Some 300 worshippers took part in a con-celebrated Divine Liturgy of Oriental Orthodox churches on Saturday, October 11, at St. Leon Armenian Church of Fair Lawn, NJ. The majestic service involved clergy, choirs, altar servers, and faithful of the Armenian, Coptic, Ethiopian, Malankara, Syriac, Knanaya, and Eritrean churches.
The liturgy was jointly celebrated by the respective bishops of these sister churches: Archbishop John Kawak of the Syriac Orthodox Church; Archbishop Titus of the Malankara Indian Church; Archbishop Silvanus Ayoub of the Knanaya Syriac Church; Bishop David and Bishop Gabriel of the Coptic Orthodox Church; and Bishop Mesrop of the Armenian Church.
The con-celebrated Divine Liturgy is a greatly anticipated annual gathering for the Oriental Orthodox churches of the Greater New York region. The Eastern Diocese was the host for this year’s service, and Diocesan Primate Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan delivered the homily for the occasion.
Noting that the service coincided with the Armenian Church’s Feast of the Holy Translators, Bishop Mesrop urged listeners to do their utmost to “translate the Gospel to the surrounding world, through the language of love and compassion, so the world may see God’s message alive through us.”
“Let it be a sign to our faithful, that the Oriental Orthodox churches stand shoulder to shoulder as witnesses of the same Gospel,” he said; “a sign to a fractured world that unity is possible—when it is built on the truth and love of Christ.”
A warm-hearted fellowship luncheon took place after the liturgy, where the diverse faithful of the Oriental Orthodox “family” had a welcome opportunity to share each other’s company.
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October 17, 2025 at 2:55 pm
An Ongoing Commitment to Unity and Collaboration - The Armenian Church