advanced the idea that the poverty of the people and the poor condition of the harvest was due to the Temple remaining in a state of ruins. This book was likely written in 520 BC. \nZechariah (Who God Remembers): the Prophet Zechariah lived and prophesised during the same period as Haggai. The urging of the two prophets brought about the eventual rebuilding of the Temple. The book consists of two parts. The first part contains prophecies dating back to 520-518 BC\, the second part may have been written many years later. \nMalachi (My Messenger): the prophet is the last of the minor prophets. The Book of Malachi\, the last book of the Old Testament\, was written in the first half of the 5th century BC. Malachi\, as a witness to the degradation of society\, exhorted people and priests to change their behavior.  The prophet also preached of God’s unending love and the impending day of final judgment.
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/commemoration-of-the-12-minor-prophets-2-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260730
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260731
DTSTAMP:20260416T175638
CREATED:20250519T105557Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250519T105813Z
UID:29055-1785369600-1785455999@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of St Sophia and her daughters Pisti\, Elpida and Agapi
DESCRIPTION:  \nThese names are of Christian origin and in Greek mean wisdom\, faith\, hope and love. Sophia was a child of a noble family and lived near the city of Rome. Having lost her husband\, she completely devoted herself to God. Being an ardent follower of Christ\, she raised her three daughters in the Christian spirit. Only Christian values ??and ideas prevailed in their lives. \nA pagan young man fell in love with one of Sophia’s daughters and asked her to marry him. However\, her mother rejected the young man\, saying: “We are Christians and we consider virginity more precious than gold and pearls.” Angered\, the young man complained to the emperor of the time\, Hadrian. The emperor summoned the three girls and demanded that they offer sacrifices to idols. However\, having been raised since childhood by the commandments of Jesus Christ\, the girls resisted the emperor\, remaining faithful to their faith. In his anger\, the emperor ordered them to be beheaded. \nTheir mother\, Sophia\, collected the bodies of her children and buried them. She prayed to God that He may take her soul one day to join her beloved daughters. God hears the mother’s pleas\, and Sophia peacefully surrenders her soul.
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/commemoration-of-st-sophia-and-her-daughters-pisti-elpida-and-agapi-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260801
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260802
DTSTAMP:20260416T175638
CREATED:20211015T064103Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250519T102940Z
UID:29037-1785542400-1785628799@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of St Gregory the Theologian
DESCRIPTION:  \nSt. Gregory the Theologian (also known as Gregory of Nazianzus)\, has left a rich literary heritage\, which was translated into Armenian in the 5th to 8th centuries AD. In all probability\, St. Moses of Khoronk created part of the translations into Armenian. St. Gregory the Theologian is one of the most prominent figures of Christianity\, who by means of the struggle against Arians\, kept Christianity uncorrupted and by means of his works he has greatly influenced the formulation of the Christian theologian ideology. \nSt. Gregory the Theologian was born in 328 AD in the village Ariangue near the town of Naziangue\, of Cappadocia. He was the son of the Bishop Gregory. Gregory studied in Caesaria\, and then in Athens. In Athens Gregory became acquainted with St Barsegh of Ceasaria\, one of the future prominent figures of Christianity. After leading an ascetic life for a while\, Gregory returned to Naziangue\, where he was ordained as a priest by his father. Later he became the Bishop of Sasima. Together with St Barsegh of Ceasaria\, St Gregory the Theologian struggled against the Arians. He was known for his contributions to theological debates\, particularly regarding the Trinity\, and his literary and poetic works.  \nHe participated in the 2nd Ecumenical Council of Constantinople and was a key figure in the Nicene Creed. St. Gregory passed away on 25 January 389 AD.
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/commemoration-of-st-gregory-the-theologian-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260808
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260809
DTSTAMP:20260416T175638
CREATED:20211025T060104Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240801T100735Z
UID:26906-1786147200-1786233599@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration Day of the 200 Pontiffs participating in the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus
DESCRIPTION:  \nThe Ecumenical Council of Ephesus was convened in 431 A.D\, during the reign of King Theodosius II (Theodosius the Younger). 200 Pontiffs participated in the Council\, with the aim of rejecting the false teachings of Nestorius\, Patriarch of Constantinople. According to his teachings there were two independent\, divine and human\, natures in Christ\, contrasting each other. Nestorius preached that Christ was born as a simple man and only later Divinity was settled on His Person. Therefore\, the Holy Virgin Mary was not “Godmother”\, but the mother of a simple man. \nThe Ecumenical Council of Ephesus condemned the teaching of Nestorius and adopted the teaching of Archbishop St Cyril of Alexandria\, which stated that the divine and human natures of Christ do not exist separately\, but are united without confusion. One Lord\, one Jesus\, one face and one united divine and human nature. \nAdditionally\, they agreed that St Mary is not the mother of a simple man\, but she is Theotokos (birth giver of God)\, as she gave birth to the Son of God. \nSt Cyril of Alexandria’s statement “One is the nature of the Incarnate Word of God”\, was thus adopted by the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus. \nThe Armenian Church did not participate in that Ecumenical Council\, but adopted its resolutions and ecumenical authority together with the previous Ecumenical Councils.
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/commemoration-day-of-the-200-pontiffs-participating-in-the-ecumenical-council-of-ephesus-2-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260809
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260810
DTSTAMP:20260416T175638
CREATED:20211025T061308Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240801T101615Z
UID:26918-1786233600-1786319999@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Eve of the Fast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God
DESCRIPTION:  \nThis is the Sunday preceding the week prior to the Feast of the Assumption of St Mary\, Holy Godmother\, one of the major feasts of Armenian Apostolic Church and one of the seven feasts dedicated to St Mary. The fasting period lasts from Monday to Friday.
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/eve-of-the-fast-of-the-assumption-of-the-holy-mother-of-god-2-2-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
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END:VCALENDAR