Entries by stjohn

HENRI VERNEUIL

Prolific filmmaker Henri Verneuil was one of the well-known names in French cinema for forty years, and closed his cinematographic career with two autobiographic films that narrated the Armenian experience…

JIM TOROSIAN

Jim Torosian was the chief architect of Yerevan in the 1970s and one of the creators of its contemporary image.
He was born in the capital of Armenia on April 18, 1926.

New Year = Nor Dari (Նոր Տարի)

As anyone knows, “new year” is nor dari (նոր տարի) in Armenian, and of course, New Year = Nor Dari (Նոր Տարի). But, unlike English, the Armenian language has a second, much older and “fancy” way to name the first day of the forthcoming year as Amanor (Ամանոր).

Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord

The date for Christmas was changed from January 6th to December 25th to override a pagan feast dedicated to the birth of the Sun. Since the Armenian Church was not part of the Church of Rome and it had no such Pagan holiday, it remained faithful to the traditions of their forefathers, and continued to celebrate Christmas on January 6th until today.

BIRTH OF HAMASDEGH

Hamasdegh was a leading Armenian-American writer and became a highly regarded name in the Armenian literature of the Diaspora.He was born Hampartsoum Gelenian in the village of Perchenj, in the region of Kharpert, on November 26, 1895.

BIRTH OF MIKAEL NALBANDIAN

Nalbandian was born on November 14, 1829, in Nor Nakhichevan, the town close to Rostov-on-Don founded in the late eighteenth century by Armenian emigrants from Crimea, in the family of a craftsman. He studied in his hometown at the school of Gabriel Patkanian, and for a while he was classmate of his son, the future poet Rafael Patkanian (Kamar Katipa).

Church Celebrates Anniversary

On Sunday, November 9, St. John the Baptist Armenian Church celebrated its 79th anniversary with Divine Liturgy followed by a banquet and program. The Diocesan Vicar of the Eastern Diocese, Very Rev. Fr. Simeon Odabashian, was the guest celebrant.

VARAZTAD SAMUELIAN

Everyone has seen, in person or in picture, Yervant Kochar’s iconic statue of David of Sassoun in front of the train station of Yerevan. Fewer people are aware that a second, equestrian statue of the hero of the Armenian epic poem Saroyan stands in front of the courthouse in Fresno, California.

Loving “as your own” – St. Joseph’s Example

As the adoptive father of Jesus, Joseph displayed courage and immense love for his wife and her child. Former president Barak Obama once said, “What makes you a man is not the ability to make a child, but the courage to raise one.” Joseph teaches us the true virtues of parenthood

MILWAUKEE ARMENIANS OBSERVE CULTURAL MONTH

Hrair Hawk Khatcherian devoted most of his presentation as part of the Armenian Cultural Month observance at St. John to his latest book, Khatchkar. Beautifully produced and photographed, the 500-page coffee table book is an impressive document of Armenian religious stone carvings.