With world attention currently focused on the eruption of yet another war, the Armenian Church’s remembrance of the Vartanantz saints on February 24, 2022, held a special urgency.
In one of history’s earliest conflicts for the defense of Christianity and the preservation of national identity, war was waged between pagan Persia and Christian Armenia in A.D. 451.
Though massively outnumbered, Vartan Mamigonian, the leader of the Armenian forces during the Battle of Avarayr, put up a fierce and courageous resistance, with his 66,000 Armenians facing 300,000 Persian soldiers. While Vartan and more than a thousand Armenian Christian warriors lost their lives, the battle confirmed Christianity as the unshakeable foundation of the Armenian identity.
On Thursday, February 24, this profound chapter of history was remembered at New York’s St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral. Presiding over the observance was Bishop Daniel Findikyan, Primate of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America.
The Vicar of St. Vartan Cathedral, Fr. Davit Karamyan, played a crucial role in planning and organizing the activities of the event, with the participation of the Mid-Atlantic Knights and Daughters of Vartan.
The name day of St. Vartan Cathedral began with a glorious Divine Liturgy, celebrated by the most recently-ordained clergyman in the Eastern Diocese: Fr. Nigoghos Aznavourian, pastor of St. Mark Church, in Springfield, MA. Fr. Nigoghos is the first American-born deacon ordained to the priesthood by the hand of the Diocese’s first American-born Primate, Bishop Daniel. He was also the first priest to be ordained in the Springfield church.
Several Diocesan priests were present, including the Eastern Diocese’s Vicar Fr. Simeon Odabashian, its Director of Ministries Fr. Mesrop Parsamyan, its Sacred Music Instructor Fr. Mamigon Kiledjian, and distinguished emeritus pastor Fr. Karekin Kasparian.
Deacons from St. Nersess Armenian Seminary also participated. The sacred chants of the badarak were sung by the St. Vartan Cathedral Choir, directed by Maestro Khoren Mekanejian, with organ accompaniment by Florence Avakian.
Fr. Nigoghos later expressed his deep emotional feelings while performing his badarak at the mother church of the Armenian Diocese, St. Vartan Cathedral, named for the warrior saint. “Holding the Creator of the Universe in your hands as a priest is amazing every time you do it,” he said with obvious emotion, in a reference to the sacrament of Holy Communion.
“The cathedral is a special place for the Eastern Diocese, and doing the badarak on the name day of the cathedral is even more special,” he added. He thanked Bishop Daniel and the attending priests and deacons who joined in the service.
A Festive Dinner
Following the service, more than 100 guests attended a festive dinner and program in Haik and Alice Kavookjian Auditorium—the first such in-person dinner gathering since the start of the pandemic some two years ago. Bishop Daniel opened the presentation with a meditative prayer.
The dinner’s guest of honor was former World champion boxer from Armenia Vic Darchinyan. The keynote speaker was director of the Diocese’s Krikopr and Clara Zohrab Information Center, Dr. Jesse Arlen. A cultural program was presented by young singers and dancers of the “Astghikner” ensemble.
Longtime Knights of Vartan official Edward Barsamian warmly welcomed the attendees, and emphasized the importance of Vartan Mamigonian’s preservation of Christianity and “our national identity.” He highlighted the role of the Knights and Daughters of Vartan organization in building churches, schools and cultural centers in America, and its central role in the founding and construction of St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral.
Mr. Barsamian also announced that the April 24 commemoration of the Genocide at Times Square in New York will take place this year on Sunday, April 24. He urged all to be present to honor the saints whose lives were sacrificed—and to again inform Americans of this fateful occurrence.
Guest of Honor
For everyone present, it was a delight to share the occasion with nine-time world boxing champion Vic Darchinyan. In his remarks, Darchinyan, the first Armenian to achieve this honor, confessed that he had, in fact, once lost a boxing match. “But I never gave up,” he added with pride; and shortly thereafter he won five consecutive victories. Currently, he has signed a contract in the United States to further his boxing passion.
“Our country recently lost the war, but we will win again!” he loudly proclaimed to a long standing ovation.
Hayk Ghukasyan, president of Armenia’s Professional Arm Fighting Federation, who had accompanied famed boxer Vic Darchinyan to the United States, asked the crowd to stand for a moment of silence to honor the war dead in the fighting in Artsakh.
He spoke about the importance of sports, and stressed the significance of the Armenian diaspora to the people in Armenia and Artsakh, “who bravely defended our country. It is through you, the diaspora, that we were able to keep our Armenians safe in the homeland,” he stated with appreciation.
“We will never lose Armenia,” he strongly declared to another standing ovation.
A Profound Reflection
In a reflective keynote address, Dr. Jesse Arlen, director of the Zohrab Information Center at the Diocese, concentrated on Vartan Mamigonian’s agony as revealed in the lesser known “History” by Ghazar Parbetsi. Focusing on Christ’s words that, “Whoever loves his wife and children more than me is not worthy of me,” Dr. Arlen concentrated on Vartan’s message before the Battle of Avarayr to his kinsmen and fighters who were worried about saving the lives of those they loved.
But before that inspiring declaration, Vartan “had chosen the way of deception, feigning abandonment of Christ and accepting Zoroastrianism.” Called to the Persian court to face the pagan King Yazgert in the time before the Persian-Armenian conflict erupted into war, Vartan has sided with his fellow nakharars (Armenian nobles), whose first instinct was to protect the families and those they loved, and who therefore pretended conversion to the Persian religion.
However, Vartan soon discovered that the road he had chosen was almost totally rejected by his family, servants and all around him.
“It’s this inner battle that was the most difficult one that Vartan fought: the war he waged within himself,” Dr. Arlen said. “And after the initial defeat at the Persian court, it’s from this inner battle that he emerged victorious, when he decided that no matter the cost or outcome, he would follow the way that he knew deep down within him to be right, which meant accepting his own mortality, and facing death in battle.”
All this, he continued, “means to take off your armor, and grip the cross at the center of yourself.”
“Vartan overcame the deceptive inner desires urging him toward self-preservation and self-protection at the expense of the highest good.” The result, said Dr. Arlen, was Vartan’s victory. “The halo glows again behind his head”—as seen in that powerful sculpture etched on the front wall of St. Vartan Cathedral.
We all fight a similar battle every day, Arlen reflected. “But this is the way to pick up your cross and follow the way of Christ. May each of us become the warrior saint who wins the inner battle,” he said in conclusion to loud applause.
In the cultural presentation, gifted and accomplished violinist Diana Vasilyan delighted the audience with several musical selections. And the vocal ensemble of the Brooklyn Mission parish, soloists of the “Astghiker” group, Viktorya Astvatsatryan and Ilona Dianna Sargsyan, sang emotional songs, and danced gracefully to songs dedicated to St. Vartan. Lina Panfilova accompanied the performers, and Maria Sahakyan, the Artistic Director of the “Astghikner” Ensemble planned and directed the artistic program.
Inspiring Remarks
Closing the impressive evening, Bishop Daniel paid tribute to Fr. Davit and the Knights and Daughters of Vartan for organizing the special event after more than two years of absence due to the pandemic. “Today,” he stated, “was an evening of reflection on the meaning of Vartanantz.”
He expressed special appreciation to Vic Darchinyan and Hayk Ghukasyan for their presence. “Armenia is and will always be our Hayrenik,” he said with emphasis to applause and cheering. “Every moment of life is not planned in advance. God gives us insight to see that we are all connected.”
The Primate said emphasized that Vartanantz is primarily a Christian celebration, and that the only two historians to have preserved this history (Ghazar Parbetsi and Yeghishe Vartabed) were devout Christians. He said St. Vartan’s struggles show that the “hard route will be chosen for the ultimate truth. And we Armenian Christians will seek the truth as Vartan did! We pray for all those who pray and seek the truth.”
The Primate then asked St. Nersess Seminary Deacon Yervant Kutchukian to join him in the final prayer, as the crowd stood and together sang the “Hayr Mer.”
Click here to view a gallery of photos of the service, dinner, and program, by photographer Diran Jebejian.
By Florence Avakian