Author: Emma Nadirian

Why is it that our church infrastructure and our communities are often discussed as interchangeable terms? The church goes beyond the spiritual needs of the diaspora, given the unique relationship between our faith and our heritage. The vast majority of our communities in the diaspora are centered around a local parish with a complement of patriotic, philanthropic and educational organizations. It is rare to see a community in the Armenian diaspora without a functioning church parish. When our survivor generation came to these shores, they brought their familial lifestyle with them, which was centered around the church. Even today, as changing demographics expand our community base into other geographies, the establishment of a new community usually begins with a mission parish. This reflects not only the importance of spirituality in Armenian life, but specifically the importance of the institution itself in sustaining the diaspora. In the absence of the church, our communities would operate as several loosely connected secular organizations. 

The church should never take its communal importance for granted and neither should members of the community. There are several barometers of the sustainable health of the church. We can look to spiritual health, outreach programs, financial stability or parish membership. These are all important and contribute to the overall picture, but I believe that the engagement of the youth is one of the best indicators of vibrancy and the future direction of this institution. Ironically, the youth represent the future but are underrepresented in the decision-making processes of the church. We assume we know what is in their best interests. This is one of the reasons why I am always interested in the health of the Sunday school programs. Traditionally, our Sunday schools are designed to offer Christian education according to the teachings of the Armenian church from preschool through high school. In some parishes, high school students are blended with other programs, such as the ACYOA in the Diocese. Using Sunday schools as a barometer of a community’s health, we should be very concerned. Usually our proxy decisions for the youth work, but in times of rapid change there is dangerous latency. Such is the case with the digital revolution as it relates to education. 

Harry and Elise Markarian of Providence bow their heads in prayer in front of their computer as Sunday School class began in 2021.

Our Sunday schools, whether in the Prelacy or Diocese, have been in decline for a few decades. We can use almost any metric to illustrate the points of regression. The number of students according to registrations has declined consistently since the late 70s. Registration is actually a more forgiving measurement, since it simply tells us who signed up in September but does not account for the inconsistent attendance week to week. We have teachers in every community who prepare lessons weekly only to have the students attend inconsistently. Imagine the challenge of teaching with less kids and a different group week to week. One of the ironies is that a significant emphasis has been put on curriculum and other teaching material. We are well prepared in this area, but it has not slowed the decline. This week I had the pleasure of speaking with someone who taught Sunday school for many years and recalled when the parish Sunday school had 400 students; today, it has a small fraction of that. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated example. Most of our parishes are experiencing this tragedy, and we have parishes that do not have a Sunday school. What can their future be? There are many dedicated volunteers in parishes and staff at our Diocese/Prelacy who have discussed this problem at retreats, teacher training seminars and conventions. The challenge has received significant attention, but we seem to be pushing the wrong buttons. Are we reaching the intended audience?         

The data tells us that Christian education is simply not as important to the current generation. By debating the symptoms, such as competing sports, assimilation or intermarriage, we have provided ourselves rationalizations to explain away the problem. We have not lost the children. There are hundreds who find joy in our schools. We have lost the parents. They are making choices other than a church education for their children. Many cave to the peer pressure that sports on Sundays are vital to their child’s development. I have never understood why our clergy are not more direct with parents, articulating that this is not in their best interests. Our priests can say this as a part of their ministry without being accused of being judgmental. We are trying to solve this problem in our churches through teacher training, curriculum and activities. Yet the problem is in the home. Until we find a way to build spiritual families, they will never understand what they are missing. We ask our families to pray together during meals. How many families even share a meal amid their overly scheduled lives? In recent weeks, I have shared some thoughts about the importance of change for maintaining vitality and relevance. We need a new approach with our Sunday schools. We have pilot programs for church membership and stewardship integration. Why are we not piloting new programs that bring God and the Armenian church into the home for our parents and children? What would that look like? Here are some ideas to consider.

An increasing number of students have no home experience to attract them to church. No connection has been made to draw them to Sunday services. We rely on the commitment of the parents, which is a diminishing proposition. Most parents, however, will prioritize what interests their kids. If there was something exciting happening in their homes relative to Armenian Christian education, it may provide the connection that is missing today. The argument that a church education is more important than conflicting social or athletic events has not worked. Children must discover the value in their homes. 

Our educational practices must reflect what these children are used to in their daily lives. They are growing up with web-based learning, streaming programs and digital integration. This is how our children are learning during the week in their public or private education. In the simplest form, we must design digital programming for the home that can be viewed by parents and children and open new doors for families. Imagine the possibilities if students connected to streaming platforms, YouTube channels or web-based programs using age appropriate animation and other graphic tools. The children would have weekly programming during a window of time, maybe 2-3 weekdays. Soon it would become a part of their weekly schedule, if done professionally. Episodes would be connected to Sundays for continuity and building interest. Animation is a proven method of building interest and teaching primary grades. Interactive programming would focus on the needs of secondary students. Instead of watching programs that serve as babysitters, older students could equally become hooked on innovative educational programs that focus on Armenian Christian education. Make it fun, connect with characters and tell the stories. Students could receive merchandise of important characters through the Diocese/Prelacy. In addition to a hundred stuffies that kids collect on their beds, there might be a St. Gregory or St. Hripsime. With more children participating in the primary grades, there will be a foundation for transitioning to the secondary grades. This is an area of significant attrition today. These are just a few of the possibilities.

One of the objections to this type of programming is that everything must take place in the church. I am suggesting that in order to achieve a breakthrough, the programming should be under the control of the church but not limited to its four walls. Some of our more traditional leaders do not understand how young minds learn today. I don’t think that any of us in the adult community actually fully understand it, and for this reason, we should consider focus groups with students to feed the development process. It would be a closed loop process of adjusting to what works and what doesn’t. We should ask ourselves: Is it riskier to the health of the church to maintain the same approach or to focus on the core of the issue – the home? This would represent a significant shift in funding, resources and leadership. Programming could be national or regional, thus relieving some of the redundant burden in parishes. A pilot program could be launched in a few parishes before full implementation. There are two critical elements to this strategic shift. The focus will be building interest in the homes that will be reflected in participation, and content will be designed to connect with the existing digital culture that our children understand. We love our church, and its future should be our motivation. Our methods must be better aligned to current educational vehicles. This will not alter the theology or the history of our church but open new doors for its acceptance. We are experiencing a tragedy in that so few have experienced the beauty of our church and what it has to offer. I have heard the term “irrelevant” too often from those who have left the church. It hurts me to the core to observe the gap between ignorance and substance. We must do better if we are to pass a healthy institution on to the future. We are stewards during our time on this earth.

Utilizing different teaching methods does not compromise the essence of who we are. On the contrary, it honors it by providing new avenues of knowledge acquisition. Once our children establish a better connection with an educational opportunity, we will begin to see the creative branches blossom, with our students offering prose and poetry as expressions of their experience. I have watched carefully how my grandchildren learn. It is different from my generation or even my children’s generation. The goal of current educational methods is to establish a passion for knowledge within the students, and once that is established, their self-motivation will take them to new heights. With digital programming, our children will better identify with the content and position themselves for peer _expression_ in the near future. Absorb and express is a powerful two-step method to bring Armenian Christian identity into the fabric of children’s lives. It starts with the will to change our approach.        

Within the wide array of podcasts, books, Hollywood movies, Academy Award film nominees and humanitarian initiatives, there are very few accounts of Armenians publicly recognized across the board. Aurora Mardiganian’s harrowing story is one of the few.  

Storytelling of her traumatic life has existed for over a century, beginning in 1918 with the publication of the book Ravished Armenia: The Story of Aurora Mardiganian, The Christian Girl Who Survived the Great Massacres. Just over 100 years later, Aurora’s Sunrise, an animated film about her life, premiered in 2022 and was Armenia’s entry to the Academy Awards for 2023. Also in 2023, Uncovering Roots launched a three-part podcast series titled, The Lost Voice – Aurora Mardiganian. 

Aurora Mardiganian

Born Arshaluys (Aurora) Mardiganian in 1901 to a prosperous Armenian family in Chmshgatsak in the Ottoman Empire, she miraculously survived the 1915 Armenian Genocide but witnessed the tragic deaths of her family members. Like many Armenians of the time, she endured a harrowing march of thousands of miles, subjected to unspeakable cruelties by Turkish gendarmes.

Sold into slavery for a mere 85 cents to a tribal leader’s harem, Mardiganian escaped multiple abductions. Finding refuge in an American mission home in Diyarbakir, her courage was kept alive with caring visits from Armenian General Andranik. He referred to her as his “little girl” and restored her spirit by allowing her to care for other girls liberated from harems. Strengthened, she was aided by General Andranik in reaching New York City with the support of the Near East Foundation, holding onto hope of finding her brother who reportedly escaped to America.

As a parting gesture, General Andranik gave her a ring that had belonged to his father and grandfather. He implored her, “When you reach that beloved land, tell its people that Armenia is prostrate, torn and bleeding, but it will rise again – if America will only help us – send food for the starving and money to take them back home when the war concludes.”

Mardiganian answered the call. Boarding the ship without a place to call home, she carried her strong Christian faith that God would guide her in fulfilling the mission she had pledged to her hero, General Antranik. Broken, traumatized and fearful, Mardiganian was hopeful that she was sailing toward a safer life. 

But that hope didn’t last long.  She could never have imagined the horror that awaited her. 

Cover of 1918 book “Ravished Armenia” showing Aurora Mardiganian (Wikimedia Commons)

Once in America, Mardiganian shared her story with newspapers with the hope of finding her brother and fulfilling General Antranik’s mission. Her story caught the attention of screenwriter Harvey Gates and his wife, who did not have her best interests in mind. Gates convinced her to write Ravished Armenia, with promises that he and his wife would care for her. Unfortunately, without comprehending the contracts she signed naming them as legal guardians, Mardiganian unknowingly became the star of the 1919 silent film Auction of Souls, a cinematic portrayal of her traumatic experiences. Soon, she found herself reliving the most agonizing events of her life on a Hollywood film set. By all accounts, the movie was a blockbuster and broke box office records. Through high-society charity screenings nationally and internationally, the movie raised $30 million to rescue 60,000 Armenian orphans through Near East Relief. 

Forced to address audiences after each film premiere, Mardiganian’s traumatic past caught up with her, and she collapsed during a 1920 screening in Buffalo. This incident marked her final public appearance. With Mardiganian absent from the stage, both Hollywood and the world gradually lost interest, and her story faded into obscurity. Unfortunately, the book and film also vanished, with no known complete print of the movie.

In her later life, Mardiganian married and had a son, but the relationship was estranged after her husband’s death. She never located her brother and lived out the rest of her life haunted by memories, paranoia and in fear of danger lurking at her door and windows.

In light of the recent resurgence of remembering Mardiganian, I implore you to witness the astonishing story in mediums that are accessible and appealing to a broad range of listeners, viewers and readers.  

Listen, watch, read:

• The Lost Voice – Aurora Mardiginian; “Uncovering Roots” Podcast
  “Uncovering Roots” is characterized as an exploration into lesser-known narratives that deserve to be heard. For podcaster Max Saakyan, the story holds personal significance, living in the United Kingdom as an Armenian, a region where awareness of the Armenian Genocide is limited. Saakyan engages listeners with his compelling voice, incorporating oral testimonies and interviews with people who knew Mardiganian. The podcast is accessible on all major podcasting platforms.
• Aurora’s Sunrise  
  Armenian director Inna Sahakyan blends storybook adult animation, video testimony and rediscovered footage from Mardiganian’s lost silent epic and revives her forgotten story. The footage is brilliantly edited together with animation made using paper cutouts and characters who act out Mardiganian’s story. 
• “Ravished Armenia – The story of Aurora Mardiganian, the Christian girl who lived through the great massacres” by Aurora Mardiganian
  A grueling first-hand account from Mardiganian of her life before the United States. It is painful to read, but critically important to understand the depth of the horrors she experienced.  

Advertisement for the American drama film “Auction of Souls” (1919) with Aurora Mardiganian at the Royal Theater in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on page 51 of the August 2, 1919 Exhibitors Herald (Wikimedia Commons)

In honor of the 100th anniversary of the 1915 Armenian Genocide, the Republic of Armenia chose to make Mardiganian the face of the “Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity,” an esteemed humanitarian initiative founded by visionary philanthropists Vartan Gregorian, Noubar Afeyan and Ruben Vardanyan, who have been joined by thousands of supporters and partners. Thousands of Armenian families like mine owe gratitude to Mardiganian for her efforts in raising funds for Near East Relief, which played a crucial role in rescuing orphans and reuniting them with their families, including my grandfather. 

While Mardiganian was once a Hollywood star, the screenplay of her full life does not have a storybook ending. I can only hope that when Mardiganian passed away in solitude in 1994, she wore General Antranik’s ring, a symbol of the promises kept from a bygone era.

Let’s continue to honor her legacy of resilience and deep commitment to God and to her Armenian people.