Diocesan Primate Fr. Mesrop Parsamyan will preside over the Feast of Sts. Vartanantz at New York’s St. Vartan Cathedral on Thursday, February 16, 2023.
The cathedral will be open to worshippers, with services going forward in compliance with local health regulations.
The Feast of Sts. Vartanantz will go forward on Thursday, February 16, beginning with a morning Divine Liturgy at 10 a.m., celebrated by Fr. Davit Karamyan. This service will be broadcast live over the St. Vartan Cathedral Facebook page.
That same evening, at 6 p.m., a special service will be held in the cathedral sanctuary, with a dinner and program following at 7 p.m. in Haik and Alice Kavookjian Auditorium. Professor Mark Movsesian, co-director of the Center for Law and Religion at St. John’s University Law School, will be the guest speaker. Members of the “Astghikner” vocal ensemble will also perform.
The cathedral’s Vartanantz observance is being organized with the participation of the Mid-Atlantic Knights and Daughters of Vartan. St. Vartan Cathedral is located at 630 Second Avenue (corner of 34th Street), in New York City. Click here to view a flyer with details.
The cathedral is located at 630 Second Avenue (corner of 34th Street), New York City. For information, call the Diocesan Center at (212) 686-0710.
Outnumbered, Defeated—But Not Forgotten
Every year on the Thursday preceding Great Lent, Armenians throughout the world commemorate the anniversary of the Battle of Avarayr (A.D. 451). The armed forces of Armenia confronted the Persian Empire, which aimed to convert the world’s first Christian nation to Zoroastrianism. Armenia’s soldiers fighting under the leadership of St. Vartan Mamigonian are known as the Vartanank, and their day of remembrance is Vartanantz.
On the field of Avarayr, outnumbered Armenian fighters faced a mighty Persian army. St. Vartan and his companions saw a military defeat; but their unyielding commitment to defend their faith ultimately thwarted the Persians, and ensured that Christianity would endure in Armenia.
Click here to read more about the Battle of Avarayr on this website, or download the Diocese’s iBook for an interactive introduction to St. Vartan’s historic campaign.
Ghevontiantz Day on February 13
Three days prior to the Feast of Sts. Vartanantz, the Armenian Church remembers the sacrifice of St. Leontius (Ghevont) the priest and his companions. St. Ghevont is one of the great exemplars of the Armenian priesthood, remembered for his rare courage and resolution at the Battle of Avarayr.
On the eve of battle, Ghevont celebrated the Divine Liturgy, conferred the sacrament of Holy Communion on the soldiers, and baptized those who had not yet been received into the church. His stirring sermon assured the soldiers that their mystical union with Christ would survive even physical violence and death.
Click here to learn more about St. Ghevont and his companions.
Typically, Ghevontiantz is observed on the Tuesday preceding Vartanantz. But for 2023, in an unusual convergence, that day would be occupied by the Feast of the Lord’s Presentation, which always falls on February 14. So for this year, Ghevontiantz is being celebrated on the Monday before Vartanantz, in accordance with the rubrics of the Armenian Church calendar.
In observance of Ghevontiantz Day, the clergy of the Eastern Diocese held regional gatherings at St. Leon Church in Fair Lawn, NJ; Sts. Sahag and Mesrob Church in Providence, RI; St John the Baptist Church in Milwaukee, WI; and St. John Church in Southfield, MI. The service at St. Leon Church was broadcast on the parish’s YouTube page, on Monday, February 13, at 11 a.m. EST.
Above: Artwork by Vardan Gasparyan.