CHURCH REMAINS CENTRAL TO THEIR LIVES
By Susan Chaityn Lebovits
The Boston Globe
Oct 8 2006
When an earthquake killed 25,000 people and left 500,000 homeless in
Armenia in 1988, Thomas Babigian bought a ticket and flew to Spitak
to help rebuild.
"It was pretty gut-wrenching," said Babigian, who was 28 at the time.
For five weeks, he worked 11-hour days erecting homes while living
in a tent. The trip was arranged through the Armenian Church Youth
Organization of America and the St. James Armenian Apostolic Church.
The Watertown church — now marking its 75th anniversary — has played
a pivotal role in Babigian’s life and that of the large Armenian
community in Boston’s western suburbs.
This year, Babigian, his twin brother, Peter, and younger brother,
Vasken, are spearheading the church’s annual bazaar, which takes
place next weekend.
Growing up in Waltham, the three brothers did not learn to speak
English until they were nearly 6 years old, although their parents,
Garabed and Joan, were Massachusetts natives.
"Our grandparents on both sides spoke only Armenian, so it was
important to all of us that we were able to communicate with them,"
said Peter, 46, who works in the machine manufacturing business and
lives in Waltham with his wife, Gloria, and their three children.
"I remember kids laughing at us and saying, `There are the Babigian
boys — they can’t speak English,’ " said Vasken , a 38-year-old real
estate attorney in Watertown.
The brothers long ago shed their childhood embarrassment and are
grateful that they grew up steeped in their Armenian culture. Besides
their family, they say, they have St. James to thank.
With a community of 2,500 families, it is one of the largest Armenian
churches in the United States.
The brothers’ mother, who was raised in Watertown, has attended the
church for 70 years.
"At 17 and 18, when `normal kids’ wanted to go to the beach, I was
here trying to learn the service in Armenian," said Peter. "It gave
me religious and traditional fulfillment."
Soon after he was ordained a sub deacon and began singing in the choir,
which he still does. He is also the fifth-grade acolyte director.
Thomas, a mortgage broker who lives in Westford with his wife,
Linda, thinks nothing of making the half-hour commute to take their
6-year-old son to Sunday school at St. James. "I want to give him
the same experience, since it was so important to me," he said.
The brothers share the same olive skin and big dark eyes. They also
share an energy level that might be mistaken for one espresso too
many, but it comes in handy as they oversee preparations for next
weekend’s bazaar.
It will feature traditional foods like bourma, a rolled phyllo dough
with nuts, and manti, Armenian ravioli filled with meat; a live
auction, where people can bid on a Caribbean cruise with Armenians
from around the nation; and, in honor of the anniversary, a raffle
prize of $7,500 .
The church is their second home, they say.
In advance of its 75th anniversary, the brothers and their families
donated a 7-foot gold cross that sits on top of the church. Created
at SRP Sign Corp. in Waltham, it is constructed of cast aluminum with
23 -karat gold leafing. It took six months to make and was consecrated
and erected in 2004.
Vasken and his wife, Christina, are expecting their first child. They
plan to teach the baby to speak Armenian and English.
The St. James Church Bazaar is 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
For more on the church, visit sthagop.com.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress