SAINTLY WOMEN’S DAY OBSERVED AT ST. JOHN ARMENIAN CHURCH OF MILWAUKEE

By David Luhrssen

A week before many events throughout the U.S. were being cancelled from fear of the coronavirus, the Armenian Church Eastern Diocese’s annual Midwest Saintly Women’s Day was held as scheduled on March 14. This year’s host congregation, St. John the Baptist, Greenfield, drew attendees from neighboring Armenian communities and the participation of several Midwest area clergy including Very Rev. Fr. Ghevont Pentezian (All Saints, Glenview, IL) St. John’s pastor Rev. Fr. Nareg Keutelian, Rev. Fr. Hovhan Khoja-Eynatyan (St. James, Evanston), Rev. Fr. Andreas Garabedian (St. Gregory the Illuminator, Chicago) and Rev. Fr. Sahag Kashian (Holy Resurrection, South Milwaukee; and St. George, Waukegan).

In his homily, Very Rev. Ghevont Pentezian spoke of finding the necessary balance between modernity and tradition and pointed to St. Khosrovidukht’s primary role in the conversion of Armenia to Christianity. She remains, he said, a model of faith in action.

The guest speaker, Deacon Allen Banoub of Saint Mary & Saint Antonious Coptic Orthodox Church (Oak Creek, Wis.), addressed the theme of saintly women by focusing on four biblical figures, two from the Old Testament and two from the New. From the ancient Jews, he cited Deborah, a ruler of Israel in war and peace as well as a prophet; and Ruth, an enthusiastic convert to the Jewish faith who became one of the ancestors of King David and Jesus Christ. From the origins of Christianity, he examined St. Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Jesus’ companion Mary Magdalene, the first woman to see the empty tomb after the Resurrection.

Each of the four women, he said, exemplified in their own ways courage, faith, love and strength of character.