Khavaroom Service Live-Streaming, Great Thursday April 9
We will be livestreaming the Khavaroom Service to our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/stthomasarmenianchurchnj at 8:00 pm EST, on Great Thursday, APril 9.
Church Holiday
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Holy Altar and Church Hymns Live-Streaming, Palm Sunday April 5
We will be livestreaming our spiritual sanctuary and background hymns and Armenian Church spiritual songs, with narration by Fr. Papken Anoushian, to our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/stthomasarmenianchurchnj at 10:00 am EST, on Palm Sunday.
55th Annual Palm Sunday Banquet Is Cancelled
For the health and safety of our parish members, we unfortunately will not be able to have the annual Palm Sunday Banquet and will not be able to celebrate the anniversary of our Church and ACYOA Day. Please select to read Hayr Papken’s appeal to parishioners.
Preparing the Holy Altar for Palm Sunday
Today, the Holy Altar servers: Deacons Mark Bourghol, Saro Tovmassian, and David Ghazarian, and choir member Berch changed the curtain of the Holy Altar.
Holy Week (Avak Shapat) Schedule 2017
Please find the St. Thomas schedule of Holy Week (Avak Shapat) Services, April 9 – 16, 2017, in Armenian and in English.
Seeking Participants For Vodnluva Service
The traditional Holy Week service of Vodnluva (Washing of the Feet) will take place on Holy Thursday, April 13, 2017. Please contact St. Thomas as soon as possible by email or phone if you would like your son(s) to participate.
Easter Lilies For Purchase
You may purchase an Easter Lily plant and, by doing so, also adorn the St. Thomas Armenian Church altar during the Easter season! The plants will be available for pick-up after the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy (Soorp Badarak) on Easter Sunday, April 16, 2017. The plants will be available for pick-up after the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy (Soorp Badarak) on Easter Sunday, April 16, 2017. Please contact Mrs. Jacklyn Baltaian or the Church office to order your beautiful plant today!
Feast Of The Exaltation Of The Holy Cross
On Sunday, September 11, we celebrated one of the five major Tabernacle (Daghavar) Feasts in the Armenian Church – the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Khachverats or Veratsumn Srpo Khachi). on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, the Divine Liturgy includes an antasdan service (blessing of the fields) during which the processional cross is adorned with basil (a symbol of royalty) and the four corners of the church are blessed as a symbol for all the world. On the Saturday preceding the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, faithful members of the St. Thomas Armenian Church family traditionally decorate the pedestal for the Holy Cross. Mrs. Rosine Hovsepian and Taleen Torisian decorated the Holy Cross this year. “Today’s raising of the cross is just a reminder of our everyday reverence of it. It is the power of God.”
Feast of the Assumption of St. Mary, Holy Mother of God (Soorp Asdvadzadzeen)
Sunday, August 14th, was a day of great celebration in the Armenian Apostolic Church. All around the world, and at St. Thomas Armenian Church, parishioners honor Mary, the Holy Mother of God, during one of the five main tabernacle Feasts of the Armenian Church. The traditional Blessing of the Grapes ceremony takes place after the Divine Liturgy (Soorp Badarak) in the Armenian church on this day. The grape is considered the queen of the fruits, and its juice symbolizes of the blood of Christ and Holy Communion. The church celebrates with the ceremony on this day and gives thanks to God for the blessings He bestows upon mankind.
Feast of the Holy Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide
On April 24, 2016, the Armenian Church will observe its first Feast of the Holy Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide. A special service will be performed after the Divine Liturgy (Soorp Badarak) to pay tribute to the victims of the Armenian Genocide, who died in 1915 while upholding their Christian faith. The martyrs had been canonized last year in a momentous ceremony at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. We celebrate these saints as they live eternally in the glory of God.