LRAPER Church Bulletin
Contact: Deacon Vagarsag Seropyan
Armenian Patriarchate
TR-34130 Kumkapi, Istanbul
T: +90 (212) 517-0970
F: +90 (212) 516-4833
[email protected]
FEAST OF THE HOLY TRANSLATORS CELEBRATED IN SPIRITUAL JOY
The Feast of the Holy Translators, commemorating Saint Sahag Barthev and
Saint Mesrob Mashdots was celebrated in the Holy Mother-of-God Patriarchal
Church in Kumkapi, Istanbul,
on 16 June 2005, Thursday morning.
Following Matins, the Holy Eucharist was offered by the Very Revd. Fr. Sahag
Mashalian, with His Beatitude Patriarch Mesrob II presiding. Members of the
Brotherhood of the Patriarchal See, priests serving in the 38 Armenian
churches in Istanbul, the directors and the Armenian language teachers of
the 17 Armenian parish schools presently functioning in the metropolis,
faithful from Kumkapi and other parishes, attended the Divine liturgy.
His Beatitude delivered his homily in the second part of the Liturgy
emphasizing the significance of the translation of the Holy Bible into
Armenian, at the beginning of the fifth century, and hence, the profound
changes that followed in the history and cultural heritage of the Armenian
people. Mentioning the wordlwide celebration of the 1600th anniversary of
the invention of the Armenian alphabet by Saint Mesrob, the Patriarch
appreciated the many cultural and literary events, celebrating the occasion,
that had been successfully organized by the parish schools in Istanbul
during the first half of 2005. The Patriarch then put a strong emphasis on
the significance of the place of the Word of God in a personal and
collective life of faith. He exhorted the teachers to make ample use of the
religious education lessons in parish schools as a way of imparting the Holy
Tradition and the Orthodox Faith of the Church Fathers.
The Service for the Repose of Souls followed, with Patriarch Karekin I of
Istanbul, of blessed memory, who had passed away on this feast day in 1961,
and all deceased Armenian language teachers and writers of the Ýstanbul
Armenian community, being commemorated.
A luncheon in the garden of the Patriarchate followed, in which almost all
who were present at the Divine Liturgy participated.