Surp Stepanos – the Protomartyr of the Christian Faith
Saint Stepanos, one of the seven deacons of the first Church and the first martyr for Christ – his witness, his martyrdom and his veneration among Armenians.
Арменаг Бакърджиян
Surp Hagop Mdzpna – Saint James of Nisibis
Saint James of Nisibis: fellow student of Saint Gregory the Illuminator, defender of his city, father of the Council of Nicaea and the first to ascend Ararat.
The Atyan – Where Hearts Gather in Prayer
The Atyan, the nave of the Armenian church: its place, its symbolism and its role as the living heart of the community across the centuries.
Surp Tarkmanchats – the Feast of the Holy Translators
The feast of the Holy Translators: Saint Mesrob Mashtots, the creation of the Armenian alphabet and the foundations of Armenian culture and letters.
Khachverats – the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Khachverats, the Armenian feast of the Exaltation of the Cross: the finding by Saint Helena, its capture by Persia and its return by the Emperor Heraclius.
The Assumption of the Holy Mother of God in Ruse
The patronal feast of the Armenian church in Ruse: the Assumption of the Mother of God, the blessing of the first grapes and the custom of Madagh.
The Gavit of the Armenian Church in Ruse
The gavit, the narthex of the Armenian church in Ruse: its architecture under Ottoman rule, its religious and social role, and its place in the life of the community.
Vartavar – the Transfiguration and the Feast of Water
Vartavar, the Armenian feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord: its ancient roots, the drenching with water and the blessing of the grapes.
The Symbols of Faith in the Armenian Apostolic Church
The chalice, the paten, the Muron vessel, the cross, the censer and the kshots – the liturgical objects of the Armenian Church and the meaning behind each of them.
How an Armenian Church Is Arranged
Gavit, Atyan, Tas, Khoran, Surp Seghan, Baharan and Vernadun – the parts of an Armenian church and the spiritual meaning behind each of them.
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