St. Vartan Voice. A Publication of St. Vartan Armenian Apostolic Church. Take, Eat...and Don't Be Afraid. Rev. Fr. Hovel Ohanyan June 2010

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1 St. Vartan Voice A Publication of St. Vartan Armenian Apostolic Church Bible Readings June 6 John 10:33-30 June 13 Matthew 12:1-8 June 20 Matthew 12:38-45 June 27 Matthew 13:24-30 Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. Rev. Fr. Hovel Ohanyan June 2010 Take, Eat...and Don't Be Afraid On Good Thursday, when people in Judea celebrated Passover, and the whole of Jerusalem was in commotion and chaos, when everyone was rushing to participate in the celebrations, in a remote corner of the city, away from the masses, in a grandiosely adorned building, our Lord was sitting among his beloved ones. He was surrounded by those who followed Him during His ministry. Mystery and longing dominated the atmosphere. Staring at the Lord, they had a feeling that a miracle was to happen or a new teaching was to be taught to them. The Last Supper, full of mystery, was taking place. Our Lord didn't wait so long and the miracle was revealed to the disciples; and the Lord said: "Take, eat; this is My Body. Then He took a cup, and after giving thanks He gave it to them, and all of them drank from it. He said to them: "This is my Blood of covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. (Matt. 26:26-28). It was a miracle that truly stunned all of the disciples. A miracle that pierced into the hearts of His beloved ones. A miracle that showed the unlimited love of God for the world and its creatures. Then our Lord ordered us: "Do this in remembrance of Me." (Luke 22:19) Dear Faithful, after 2000 years we remember this event and that's the reason that we are getting together each Sunday morning in the Church. The celebration of the Holy Badarak (Divine Liturgy) is centered on this magnificent event which took place almost 2000 years ago. He, as the King of heavens and earth, is the sacrifice of peace which is ceremonially performed on the Holy Altar, through which we are given yet another chance to repent and ask forgiveness for our sins. However, do we comprehend the enormous significance of this occurrence that our Lord is sacrificed again and again because of our inevitable sinfulness??? Dear brothers and sisters, taking Holy Communion means to participate, not in an ordinary event, but to receive the bread for our souls, a piece of bread that our Lord has prepared by Himself. In this extraordinary feast, our Lord offers His Body instead of bread and His Blood instead of wine to us as His guests in His own House. Taking Holy Communion is to communicate with God; the sinner facing the forgiver; the sick the physician. "I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh." (John 6: 48-51) So, God gave His Body and Blood for us for our salvation and for the forgiveness of our sins. He shares this Heavenly Bread with all of us to give us eternal life in His Kingdom. Do we really want to became a member of His Family and live with Him forever by taking Holy Communion or

2 are we afraid to take Holy Communion because of some meaningless thoughts and "imaginary viruses." How can the Bread of life, the Body of our Savior be a source of viruses or illnesses??? Thinking like this is already sin for us, because God made His Body and Blood available for the health and the strength of the souls and bodies of His children. He gave His life to save us and not to punish. My beloved brothers and sisters, we often ask ourselves, that in what frequency we should partake in Holy Communion. The early Christians partook in Holy Communion every day, simply realizing that the ordinary bread only fed their mortal bodies when Holy Communion fed their souls. The early Christians partook in Holy Communion everyday: what about today??? St. John tells us in this regard "What a madness! Christ made this bread (Holy Communion) available everyday, yet we made it an annual meal." And that was said for St. John's time. In our days, Holy Communion has become a rare event in a lifetime and some people actually never partake in Holy Communion. It is truly appalling that we are attracted toward the forbidden and evil and distance ourselves from the priceless gift of Holy Communion. Human nature is very "interesting". We are like three year old children who are refusing to do what their parents are telling them, because they want to do what they want. God, as a loving Father, says to us, do not steal, do not kill, do not commit adultery, do not..., do not... But we are doing exactly the opposite, because we want to do. And Christ offers us an opportunity by saying "take this and eat...for your salvation" and we don't eat and refuse to do what He says. Let us think about this. However, my dear ones, there are conditions for partaking in Holy Communion that we as Christians must follow. We need to be baptized, meaning to be cleansed of the original sin of Adam. Then we have to proclaim and accept the Dogma of the Church. Secondly, we need to keep our spiritual tranquility and stay away from sin. Before Holy Communion, we need to examine ourselves closely, repent and be remorseful and confess our sins in front of the Lord and the priest. It is also necessary to be clean and fast before Holy Communion. "Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be answerable for the body and blood of the Lord." (1Cor. 11:27-28) If God looks for a Banquet Hall for the offering of the Lamb, where would you think He might receive us, in what a grandiose temple? If the Centurion felt unworthy to invite Jesus to his house; if John the Baptist considered himself unworthy to undo the straps of Jesus' sandals, what do you think our own attitude should be? Amen. Hampartsman Or Celebration on June 13 Hampartsman Or is the feast day of the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. This has been celebrated in the Armenian Church. Around the world Armenian communities have customs in which they celebrate this feast. On this day, Armenian ladies visited seven different houses in the village and gathered flowers as well as water. They added the flowers to the water in the bucket and left it under the moonlight for the night. The next day they went up to the mountains and hills and read their fortunes. On June 13 th Got an address? Fr. Hovel and the church staff would like to broaden communication within our family, and you can help! your address to the office stvartanoakland@aol.com. after church services we will be practicing this custom at St. Vartan Armenian church. All women will be asked to bring an object with them to throw into the bucket of flowers and water, and accordingly her fortune will be read (at the event.) We will also be having a short program (performances, dance, etc.) as well as lunch.

3 St. Vartan Church Parish Council gratefully acknowledges the following donations: Choir Robe Fund Anabelle Taylor Voice Fr. Arten and Yn. Mary Ashjian Easter Yughakin Virginia Mazmanian, Margaret Barton ENDOWMENT FUND In Memory Dennis Pryds Annabelle Taylor, Isabelle Magarian News From Our St. Vartan Family Condolences On May 19, 2010 Fr. Hovel conducted a funeral service for Varsenig Berberian at St. Vartan Church. Our condolences to Varsenig s sister, Ani Amoore; her children Nazo and Linda Berberian, Vartan and Ayco Berberian, Nevrig and Shamus Lynch, and Elizabeth and Mihran Kassabian; her seven grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends. Congratulations Graduates! Hannah Noel Sharafian, daughter of Steven and Lisa Sharafian, granddaughter of Richard and Judy Sharafian and David Millpointer, will graduate from Acalanes High School in Lafayette, CA, on June 11, After graduation and a trip to Europe, Hannah will be attending U.C. Davis in September. Jessica Danielle Dominguez, daughter of Dana and Seza Dominguez, graduated from Northgate High School in Walnut Creek, CA, and will attend Azusa Pacific University in Southern California in the fall of 2010, majoring in Applied Health. Noelle Catherine Toomajian received the degree of Bachelor of Science in Textiles & Clothing, with an emphasis in Business and Marketing, from the University of California, Davis, in March Noelle is the daughter of Carmen and Mark Toomajian, sister of Brian and Christopher Toomajian, granddaughter of Norma Yaglijian, and Louis and Molly Rodrigues. Noelle accepted a merchandising position with Banana Republic Headquarters in San Francisco, CA. Noelle s family is very proud of her accomplishments. Jenelle Kamian, daughter of George and Sally Kamian, is graduating from Scotts Valley High School on June 9, She will attend Cabrillo College in Aptos, CA, in the fall. Rose Zabel Hill will graduate from Westview High School in San Diego, CA. Rose is a National Merit Scholar and has played flute and piccolo in the Westview Marching Band, besides being an accomplished pianist. Rose is headed for UCSD this fall and plans to major in biology. Rose is the daughter of Lori and Andy Hill, and the granddaughter of Virginia and Mike Madajian. Dear Rev. Fr. Hovel and my dear friends of St. Vartan Church, I d like to thank you so much for your heartwarming calls, cards and prayers on my recent illness. As of now, I am doing very well. May God bless you all for your kindness. Thanks again, Emma Mazmanian Dear Der Hayr and Members of the Parish Council, First, thank you for your three visits, Also, please accept my thanks for your get-well wishes and card during my month stay in the hospital. However, my condition was an LP compression fracture and not a stroke as was reported. Looking forward to seeing you all in church soon. Richard Demirjian

4 Ladies Society Mother s Day Luncheon May 6, 2010 Ladies Society served 106 delicious Nicoise salads at the Mother s Day Luncheon. Everyone present enjoyed the beautifully decorated tables, fun raffle, great food, and good com- St. Vartan AYCO Takes Part in Genocide Commemoration at Mt. Davidson Cross This year marked the 95th Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide in On April 18, 2010, hundreds of Armenians throughout the bay area gathered at Mt. Davidson cross in San Francisco to remember the 1.5 million Armenians that were massacred. St. Vartan ACYO Chairman Arpi Nakasian spoke on behalf of the ACYO and instilled that we must continue to fight for justice. Arpi stressed the importance of our Armenian community sticking together in order to flourish and prosper as one. During the requiem service our ACYO members laid a wreath at the foot of the cross and prayed in honor of our lost ancestors. The requiem service was conducted by priests from the bay area St. Vartan Church Wish List: Armenian churches. The Sunday School wishes to update The program also intheir nursery/kindergarten classroom with cluded keynote speaker new appropriate size furniture. Anyone wishing Yeghig Keshishian, to contribute to this project, please send your Western Region Direccheck to the church, and memo it to the Sunday tor of the Armenian AsSchool Classroom Furniture. sembly, comments by Armenian youth group We are still in need of donations towards new leaders, a recitation by choir robes. This project is underway and we KZV Armenian School can expect our robes very soon. Please memo students, and remarks your donation to Choir Robes. from Martina Knee, Thank you for your consideration! Director of the SF Bay Area Darfur Coalition.

5 Greg Tcherkoyan Receives Archbishop Award On Friday April 30, 2010 at the Annual Diocesan Assembly Banquet, Surpazan Hovnan Dardarian bestowed his Archbishop Award for 2010 to a group of worthy recipients. These recipients were men and woman from throughout the Diocese that have served their parishes and the Western Armenian Diocese with hard work and dedication. Our own Greg Tcherkoyan was one of those honored with this award. Greg has served three terms on the Diocesan Council (which meets monthly in Burbank). He was Vice Chairmen of the Council as well as a member of the Priest Compensation Committee. Greg also spent a great deal of time and effort on the Diocese Stewardship Committee. Greg s commitment to the Diocese and St. Vartan Church is well know throughout the community as well as across the state. On behalf of the St. Vartan Community we send our congratulations to Greg. Representatives Pallone and Speier Hold Community Forum Oakland, CA More than 160 members of the Armenian community in the Bay Area gathered at St. Vartan Armenian Church to discuss Armenian American issues with Representatives Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Jackie Speier (D-CA) on March 30, The Forum was co-hosted by the Paros Foundation and St. Vartan Armenian Church, in cooperation with the Armenian Assembly of America s Northern California Regional Council. The evening proved to be both informative and interesting. During brief opening statements, Pallone and Speier presented their thoughts on a number of relevant issues including the Armenian Genocide Resolution, Aid to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, the prospects of a peaceful settlement to the Nagorno Karabakh issue, in addition to healthcare and financial reform legislation. Following brief opening statements, the audience was encouraged to submit questions of interest to both members of Congress. The discussion was co-moderated by Dr. Julie Kulhanjian and David Ojakian, who did an excellent job of pairing together and presenting the many questions on behalf of the audience. Church Manners Entering the Church Your entrance into the church must be reverent and gentle. One of the devotional practices of the Armenian Church, as of all eastern Churches, is the beautiful custom of burning candles in front of the holy pictures. It symbolizes Christ, The Light of the World. It also symbolizes our prayers which must be as pure as light. Candles are also votive offerings to God. Therefore, as you enter the church you obtain a candle from the table at the door. You light the candle before the holy picture or on the altar set for this purpose. While making the sign of the cross, you say a short prayer for you and your dear ones; and take your place. While entering, if you find that the choir is sing the Sanctus (Holy, Holy ), or the priest is saying the Words of Institution ( Take, eat, This is my body ), which form the core of the Divine Liturgy; you should stay in the vestibule and enter the church when it is over. When you take your place you bow down your head slightly. You make the sign of the cross; and inaudibly say The Lord s Prayer. You are now ready to participate in the service. S.D.V. Kaloustian, Primate, published by the Diocese of the Armenian Church of California, 1955

6 June Feasts of the Armenian Church Commemoration of St. Gayane and St. Hripsime and their Companions Noble Hripsime was one of the 37 Christian nuns who together with the Abyss Gayane lived during the period of the reign of the Roman King Diocletianus ( years) in the Monastery of St. Paul located in the mountains of Rome. St. Gayane lived during the period of the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletianus ( years) who subjected Christians to persecutions. She was one of the 37 nuns who left Rome for Armenia. During the first 20 years of his reign Diocletianus didn t persecute Christians despite his being heathen. However, after 303, under the pressure of Caesar Galerius, he subjected Christians to severe persecutions. He issued four edicts against Christians which envisaged all Christians removal from the army, confiscation of church property, first of all buildings and ritual books, church servants arrest and capital punishments, subjecting Christians to torments pursuing the goal to make them give up their beliefs and faith. Persecutions agitated the whole empire, Christians were martyred for the sake of Christ. It was during this difficult period that Gayane and her companions left Rome. Pretty Hripsime captivated the King by her dazzling beauty, who wished to get married to her. Disobeying the king, the pious nuns, led by their Abyss Gayane, ran away from Alexandria. According to the tradition, Holy Godmother appeared to them and told them to leave for the Araratian country Armenia. So, the nuns went to Vagharshapat. On their way, passing by the Mountain of Varague, Hripsime buried in the earth a relic from the wooden Holy Cross, which she always had on her neck. The relic was found by a miracle in the 7th century and since then the Feast of the Holy Cross of Varague started to be celebrated in the Calendar of the Armenian Apostolic Church along with the other feasts dedicated to the Holy Cross. Diocletianus informed the Armenian King Tiridates about the nuns, suggesting he either return one of the nuns Hripsime, or to get married to her. The Armenian King Tiridates, becoming aware of the nun s story, himself wished to get married to Hripsime. The king s servants searched and found Hripsime and started to convince her to obey the king s will, since the king was captivated by her dazzling beauty and wished to get married to her. Hripsime rejected him saying that she, as well as the other nuns, had already become the bride of Christ and couldn t marry. Gayane was also brought to the palace to convince Hripsime to obey the King. But even in that way the King did not manage to get married to Hripsime and becoming angry, ordered to subject her and the other nuns to severe torments and kill them. Nine days later St. Gregory the Illuminator found the relics of the nuns and burying the relics, built martyriums in those sites, where in the future the Monasteries of St. Hripsime, St. Gayane and St. Shoghakat were erected. The nuns mardyrdom is a turning point in the history of the Armenian nation. After their martyrdom St. Gregory the Illuminator was brought out of the pit after more than 13 years imprisonment to spread the light of Christ in Armenia. On the days of the feasts dedicated to the memory of St. Hripsime and St. Gayane and their companions, a Divine Liturgy is celebrated in all Armenian Churches. On the eve of the feasts ceremonies are held, which start after the evening service, and Church hymns and songs, dedicated to the nuns, are sang. This year Armenian Apostolic Church celebrated the feast dedicated to the memory of St. Hripsime and her companions on May 31 and the feast dedicated to the memory of St. Gayane and her companions on June 1. Feast of St. Gregory the Illuminator s deliverance from the pit In the year 301 AD, the deliverance of St. Gregory the Illuminator from the pit, was the catalyst that began the Great Conversion of Armenia from the darkness of paganism to the Light of Christianity. Following the martyrdom of the Christian nuns, led by St. Hripsime and St. Gayane, upon the order of the Armenian pagan King Tiridates, the ruler becomes seriously ill. The sister of the king, Khosrovidoukht, had a dream where it was revealed to her that the only remedy for the king s condition is to free St. Gregory, still imprisoned in the dungeon, and that he alone could cure the malady. Thirteen years following his imprisonment in the deep pit of Artashat, the royal court submited to the request of Khosrovidoukht and freed the Christian Gregory. With the intercession of Gregory s prayers, the king recovered, Gregory became the patron saint of the Armenian Church, and Tiridates, and his wife Queen Ashkhen, became ardent supporters in Gregory s efforts to preach Christianity throughout Armenia, and baptize the Armenian nation. Pagan temples and statues were destroyed in Armenia, and replaced with Dominical Crosses in their locations. Christianity was proclaimed by the King and the Catholicos to be the state religion of Armenia, the first nation in the

7 world to do so. St. Gregory was sent to Caesarea, where he was consecrated as the first Pontiff of the Armenian Church, and became the first Catholicos of All Armenians. The feast of St. Gregory the Illuminator s Deliverance from the Pit is one of the greatest of the Armenian Church. This year we celebrate it on June 5. A solemn Divine Liturgy is celebrated in all Armenian Churches on this day. Feast of the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin One of the most celebrated feasts of the Armenian Church is the day when the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin was established, according to the inspired vision of St. Gregory the Illuminator. According to tradition, and hagiographic sources, following the declaration of Christianity as the Official Religion of Armenia in 301 AD, St. Gregory had a famous vision, wherein the Only Begotten Son of God Jesus Christ, descended from Heaven, his face lit aglow, and with the strike of a golden hammer designated the site where the Mother Cathedral for the entire Armenian nation was to be founded. Hence, the name of the spiritual center for the Armenians, Etchmiadzin, means the Descent of the Only Begotten (Etch - descent, mi - only, dzin - begotten.) St. Gregory relayed the story about his vision to the Armenian King Tiridates, under whose royal auspices and support the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin was built. King Tiridates and Queen Ashkhen participated in the construction, as did the entire capital city of Vagharshapat by bringing stones from the biblical mountain of Ararat to lay the foundations. In the site marked by Christ, a Holy Altar of Descent was built. According of Patriarch Malachia Ormanian, from the days of her establishment, the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin has been the residence of the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians. Thus, it is the Mother See of the Armenian Church, and as such, her universal, spiritual and administrative headquarters. Another title bestowed upon the cathedral is Catholic not to be confused with the Roman Catholic faith. Catholic is a Greek word meaning Universal. Theologically, the cathedral has been called catholic as a description of the catholicity (universality) of the Church. The feast of the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin is celebrated 64 days following Easter. This year it falls on June 6. A Divine Liturgy is celebrated, and during services, a special hymn is sung, written by the eighth century Catholicos Sahak of Dzorap, telling of St. Gregory s vision and the Cathedral s construction. Happy Father's Day Sonora Dodd, of Washington, first had the idea of a "Father's Day." She thought of the idea for Father's Day while listening to a Mother's Day sermon in Sonora wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart. Smart, who was a Civil War veteran, was widowed when his wife died while giving birth to their sixth child. Mr. Smart was left to raise the newborn and his other five children by himself on a rural farm in eastern Washington State. After Sonora became an adult she realized the selflessness her father had shown in raising his children as a single parent. It was her father that made all the parental sacrifices and was, in the eyes of his daughter, a courageous, selfless, and loving man. Sonora's father was born in June, so she chose to hold the first Father's Day celebration in Spokane, Washington on the 19th of June, President Calvin Coolidge, in 1924, supported the idea of a national Father's Day. Then in 1966 President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as Father's Day. President Richard Nixon signed the law which finally made it permanent in Ladies Society Luncheon & Stocking Stuffing St. Vartan Church Hall June 3, :00 Noon Menu includes eggplant, squash, ground beef medley served over bulgur pilaf with salad $10 for lunch After lunch we will be stuffing stockings with toiletries for a local homeless shelter. Please bring unused, travel sized toiletries or leave them in the designated box in the Church Hall entryway. Ladies Society will supply the stockings.

8 THE ST. VARTAN CULTURAL COMMITTEE FEATURED THE MAZMANIANS IN A LUNCHEON CONCERT On Sunday, April 11, 2010 the St. Vartan Cultural Committee featured The Mazmanians in a luncheon concert celebrating Rev. Fr. Hovel Ohanyan s 3rd Anniversary of his Ordination. A congratulatory letter from Surpazan Hovnan to Father Hovel was read by Parish Council member Ed Jamgotchian, and Cultural Committee Chairman Liz Ojakian expressed gratitude on behalf of the church community for Father Hovel s spiritual guidance and leadership. Guests thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon event with a delicious luleh kebab lunch and sensational concert. The concert featured selections from The Mazmanians newly released second CD Folk Spirit and the audience of approximately 200 was simply dazzled with the musical program and their artistry and virtuosity. Beautiful renditions of Armenian and folk inspired classics from around the world were performed with many tunes rousing the crowd to roaring applause. Throughout the concert, The Mazmanians took turns describing each piece about to be performed and even added a touch of humor, at times engaging the audience in the piece. Time simply flew by as the audience was entranced by the melodies and captivated by the energy exuded in the musical performance. The performances were so enjoyable, we were sorry to see it to come to an end. A great big thank you to The Mazmanians for spending the afternoon with us sharing the joy of their music and creating a memorable performance for those in attendance. We would also like to extend a big thank you to the following individuals for their contributions to the success of this event: Joe Bezdjian, who generously loaned the beautiful Armenian tapestry for stage display; Harry Sherinian and Vartan Hovsepian, our Barbecue Chefs; Coco Cingoz, our Pilaf Chef and generous donor of all the pilaf supplies; Elo Markarian, our get it done, do it all Chef-at-Large ; Laura Mazmanian, for her time and expertise in helping to prepare the lulehs; Janet Yeghissian, for always being there to do whatever it takes; Sevan & Shoghig Yazejian, for their kitchen assistance; David Ojakian, for his overall assistance to do whatever was needed when asked; the participating ACYO members, for their time and phenomenal help in serving and cleaning up; and finally, to the Cultural Committee members who worked this event and dedicated their time and overall efforts to its success. Liz Ojakian, Chairman St.Vartan Cultural Committee Mayrig & Me Playgroup On Friday, May 14, St. Vartan hosted its first "Mayrig and Me" playgroup and the families in attendance had a great time. The upstairs hall was host to infants, toddlers and preschoolers who enjoyed some free play while parents got a chance to catch up or meet for the first time. Please join us at our next playtime, June 11 at 10:30. Bring a lunch or snack for you and your little one. We'll try some circle time and bring some new and exciting activities for our youngsters to enjoy. Please contact Nicole Vasgerdsian at nvasger@yahoo.com for more information and please spread the word!

9 Dear Parishioners and Friends, We are very excited to host the upcoming 58 th Annual St. Vartan Armenian Bazaar on October 1 st and 2 nd 2010, once again bringing Armenian culture and delicacies to the Greater Bay Area! Many of our members are already engaged in the festival s preparations. Yet we are convinced that all of our parishioners and friends can contribute in one of several ways to make this year s event an even bigger success: Become a Bazaar Sponsor Purchase Raffle Tickets Become a Bazaar Volunteer Invite Family and Friends to the Bazaar Post the Bazaar Flyer in your neighborhood or business. Our annual Bazaar is a major fundraiser for St. Vartan, which enables us to maintain our Church culturally and religiously. We are grateful for your past support. More than ever before, your generous donations and sponsorships are needed now! Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to seeing you at the 58 th Annual St. Vartan Armenian Bazaar. TO VOLUNTEER, CONTACT: Attn: Rachel Harger--Church Secretary stvartanoakland@aol.com Call us: Fax us: Sunday School students Holly Bazigian and Jacob Alexanian recited the Hayr Mer in Armenian and in English on Mother's Day to receive their Bibles. St. Vartan Basketball Team Report Since the Easter vacation break, the St. Vartan High School level basketball team has played 7 games. We won 5 of the 7 games. We had a few exciting wins along with a couple of close, disappointing losses. We ended our regular season with a 6 win 4 loss record, which is very good considering the high level of talent and competition this league has to offer. The members of the team are Michael Avenesian, Maz Amiri, Arek Boloyan, Daron Boloyan, Sarkis Chouldjian, Conner Dermirjian King, Arsen Markarov, Armen Minassian,and Nick Saxton. Both coach Ken Thompson and I are very impressed and proud of these young men for playing with the intensity and desire to compete as much as they do. Also, thanks to the parents for trusting and allowing the boys to participate. Our community is very fortunate to have had this sports program for the last 45 years, thanks to the brainchild of Mr. Richard Demirjian for having the foresight to have started it. We encourage the members of our community to take a small interest in this team and attend a game or two or the entire season for that matter and cheer these young men (our sons) on to victory. We will be competing in the Armenian Summer Games held in Fresno, Ca. on Memorial Day weekend. Michael Boloyan

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11 June 2010 St. Vartan Church June 2010 SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT ACYO Regional Meeting at St. Vartan 1-4 pm 6 Fr. Hovel shows vestment preparation 9:15 am Morning Service 9:30 am Divine Liturgy 10 am ACYO Meeting 7 8 Morning Prayer Service and Bible Study 10:30 am 9 Bazaar Workday Kufta 9:30 am Parish Council Meeting 6:30 pm 10 Bazaar Workday Kufta 9:30 am Morning Service 9:30 am Divine Liturgy 10 am Hampartsman Or in Church Hall after services 14 Flag Day 15 Evening Prayer Service and Bible Study 6:30 pm Father s Day Morning Service 9:30 am Divine Liturgy 10 am 21 Summer Begins 22 Morning Prayer Service and Bible Study 10:30 am 23 Bazaar Workday Small Beoreg 9:30 am Morning Service 9:30 am Divine Liturgy 10 am Evening Prayer Service and Bible Study 6:30 pm 30 Tues., June 9 Kufta Wed., June 10 Kufta Wed., June 23 Small Boereg Wed., July 7 Large Beoreg Sat., July 17 Large Beoreg Tues., July 20 Kufta 2010 Bazaar Workday Schedule Wed., July 21 Large Beoreg Wed., August 4 Small Beoreg Tues., August 17 Kufta Wed., August 18 Kufta Wed., August 25 Small Beoreg Wed., September 8 Kufta Thurs., September 9 Kufta Tues., September 14 Large Beoreg Each workday begins at 9:30 am. Please bring a dish to share for lunch following the workday.

12 Return Service Requested The Voice Newsletter is published once a month by St. Vartan Armenian Church 650 Spruce Street, Oakland, CA , Phone (510) , Fax: (510) stvartanoakland@aol.com Website: The deadline for all articles is the fifteenth of each month. Rev. Fr. Hovel Ohanyan Parish Council Chair: Harry Sherinian Parish Assembly Chair: Jack Papazian Jr. Choir Director: Beverly Nalbandian Organist: Virginia Madajian ACYO Chair: Arpi Nakashian Church School Superintendent: Marie Hagopian and Virginia Alexanian Ladies Society Co-chairs: Suzanne Abnous and Suzanne Vasgerdsian Athletic Committee Chair: Mike Boloyan Cultural Society Chair: Liz Ojakian Club Hye Chair: Sako Soghomonian Hokejosh: Nora Hanoian and Pat Barsamian Sunshine: Dorris Kezerian Church Maintenance: Vartan Hovsepian Newsletter Editors: Arlene Hovsepian and Rachel Harger Wedding Coordinator: Carol Rustigian Visiting Committee: Virginia Ratcliff Church Secretary: Rachel Harger Altar Flowers: Diana Toomajian and Norma Yaglijian Church Custodian: Wartkes Hagopian