PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian
Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New
York, NY 10016
Contact: Chris Zakian
Tel: (212) 686-0710
E-mail: chrisz@armeniandiocese.org
Website: www.armenianchurch.us
April 10, 2026
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ATTENTION EDITOR: A short Armenian version appears below; scroll down to the bottom.
Photos attached, with captions below. I’ve attached two photos that can carry the same
caption, to accommodate various layouts. Additional photos may be downloaded
here (please
credit Harout Barsoumian, Bars Images):
HEADLINE:
Easter at St. Vartan
Cathedral: “Stay Close to God”
By Stephan S.
Nigohosian
Through a veil of
overcast skies, the newly-gilded gold dome of St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral in
New York City shimmered with a radiant, transcendent brilliance. Beneath that
luminous crown, the Easter Sunday Divine Liturgy on April 5 unfolded with
solemn beauty and reverence, commemorating the awe-filled discovery of Christ’s
empty tomb and the triumphant revelation of His glorious Resurrection.
Known in Armenian as Sourp
Zadig, Easter is the major feast day of the Christian calendar and
represents the promise of salvation for all humanity. Bishop Mesrop
Parsamyan, Primate of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of
America, celebrated the Divine Liturgy before the faithful in the cathedral, as
well as to a global audience via the livestream broadcast.
Upon entering the
sanctuary to the ethereal hymns of the choir, Bishop Mesrop, accompanied by a
procession of clergy and altar servers holding colorful liturgical tapestries,
walked among the worshippers, bestowing his blessing and announcing the Good News
of Christ’s Resurrection with the words, “Krisdos haryav ee merelotz! Christ
is raised from the dead!”
As he processed
through the sanctuary, Bishop Mesrop carried the gold hand-cross among the
faithful, young and old alike stepping forward to venerate it with a kiss. In
that gentle, deliberate movement, Bishop Merop’s presence recalled Christ
walking among His people, teaching and blessing during the days of His earthly
ministry.
The cathedral’s
stained-glass windows provided a radiance of luminous color to the sanctuary. White
lilies and slender, tapering candles cast a gentle glow upon the altar, evoking
the purity and unending light of Christ the Savior.
Throughout the
sanctuary, discreetly placed cameras offered those joining from home a sense of
reverent closeness, most poignantly in the intimate, front-facing view of
Bishop Mesrop in prayer before the holy altar during the service. These
thoughtful close-ups not only revealed the cathedral’s intricate beauty, but
also captured the serene expressions of faith, hope and devotion shared among
the clergy and the faithful. Furthermore, they provided a profound level of
closeness and a deep connection between clergy and lay people to Our Lord
through the holy badarak.
* One Body In Christ
After the reading of
Scripture in Armenian and English by the deacons, prayers and hymns were sung
together by the choir and congregation.
Holy Communion (Haghortoutiun
in Armenian), the climax of the badarak in which the faithful unite with
Christ and with each other, brought hundreds of worshippers forward to the
altar to receive the Sacrament from Bishop Mesrop, supported by Cathedral Vicar
Fr. Davit Karamyan, Fr. Bedros Kadehjian, and the large retinue of deacons.
The congregation also
played an important role in the badarak by giving and receiving the Kiss
of Peace (Voghchooyn), one of the oldest and most beautiful Christian
customs. Still practiced by the Armenian Church, members of the congregation ardently
declare, “Krisdos ee mech mer haydnetsav! Orhnyal eh haydnoutiunun
Krisdosee!” (Christ is revealed among us! Blessed is the revelation of
Christ!).
Throughout the
service, the soaring voices of the St. Vartan Cathedral Choir, directed by Hasmik
Mekanejian and accompanied on the organ by Kris Kalfayan, Director of the
Gomidas Choir, surrounded participants with an ethereal sense of peace and
redemption.
* Staying Close To
God
Following the
Eucharist, Bishop Mesrop delivered his Easter Sunday homily with passion and
certainty, stressing the importance of staying close to God no matter how
difficult or woeful the circumstances may appear.
“The very moment that
tempts us to leave God’s presence is often the moment we need Him most,” Bishop
Mesrop said. “That is what the women who waited at Christ’s tomb taught us on
Easter morning. They did not know what story would unfold and didn’t know what
Sunday would bring. All they knew was that they loved Jesus too much to walk
away. And because they stayed, they became the first witnesses to Christ’s
Resurrection, the greatest victory.”
Bishop Mesrop
expounded upon his theme of faith by emphasizing that waiting with God is never
‘wasted time.’ “Love that remains near God is always rewarded,” he said. “Sometimes
God doesn’t ask us to do anything; He simply asks us to stay close. The
greatest hope of all is that Christ Is Risen.”
The Primate
underscored the fact that because He lives, hope can rise again. “Wherever
you find yourself today, either in great joy or with a heart that still carries
pain, receive the message of Easter: the tomb is empty, Christ is Risen, Love
has won, life has triumphed, hope is alive. Stay close to Him.”
Staying hopeful in
prayer, even when everything in front of you says, ‘it’s over,’ is exactly what
faith asks us of us.
* Release of Doves on
the Plaza
At the conclusion of
the service, despite a gentle rain falling outside, a procession of clergy and
faithful made their way to the bronze entrance doors for the “Release of Doves”
ceremony. Though the weather softened the usual pageantry, it did not diminish
the meaning of the moment, which symbolizes Christ sending forth His apostles
into the world to preach the Gospel. This special ceremony remains a beloved,
decades-long Easter tradition at St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral, its spirit
enduring regardless of grey skies above.
The godparents of
this year’s ceremony were Sarkis and Maral Jebejian, parishioners of St. Thomas
Armenian Church in Tenafly, NJ. As members of an Armenian American family whose
roots trace back for generations in the life of the Armenian Church, they both carry
forward a distinguished legacy of leadership within the Armenian community.
Both have honored the foundations laid by those before them while actively
continuing that tradition through their own faithful service today.
The Easter Sunday
service marked the culmination of Holy Week—the sacred commemoration of the
events leading to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ—as well as the beginning of
Eastertide, the 50-day period known as Heenoonk in Armenian, that lasts
from Easter to Pentecost. The latter is dedicated to the mystery of our
Resurrected Savior and His encounters with His followers.
Holy Week services
took place at the cathedral in the days prior to Easter Sunday, with Bishop
Mesrop presiding over the Holy Thursday “Vodunluva” (Washing of Feet)
ceremony.
It is worth noting
that this year marked the 10th anniversary of the Easter Broadcast from St.
Vartan Cathedral. As in previous years, the viewing audience for St. Vartan
Cathedral’s Easter Sunday liturgy included thousands of people from across the
Diocese and around the world, sharing in the service as it was broadcast over
the Internet. The small, dedicated production team included Yervant Keshishian,
who directed the program, co-producer and cameraman Mano Baghjajian, and host
and narrator Christopher Zakian.
Click the following
links to:
- VIEW
a gallery of photos from the Easter liturgy, by photographer
Harout Barsoumian. - WATCH the recorded
service in its entirety. - WATCH
Bishop Mesrop’s sermon, in English and Armenian.
* * *
PHOTO CAPTION:
On Easter Sunday,
April 5, Diocesan Primate Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan stands before the bronze
entrance doors of New York’s St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral, for the time-honored
“Release of Doves” ceremony that annually concludes the cathedral’s celebration
of the Divine Liturgy. Flanking the Primate are the godparents of this year’s
ceremony, Sarkis and Maral Jebejian. (Photo Credit: Harout Barsoumian, Bars Images)
* * *
LINKS:
Photo gallery (credit
Harout Barsoumian, Bars Images):
Recorded broadcast of
the Easter Liturgy from St. Vartan Cathedral:
Recording of Bishop
Mesrop Parsamyan’s Easter sermon:
* * *
ARMENIAN TEXT:
About:
Come to Lord Jesus
April 5
we celebrated Holy Easter, the glorious resurrection of Christ. Saint Vardan Cathedral
it was full of believers, and many were following on telecast to communicate
To the breath of spiritual life brought by the resurrection of Lord Jesus. Dear Leader of Temis, Mesrop
Saint Parsamea celebrated the mass and gave the wish full of joy to everyone: “Christ
He went to the dead”:
Holy Father
meditated on the faith of the Blessed Women who remained to cover the tomb of Jesus
with the strength of their love, despite the sufferings of the Lord, the crucifixion and the bitter
to have experienced the horror of death.
Their example
He said, it encourages us even today, because when we try to leave God’s presence,
We need to be close to Him at those exact moments when we are overwhelmed by difficulties. That
The women loved the Lord with all their hearts, and following that love they remained in the grave.
in front of the closing veil, and the witnesses became the resurrection of the Lord.
Constant
faith springs from supreme love, and “the love that keeps us in the bed of God is always rewarded.”
“Many times God expects us to stay with him, nothing else,” the Bishop reminded
The Father, and that faithfulness will be rewarded with the light of the resurrection.
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