On the heels of leading a “Prayer for Artsakh” at St. Vartan Cathedral on Wednesday evening, September 30, Bishop Daniel Findikyan has been traveling the region to encourage the faithful, as our homeland endures a time of war.
On Thursday afternoon, October 1, Bishop Daniel joined the Rally for Artsakh in New York, where he stood at the United Nations Building with Archbishop Anoushavan Tanielian to appeal for peace and express outrage at Azerbaijan’s unprovoked suprise attack on Artsakh.
In remarks extolling the spirit of unity among all Armenians, Bishop Daniel said: “If there is any day for us Armenians to be together, it is this day. At this very moment, the greatest imaginable catastrophe is unfolding, and escalating, in our homeland of Armenia and Artsakh…. As Armenians, we must come together with one spirit, in prayer and in tangible support of our soldiers and our people–who are our brothers and sisters in the homeland.”
Click on the following links to view photos from the rally, and watch a video of remarks by Archbishop Anoushavan and Bishop Daniel.
On Friday, October 2, Bishop Daniel led a video conference call of clergy from throughout the Diocese, to update them on developments in the Artsakh war, discuss ways in which the Diocese and its parishes are helping to support the homeland in its time of crisis, and to plan for a special prayer service on the morning of Saturday, October 3. (See below for details.)
On the horizon, the Bishop will be in Watertown, MA, at the city’s St. James Church, to preside over the badarak on Sunday, October 4. Churches across the Diocese will conduct a hokehankisd service on that day for the casualties of the war in Artsakh and Armenia–at this writing suprassing 170 souls: soldiers and civilians alike; men and women; the elderly and children.
Bishop Daniel will spend the rest of the coming week in New England meeting with local parish leaders and parishioners. Following Sunday’s badarak he will remain in Watertown through Monday for a gathering of New England clergy. The rest of the work week will take him to Cambridge’s Holy Trinity Church, the Armenian Church of Hye Pointe, and Chelmsford’s Sts. Vartanantz Church. On Saturday (October 10) Bishop Daniel will preside over badarak at the Church of the Holy Translators in Framingham, where he will ordain Arthur Sabounjian as a deacon. And on Sunday (October 11) he will preside at the Sts. Sahag and Mesrob Church in Providence (RI), ordaining Garen Megrdichian as a deacon.
Saturday, October 3: A Service of Prayer and Blessing
At the behest of His Holiness Karekin II, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, Armenian churches around the world will hold special services on Saturday, October 3, to pray for peace, and to ask for God’s blessing on soldiers defending Armenia and Artsakh and their families.
Parishes throughout the Eastern Diocese will begin their services on Saturday morning at 10 a.m. EDT (9 a.m. CDT), to coincide with services being held at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. Many parishes will livestream the service, as will St. Vartan Cathedral in New York. Where possible, churches will be open to worshippers in accordance with local pandemic regulations. Bishop Daniel will preside over the prayer service at the St. Gregory the Enlightener Church of White Plains, NY.
The faithful are encouraged to participate online or in person where possible–but above all to join their voices in prayer for our homeland, its soldiers, and their families.