THE MOTHER WHO HEALS AND UNITES

This morning, I woke up to the sound of the bells of Holy Etchmiadzin. I arrived at the Mother See last night for the Supreme Spiritual Council meeting. As the bells chimed, I felt the weight of centuries in their echoes. These bells proclaim the endurance of a people, the unbroken faith of a nation. This is where you realize that faith isn’t just an idea; it’s living, breathing, and holding us together like a mother embracing her children.

Etchmiadzin, this holy sanctuary, has been the soul of our people. She has stood steadfast through the storms of history, watching over her children who have lived through the centuries with many pains and only little joys. She has witnessed our triumphs, but more often, she has wept with us in our suffering. And yet, she has never abandoned her children.

Read more

HOLY MURON: SIGN OF OUR UNION IN CHRIST

Last Friday, [October 4, 2024] I had the great honor of bringing the newly blessed Holy Muron from the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin to our beloved Eastern Diocese. In a special service at St. Vartan Cathedral, I gathered with our clergy to distribute this sacred anointing oil, which will be shared with parishes across the diocese. This was a powerful reminder of the unity of our worldwide Armenian Church.

Think about this: all the different kinds of perfumes, incenses, and flowers gathered from the four corners of the world in Holy Etchmiadzin, blessed by our Catholicos…

Read more

KEEP SWINGING

Sometimes in life, we feel like we’re up against impossible odds. We’ve given it our all, but the breakthrough seems far off. We’re like a baseball player who keeps swinging but can’t seem to hit that home run. It’s in those moments that we need to dig deep, trust in God’s plan, and remember that victory might be just one swing away.

Last Saturday, with the parishioners of Holy Virgin Mary and Shoghagat Armenian Church we had a day out at the ballpark to watch the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals are a team that knows something about perseverance…

Read more

SEVEN NEW PRIESTS ORDAINED BY BISHOP MESROP’S HAND

This week, Diocesan Primate Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan was blessed to ordain seven new priests to serve the Armenian Church. He did so while he was visiting Armenia to attend the Supreme Spiritual Council meeting at Holy Etchmiadzin.

The ordination service took place on Sunday, June 16, at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Yerevan. Each of the seven young men who knelt before the altar embodied a unique calling that God had planted in their hearts. These seven represent the first priests to be ordained by the hand of our Primate.

Read more

HAPPY FATHERS DAY!

While in Armenia for the Supreme Spiritual Council meeting, I had the blessing of ordaining seven new priests at the St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Yerevan today. Each of these seven young men who knelt before the altar embodied a unique calling, a divine purpose that God had planted in their hearts.

Father’s Day is a celebration of fatherhood, and this year, it took on a new meaning for me: I became their spiritual father, consecrating them and dedicating them to the Lord. As I laid my hands on each candidate, I felt a profound sense of responsibility and joy.

Read more

PRIMATE’S EASTER 2024 MESSAGE

For weeks now, throughout the Armenian Church, our faithful have prepared for Easter with great anticipation, from Holy Etchmiadzin, to St. Vartan Cathedral, to every local parish. But wherever you are on that day, we all stand together as witnesses to the glory of our Lord’s Resurrection. On Easter Sunday we all proclaim with the apostle: “Glory to God—the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! For in His mercy, He has given us a new birth into a living hope, through the resurrection of Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3).

Read more

PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY 2024

On Thursday, January 25, 2024, Diocesan Primate Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan welcomed distinguished faith leaders from throughout New York City to gather in prayer. “It was a night that not only celebrated the diversity and unity of our Christian faith but also marked a significant milestone in the journey of the Armenian Church in America — the 125th anniversary of its establishment.”, Bishop Mesrop wrote on his Facebook page. He continued “I am deeply grateful to all who joined us, …

Read more

CHRISTMAS MESSAGE OF BISHOP MESROP PARSAMYAN

Peace is one of the great themes of Christmas: the beautiful idea that flows through the story of Christ’s Nativity, and warms our hearts at this time of year. It was the message that the angels announced over the fields outside of Bethlehem, more than two thousand years ago: “Glory to God in the highest Heaven; and on Earth, Peace to those on whom His favor rests” (Lk 2:14). eace, of course, is something we all long for. We pray for peace among nations—for an end to hatred and conflict, and to the human waste of war. Likewise, we pray for inner peace: for

Read more

A NATURAL CATHEDRAL

At that moment, prayer seemed both inevitable and spontaneous. How could one not pray when faced with such splendor? The falls acted like a grand altar, constantly offering its waters to the sky and the mist like incense, rising and filling the air with its refreshing scent.
The spectacle reminded me of the words from the Book of Psalms, “The heavens are telling the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.” (Psalm 19:1)…

Read more

THE FOUR EVANGELISTS

In Christian tradition, the Four Evangelists are often symbolically represented by four living creatures as described in the Book of Ezekiel (1:5–14) and the Book of Revelation (4:6–8): a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle. These symbols capture the essence of the message and the character of the Gospel each Evangelist conveys.
In the Armenian Church, we celebrate the Feast Day of the Four Evangelists—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Through their divine inspiration and human experiences, these extraordinary men crafted the Gospels, Աւետարան/Avedaran in Armenian.

Read more