LRAPER Church Bulletin
Contact: Deacon Vagarsag Seropyan
Armenian Patriarchate
TR-34130 Kumkapi, Istanbul
T: +90 (212) 517-0970
F: +90 (212) 516-4833
patriarchate@post.com

PATRIARCH’S NAME AND BIRTH DAYS CELEBRATED

16 June 2005, Thursday, Feast of the Holy Translators: Saints Sahag and
Mesrob, the traditional name day for all Armenians bearing the names Sahag,
Mesrob and Mashdots, was also the day when His Beatitude Mesrob II, Armenian
Patriarch of Istanbul and All Turkey, completed his 49th year of age.

A reception was held in the garden of the Patriarchate between 20:00 and
23:00 hours, with 300 guests attending, mostly hieromonks, priests, deacons,
acolytes, teachers, members of church youth groups and community leaders who
had all attended His Beatitude’s Bible Study and spirituality classes during
his 26 years of ministry as priest and bishop.

Also celebrating their birthdays at the reception were Dr. Araik Sargsyan of
the Armenian Academy of Sciences; Attorney Luiz Bakar, the press
spokesperson of the Patriarchate; Srpuhi Bilalyan, Armenian language teacher
at the Kalfayan community school; Kegham Erzrumluyan, member of the PTA
Board at the Sahakyan Parish School in Samatya.

Celebrating their name day together with the Patriarch were the Very Revd.
Fr. Sahag Mashalian, hieromonk and Vice-Chairman of the Patriarchal
Spiritual Council; the Revd. Fr. Mashdots Kalpakciyan, Pastor of the Surp
Hripsime Church in Buyukdere; Deacon Sahag Bicakciyan of the Turkish Bible
Society, serving at St. John the Evangelist Armenian Church in Narlikapi;
and Mesrob Yildirimyan, a second grade student at the Bezciyan Parish School
in Kumkapi.

The reception soon became a celebration of Armenian faith and culture when
numerous guests spontaneously joined in singing, in unison and a capella,
Armenian hymns and traditional songs for nearly an hour. A cranberry cake
was ushered in which was cut by all those celebrating their name and
birthdays.