One would not usually draw a connection between the centuries-old rituals of the Armenian Church and modern-day technology. But that is exactly what took place on Easter Sunday at St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral, when the coronavirus pandemic necessitated broadcasting Bishop Daniel Findikyan’s celebration of the Divine Liturgy live over the Internet.
Although the sanctuary was physically devoid of parishioners on April 12, 2020, thousands of the faithful viewed the live video stream on their computers, mobile devices and tablets, remaining spiritually and emotionally connected to this holiest of days.
As a result, the global Armenian community, forced for weeks to practice social distancing and self-quarantine in their homes, united as one Christian family to celebrate the joy of the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
St. Vartan Cathedral observed Holy Week (April 5 through 11) with a series of live-broadcast special services celebrated by Cathedral Vicar Fr. Davit Karamyan, culminating with the Easter Sunday Divine Liturgy. Bishop Daniel’s presentation of the Easter badarak was solemn and impassioned, and his sermon, delivered in both English and Armenian, had an air of determination and hope for the future.
He emphatically stated that no pandemic, nor any other catastrophe, would ever disrupt the holy celebrations or our unshakeable faith. “During the course of this Eucharist, I felt your presence, love and connection to this very badarak today,” he said. “That is the power of faith, and this cathedral is filled with the love and hope of all of our people.” Bishop Daniel also assured the audience that he prayed for each and every one of them, which further reinforced their feeling of inclusion in the service.
Supporting Bishop Daniel in celebrating the Easter service were Deacon Manuel Rakoubian, Deacon Aram Kaberjian, and choir members Angela Grigoryan and Hasmik Rakoubian, whose angelic voices filled the cathedral with the moving spiritual hymns that are such a vital part of the badarak.
Feeling the Power of Inspiration
From the very beginning of the Easter Sunday broadcast, viewers felt the power and inspiration of the Divine Liturgy despite their physical separation from the cathedral. They typed sentiments of appreciation, prayers, and blessings on a rolling comments section in the video platform throughout the entire service. One of the most common remarks were those that expressed a sense of relief and gratitude for being able to “attend” the service with the help of technology, especially during this unsettling time when people need it most.
Enthusiasm for the broadcast was also evident in the remarkable number of people who tuned in. In previous years, upwards of 1,200 people typically attend the cathedral’s Easter service in person, with the over-capacity crowd spilling outdoors onto the plaza. This year’s live-stream enjoyed twice as many viewers during its initial broadcast, with the archived episode on the Eastern Diocese’s YouTube and Facebook social media platforms now growing to more than 25,000 views to date.
Technology also offers viewers an even broader spiritual and educational experience of hearing Bishop Daniel’s prayers that were recited behind the closed curtain, through the microphone that he wore throughout the service.
“What Comes Out of That Tomb is Life”
Most importantly, Bishop Daniel’s homily illustrated how the faithful can learn from and be guided by Christ’s final days.
He reflected on Mary’s utter sorrow, pain, and sense of loss of her only child as she knelt at the foot of the cross upon which Christ was crucified. He pointed out that Christ’s horrific torture and death were not the victorious, joyous, glorious outcome that the prophets of the Old Testament had anticipated or hoped for.
He then drew several parallels between that situation and the challenging times we are faced with today. “Mary did not fully understand what was happening at that moment,” he said. “She must have thought, just as we ask today, ‘What is God doing? I did not expect this!’ We know that this is not God’s work; He takes no joy in seeing us mourning and in pain. This is the profound mystery, or khorhoort khoreen, that reminds us that we are not in control, and that life is more mysterious and fragile than we thought.”
Bishop Daniel further added that Mary looked through the darkness and despair, and found faith in the midst of anxiety and grief. She did not give up on her faith and religion, but instead was drawn by her love of God to Christ’s empty tomb.
“Let us walk with Mary to the tomb every moment of every day—for what comes out of that tomb is Life, and the Risen Lord. We must not allow anything to separate us from the love of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord.”
The Easter Sunday Divine Liturgy concluded with Bishop Daniel leading the Medz Antasdan (“Blessing of the World”) service, which involves moving in procession through the cathedral sanctuary, to invoke God’s blessings over the “four corners” of the earth. Traditionally performed every Easter on the cathedral’s outdoor plaza, the extraordinary circumstances of the pandemic required modifying and relocating this portion of the service to within the empty sanctuary itself. In his blessing, Bishop Daniel held one of the cathedral’s holiest of relics: the cross-shaped reliquary containing a shard of the True Cross on which Christ was crucified.
(Notably, His Holiness Karekin II, the Catholicos of All Armenians, had also brought forth a Relic of the True Cross—this one from the treasury of the Mother See—in his celebration of the Easter badarak at Holy Etchmiadzin.)
Not surprisingly, New York City’s mandatory lockdown in response to the coronavirus pandemic posed some unique challenges and required much orchestration and creative “work-arounds” to produce St. Vartan Cathedral’s Easter broadcast. Remote and offsite operation, both before and during the actual live-stream, were adeptly handled by a small but dedicated team: Yervant Keshishian, who directed the broadcast; host and narrator Christopher Zakian; and Fr. Davit Karamyan, who, in addition to participating in the service itself, also operated the camera controls on site. Albin Lohr-Jones, whose exceptional photography has visually documented previous Eastern Diocese events and services, also photographed the Easter Sunday service.
It is through the efforts of all who were involved in this unprecedented event that the faithful will be able to relive the Easter Sunday Divine Liturgy in perpetuity.
“And this is the victory that conquers the world: our faith.” (I John 5:4)
By Stephan S. Nigohosian
* * *
Click on the links below to:
- VIEW a gallery of photos by Albin Lohr-Jones.
- WATCH the archived broadcast of the Easter Liturgy from St. Vartan Cathedral.
- WATCH Bishop Daniel’s Easter Sunday sermon in English and Armenian.