09/08/2026
Dear St. Mary Parishioners,
On ๐ฆ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ๐, ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ญ๐ฏ, our parish will celebrate ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ (ิฝีกีนีพีฅึีกึ), the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
Khatchverats is one of the five great Tabernacle Feasts (Daghavar) of the Armenian Apostolic Church and the most important of the four feasts dedicated to the Holy Cross. The name means โexaltation of the Crossโ (khachi veratsum).
๐ช๐๐๐ง ๐ช๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฅ
In 614 the Persian king Khosrov II captured Jerusalem and took the True Crossโthe Cross on which our Lord was crucifiedโinto captivity. Byzantine Emperor Heraclius, joined by Armenian forces under the general Mzhezh Gnuni, recovered it. In 628 the Cross was carried in triumph back to Jerusalem, passing through the Armenian highlands. There the faithful raised it high and venerated it before it was restored to the Church of the Holy Resurrection on Golgotha.
The feast also recalls the earlier elevation of the Cross by St. James, the first Bishop of Jerusalem, who lifted it before the people with the words still heard in our liturgy: โKhachi ko Krisdos yergeer bakanemkโ โ โWe bow before Your Cross, O Christ.โ
๐ช๐๐ฌ ๐๐ง ๐ ๐๐ง๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฆ
What was once an instrument of shame and death became, through Christโs victory, the sign of life, salvation, and triumph over death. On this day the Armenian Church proclaims that truth with special solemnity. The Cross is decorated with sweet basil (rehan) and carried in procession, and the Antasdan (blessing of the four corners of the world) is offered, asking Godโs peace and protection for the whole earth.
A five-day fast traditionally prepares us for the feast. The Monday that follows is Merelotz, a day of remembrance for the faithful departed.
Khatchverats invites us not only to look back at history, but to lift high the Cross in our own livesโto see in it the source of our hope and the call to follow Christ with courage and joy.
๐๐ข๐๐ก ๐จ๐ฆ
Please join us for Divine Liturgy (Badarak) on Sunday, September 13. Immediately following Badarak, we will gather for a banquet. The cost is $50 per person, and children under 12 are free. ๐ฃ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฃ ๐๐ผ ๐ฉ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ธ๐น๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ ๐ต๐ฐ๐ต.๐ฎ๐ต๐ฏ-๐ฑ๐ต๐ต๐ญ ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฎ๐ถ๐น ๐ถ๐ป๐ณ๐ผ@๐๐๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ต๐๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ต.๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ป๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ป๐๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐.
We look forward to celebrating this beautiful feast together as a parish family.
With love in Christ,
St. Mary Parish Council
