News and Announcements
Sunday, December 11th, 2011
The 60th Anniversary of the Establishment of the First Armenian Parish in Miami, Florida and The 13th Anniversary of ST. MARY ARMENIAN CHURCH.
Divine Liturgy will be celebrated by His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate.
Feast Days
The Armenian Christmas – Soorp Dznount
The Armenian Church celebrates the holy birth (Sourp Dznount) of Jesus Christ on January 6. In Armenian tradition, this feast day commemorates not only the birth of Christ, but also His baptism by John the Baptist. The latter is remembered through the "Blessing of Water" ceremony, which follows the Divine Liturgy on January 6.
On the eve of the Feast of the Nativity and Theophany of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Jrakalouyts Divine Liturgy (the lighting of the lamps service) is celebrated in honor of the manifestation of Jesus as the Son of God (theophany). It is custom for the faithful to hold lit candles during this special service.
St. Mesrob Mashtots and the Armenian Alphabet
St. Mesrob was born around 355 or 361 in the village of Hatsekats, in the province of Taron. His father’s name was Vardan from the Mamikonian dynasty.
According to Koryun, one of Mesrob’s pupils, who wrote about the life and works of his teacher, the founder of the Armenian Alphabet was highly educated and had mastered the Persian, Assyrian and Greek languages and was the royal secretary of the king Khosrov the Third.
The Battle of Avarayr and the Feast of Saints Vartanants
Every year, on the Thursday preceding the Great Lent, the Armenian Church
celebrates the anniversary of one of the most important events in her
history. The event is the war waged by the Zoroastrian Persia against
Christian Armenia in the year 451 A. D.
The central figure of this war was Saint Vartan the great Commander, and all
those who sacrificed their lives are collectively called Saints Vartanants.
