SAINTS HONORED ON SATURDAY, MARCH 22, 2025
SAINTS HONORED ON SATURDAY, MARCH 22, 2025: St. John, Patriarch of Jerusalem, Hovhan Odznetsi (St. John of Odzoon), Hovhan Vorodnetsi (St. John of Orodni), Krikor Datevatsi (St. Gregory of Datev).
SAINTS HONORED ON SATURDAY, MARCH 22, 2025: St. John, Patriarch of Jerusalem, Hovhan Odznetsi (St. John of Odzoon), Hovhan Vorodnetsi (St. John of Orodni), Krikor Datevatsi (St. Gregory of Datev).
On the second Saturday in Great Lent (Poon Paregentan) the Armenian Church commemorates St. Cyril (315-386) of Jerusalem, a doctor of the church. St. Cyril had a pleasant and conciliatory disposition, but he lived at a time when bishops were embroiled in bitter controversies and were quick to condemn any attempts at compromises, even calling such attempts as treason…
St. Theodoros the Captain is a Saint recognized by all traditional churches of Christendom. The Armenian Church commemorates this Saint on the first Saturday during the period of Great Lent.
After the battle of Vartanants, a number of priests and deacons were abducted by the Persian king and imprisoned, tortured and martyred. Ghevont is revered as the leader of the group because he was an advisor to Vartan Mamigonian, and is remembered for the inspiring message he delivered on the eve of the battle of Avarayr. Ghevont, who was highly educated, assisted …
This Saturday, February 22, the Armenian Church commemorates Catholicos Sahag (Isaac) Bartev, a strong and great leader who is recognized as one of the greatest saints of the Armenian Church. His accomplishments, even under very difficult political situations, secured the survival of the Armenian nation. He was the son of St. Nerses the Great and a descendant of St…
The Armenian Church remembers the Holy Voskian priests—five men who were sent to Rome as ambassadors by the Armenian king, Sanadrook. On the road to Rome they met the Apostle Thaddeus who converted and baptized them…
Sts. Voskians were five ambassadors sent by the Roman Emperor to the Armenian King Sanatruk in the 1st century. During their time in Armenia, they encountered St. Bartholomew the Apostle and, inspired by his preaching, were baptized and converted to Christianity.
One of them, Khrussi (whose name in Armenian means “Voski pronounced Vosgi” or “Gold”), was ordained into the holy order of priesthood…
Today, the Armenian Church celebrates the Feast of the Presentation of our Lord, the moment when the forty-day-old baby Jesus was brought to the temple by His mother, Mary, and Joseph. They came to fulfill the law, to offer a sacrifice, to do what was expected. But what seemed like an ordinary ritual became an extraordinary revelation!
Because in that temple, there were two people who had been waiting, watching, believing. Simeon, a devout man, and Anna, a prophetess—two people who refused to give up, who held onto hope when it seemed like nothing was changing. And on that day, their faith was rewarded!
In the temple, a righteous and devout man named Simeon to whom it had been revealed that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord, took Jesus in his arms, blessed God and said, “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for…
On Saturday, February 8, the Armenian Church commemorates the sons and grandsons of St. Gregory the Illuminator, namely, Sts. Aristakes, Vrtanes, Housik, Grigoris, and Daniel (who was not related, but was a distinguished and favorite student of St. Gregory). All of them continued the work of St. Gregory, preaching the word of Christ to pagans at great personal peril. Gregory had two sons, Aristakes and Vrtanes. Aristakes, the younger son, succeeded…