MURALS UNVEILED AT ARMENIAN CHURCH

Cambridge Chronicle, MA
June 15 2006

The Holy Cross Armenian Catholic Church, located at 200 Lexington St.,
Belmont, unveiled two historical murals and an art exhibit by artist
Daniel Varoujan Hejinian on May 28. The murals are 48 inches by 79
inches each, and are located on the side walls of the church.

They depict the baptism of King Drtad and the creation of the Armenian
alphabet.

To the left of the center altar, one mural celebrates the 1,700th
anniversary of Armenia Christianity. This panel depicts the Baptism of
King Drtad as the first Christian King in 301 A.D. Saint Gregory the
Illuminator stands on the bank of the Euphrates River and baptizes
the King, who is bowed in humility. Queen Ashkhen and the king’s
sister Princess Khosrovitookht stand behind him, wile two soldiers
witness the event. Also depicted in the mural are Mount Ararat in
the distance, and in its shadow, the Holy Echmiyadzin Church, which
was built 305 A.D. by Saint Gregory and King Drtad.

Located on the wall to the right of the center altar, the second
mural celebrates the 1,600th anniversary of the Armenian alphabet
and Armenian culture. It depicts Saint Mesrob Mashdotz who created
the Armenian alphabet in 405 A.D. for the purpose of translating the
Bible into the Armenian language. In this panel, Saint Mesrob holds
a pen while through a stream of light the alphabet floats to him
through divine inspiration. Behind him, there is the symbolic image
of Ft. Mekhitar, who in the 1700’s founded the Mekhitarist Order in
the island of San Lazarus. Also depicted in the background is the
bell tower of the San Lazarus Monastery, because its congregation was
devoted to the advancement of learning and the publication of works
in the Armenian language, in addition they established schools in
populated Armenian communities throughout the world.

The Holy Cross Armenian Catholic Church in Belmont, is the seventh
church to display religious murals painted by Varoujan.

Saints Vartanantz Armenian Apostolic Church in Chelmsford,
Massachusetts, was the first church to commission Varoujan’s religious
murals. Twenty years ago, Daniel Varoujan Hejinian completed 46 murals
covering the northern and southern walls of Saint Vartanantz Armenian
Apostolic Church. Since then, he has painted many religious murals
and paintings in Armenian Churches throughout the United States.

Varoujan has painted several corporate murals in the Renaissance style
such as the Causeway Street Mural, a five-story high mural, which is
the gateway to the North End; the murals at Fillippo’s Restaurant in
the North End; and Luccia’s Restaurant in Winchester.

For more information, visit armenianchurch-art.com.- Rosario Teixeira