BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Armenian Apostolic Church of Holy Resurrection - ECPv6.15.20//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-WR-CALNAME:Armenian Apostolic Church of Holy Resurrection
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Armenian Apostolic Church of Holy Resurrection
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:Australia/Sydney
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:+1100
TZOFFSETTO:+1000
TZNAME:AEST
DTSTART:20250405T160000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:+1000
TZOFFSETTO:+1100
TZNAME:AEDT
DTSTART:20251004T160000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:+1100
TZOFFSETTO:+1000
TZNAME:AEST
DTSTART:20260404T160000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:+1000
TZOFFSETTO:+1100
TZNAME:AEDT
DTSTART:20261003T160000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:+1100
TZOFFSETTO:+1000
TZNAME:AEST
DTSTART:20270403T160000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:+1000
TZOFFSETTO:+1100
TZNAME:AEDT
DTSTART:20271002T160000
END:DAYLIGHT
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260704
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260705
DTSTAMP:20260418T215720
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
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/12-apostles.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260705
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260706
DTSTAMP:20260418T215720
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
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Eve-of-the-Fast-3.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260711
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260712
DTSTAMP:20260418T215720
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
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Ark-of-Covenant.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260712
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260713
DTSTAMP:20260418T215720
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)
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Transfiguration-3.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260716
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260717
DTSTAMP:20260418T215720
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
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Isaiah-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260718
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260719
DTSTAMP:20260418T215720
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
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Sandoukht.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260725
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260726
DTSTAMP:20260418T215720
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
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/St-Gregory-sons.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260730
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260731
DTSTAMP:20260418T215720
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
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/12-Minor-Prophets.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260730
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260731
DTSTAMP:20260418T215720
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
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Aghia-Sophia.jpg
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR