Current News

23 June 2011

It was here at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre—the site of Christ's crucifixion, burial, and glorious resurrection—that these pilgrims, like millions of worshippers before them, encountered the power of a sacrifice that changed the course of history.

"We as Christians tend to fall away from Christ," said Maral Demirjian, one of 34 young adults taking part in a Diocesan pilgrimage to the Holy Land from June 1 to 10. "And yet, when you're standing there at his tomb, singing Der Voghormya—it's just complete humility."

Titled "Leadership in the Light of Our Lord," the 10-day journey gave college students and recent graduates from parishes across the Eastern Diocese a unique opportunity to experience the great sites of biblical history, learn about the Armenian presence in the Holy Land, and explore ways to strengthen their leadership roles at the parish and Diocesan levels.

Diocesan Primate Archbishop Khajag Barsamian led the trip, which was made possible through the generosity of Aso Tavitian, who joined the group for part of the program. Also accompanying the pilgrims were the Rev. Fr. Mardiros Chevian, dean of New York's St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral; Oscar Tatosian, chair of the Diocesan Council; and Dr. Nicole Vartanian, a seasoned educator and a senior administrator at Hunter College.

"As we learn more about our Lord, we will also learn more about ourselves," Archbishop Barsamian told the youth leaders. "We will recognize the great potential that lives within each of us—which Christ wants to draw out of our hearts."

 "This pilgrimage," he went on, "is also an opportunity to better understand our identity as Armenian Christians. Here in this place where Armenians have lived and worshipped for centuries, where our church still serves to protect and preserve the holy sites of Christ's life, here we can recognize the true value and the deep meaning of our distinctive Christian identity."

The Armenian influence was palpable from the very beginning of the trip, as the group visited the Church of the Tomb of the Blessed Virgin to partake in their first Divine Liturgy. Archbishop Barsamian celebrated badarak, with the participation of young sub-deacons and choir members. 

"I'd never directed the choir before, but I was ready to take on the challenge," said Ari Terjanian of St. Stepanos Church of Elberon, N.J. "I won't forget this experience."

The church, where Armenians hold services daily, marks the site where Mary was buried by the apostles before her assumption into heaven. It is adjacent to the Armenian-held section of the Garden of Gethsemane—one of the original plots remaining of the garden where Christ spent the final night before his arrest. 

"It's truly amazing how such a small country as Armenia commands so much respect and power in the Holy Land," said Arthur Sabounjian of the Holy Translators Church of Framingham, Mass.

Lifelong memory

Throughout their time in the Holy Land, the group had a number of occasions to worship, study, and pray together.

"Every day we had Bible studies that related to the region we were visiting and made this experience spiritual and meaningful," said Karen Dardarian of St. John Church of Southfield, Mich. "We reflected on the verses and how they related to our lives in today's world."

Among the sites the group visited were the Mount of Olives, Mount of Ascension, Jordan River, Sea of Galilee, Nazareth, Bethlehem, Mount Tabor, Jericho, Qumran, and the Dead Sea.

In Jerusalem they also traced the footsteps of Christ through the Way of the Cross—the path he walked carrying the cross to his crucifixion. Arriving at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where Fr. Chevian celebrated the Divine Liturgy, the pilgrims reflected on the final days of Christ's earthly ministry.

They also toured the Armenian sections of the church, including the cave where St. Helena is said to have found the True Cross of Christ, some 300 hundred years after the crucifixion, and the Chapel of St. Gregory the Illuminator, where Armenia's patron saint spent several years in prayer and meditation. 

"We got to see that the Armenian identity has a very strong presence in this place that is so important to people all over the world," said Christine Santourian of St. John Church of Southfield, Mich.

Further, the group experienced the other religions alive in Jerusalem by visiting the Jewish and Muslim quarters of the city.

In Bethlehem, the pilgrims attended a vespers service in the Armenian chapel of the Church of the Nativity of Christ, and descended into the Holy Grotto, where a silver star marks the place where Christ was born.

"To say that I've been there, to say that I've bowed down and kissed the star...is one of those experiences I will take back and never forget for the rest of my life," said Allison Mamishian of the Church of Our Saviour of Worcester, Mass.

At the neighboring Armenian Monastery, the young people climbed to the building's famous bell-tower to take in panoramic views of the city. Later, they met with local clergy to learn more about the history of Armenians in Bethlehem and the ongoing work of the Brotherhood of Sts. James.

New joy, new energy

But perhaps what left the strongest imprint of the centuries-old Armenian perseverance in a region long beset by political turmoil was the Cathedral of Sts. James and the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem in the city's Armenian Quarter.

Led by the Very Rev. Fr. Samuel Aghoyan, the group toured the Patriarchate's 13th-century Church of the Holy Archangels, Sts. Tarkmanchants School, and the Calouste Gulbenkian Library, which holds close to 100,000 volumes.

In the peaceful interior of Sts. James Cathedral—where the only illumination comes from candles and lanterns hanging overhead—the pilgrims joined the seminarians in a moving vespers service. 

The cathedral is named for two of Christ's disciples—St. James the son of Zebedee and the brother of St. John the Evangelist, and St. James the brother of the Lord and the first bishop of Jerusalem. Its walls are lined with distinctive hand-painted tiles and large icons, and at the center stands a rich, wooden altar decorated with gilded ornamental work.

Archbishop Torkom Manoogian, the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem and past Primate of the Eastern Diocese, welcomed the young people, who felt privileged at the opportunity to meet and pray with the leader of the Armenian Church in Jerusalem.

"You are adding a new joy by visiting the Holy Land and praying in the holy places," Archbishop Manoogian told the pilgrims. "I am happy that your generation is active and I hope you are enjoying your involvement in the church in the name of Jesus Christ."

Karen Dardarian and Alex Ouzounian, both members of the ACYOA Central Council, presented Patriarch Torkom with a check for $2,000 as part of the organization's annual contribution to the Patriarchate.

"Archbishop Torkom Manoogian has been such an inspirational figure to so many people in our Diocese, and to be in his presence made the pilgrimage that much more enjoyable," said Ouzounian of St. Mesrob Church of Racine, Wis.

The young leaders also met their counterparts in Jerusalem, and spent several evenings together in fellowship. "It was really inspiring to see that they're so well connected with each other," said Maral Arslan of Holy Cross Church of Union City, N.J. "They were so open to us and treated us like we were at home."

Oscar Tatosian noted that the exchange was a "first step at building bridges between young Armenians in the Holy Land and in our Diocese." He added, "I hope these connections will continue to grow and bring new energy to both Armenian communities."

A similar theme was struck by Dr. Anoush Nakashian, an author and lecturer, who spoke to the pilgrims on the importance of preserving the Armenian identity in the face of globalization. "We have to be educated about the past so that we know who we are today," she reminded them.

Applying lessons, giving back

At the conclusion of the trip, participants brainstormed ways they could raise awareness about Jerusalem in their parishes and apply the leadership lessons they learned during the weeklong program.

"For this group to come to the Holy Land, and to see the sites that they had learned about in their Sunday School classrooms and at St. Nersess Seminary, has made these lessons come to life," Dr. Vartanian said. "Having experienced these sites first-hand, they have so much they can bring back to their parishes."

Pilgrimage benefactor Aso Tavitian shared his own professional journey and emphasized how he had been helped by the Armenian community during his formative years as a student in Lebanon. He went on to co-found the successful technology company, Syncsort, and today supports a number of philanthropic causes including a program to train young public servants from Armenia at Tufts University's Fletcher School. 

Mr. Tavitian noted that key components of effective leadership are a strong sense of one's identity and a commitment to uphold individual integrity. "Getting in touch with their spiritual background will help them to view the world in a way that will prompt the development of their integrity," he said.

The participants expressed their gratitude to Mr. Tavitian for underwriting the cost of their pilgrimage, and for taking the time to discuss with them their experiences in the Holy Land.

"Words can't even explain how breathtaking everything was and how much I appreciated it all," said Alex Oganesova of St. Hagop Church of Pinellas Park, Fla. "I am so proud to be Armenian."

"This opportunity has been unforgettable," added Arda Paylan of St. James Church of Evanston, Ill. "A lot of us on this trip, we are in school or we only recently started our careers, so we don't have the time or the means to do what Mr. Tavitian does. But I know that in the future, every single one of us will try to give back the way he gives back to so many Armenians."

Fr. Chevian encouraged the young pilgrims to share the lessons they learned in the Holy Land with their peers and with other community members in their home parishes. The participants are expected to give presentations on their journey in the coming months.

"Our hope and goal is that the inspiration that these young adults received through their experiences in the biblical sites, as well as their understanding of the Armenian presence in Jerusalem, will in turn inspire those in their parishes," Fr. Chevian said, "and that they become witnesses to the importance that Armenian Jerusalem has had, does have, and will continue to have for the Armenian Church."