Parishioners of St. Thomas Church in Tenafly, NJ, welcomed Diocesan Primate Fr. Mesrop Parsamyan on Palm Sunday, April 2. It was the continuation of a longtime tradition, whereby the arajnort shares that feast day—which is also the parish’s consecration anniversary—with the Tenafly faithful.
Fr. Mesrop presided at the Divine Liturgy and delivered the homily, then led the “Turenpatsek” service alongside parish pastor Fr. Papken Anoushian. In keeping with Palm Sunday tradition, parishioners received palm fronds at the close of the service.
Later, the Primate and people enjoyed each other’s company in the lovely spring atmosphere. After a three-year absence due to the pandemic, St. Thomas resounded with the voices of an exuberant banquet crowd marking the parish’s 58th anniversary.
Dr. Levon Capan gave a cordial greeting toast. Pastor Fr. Papken Anoushian warmly welcomed the Primate and stated that the St. Thomas parish was very happy that he was present. He said that the faithful of the parish were great supporters of Fr. Mesrop’s minsitry, who had offered daily prayers for his recovery following his auto accident.
During the banquet, two St. Thomas parishioners were honored for their service and dedication to the church: Diana Bourghol and Talar Sarafian. Fr. Anoushian presented each with a plaque in recognition of their devotion. Both honorees are very active in leading the Cultural Committee, ACYOA, Armenian School Committee, and many other areas.
As Palm Sunday is ACYOA day, the St, Thomas parish ACYOA Juniors leaders–Saro Amerkanian, Sonia Bourghol and Abigail Tovmasian–presented their pastor with a generous donation towards the church’s needs.
During the program, the youngest altar server, 9-year-old Armen Mekjian, beautifully sang the Nicene Creed (Havadamk) in Classical Armenian, to the amazement of all present.
The proceedings ended with eloquent remarks by Fr. Mesrop, who said how grateful he was for the warm welcome and all the prayers during his recovery. He concluded with a benediction prayer.
“It was a meaningful experience to see the church filled with devoted worshippers, and to witness the joy and reverence that permeated the space,” said Fr. Mesrop afterwards. “St. Thomas’ 58th anniversary banquet was a wonderful opportunity to connect with the people, listen to their stories about the history of the church, and hear about their own personal experiences.”
He went on: “I am continually impressed by the dedication and commitment of the St. Thomas community to their faith and to each other, under the fatherly pastorship of Hayr Papken. The visit was inspiring and uplifting, and I look forward to returning to this community in the future.”
Numerous parish volunteers assisted with preparations, making it a memorable event. The banquet chairs were Mr and Mrs. Jack and Sylva Torosian. The mistress of ceremonies was Erna Kajayan. Chefs were Arto and Ani Ozgun, Tanya Vartantyan, Martha and Mary Ann Saraydarian. The parish’s Palm Sunday Cake Sale, chaired by Mr. and Mrs. John Ozdemir and Arlene Araian Ozdemir, earned a substantial gift for the parish.
By Madlen Setian.