THE HISTORY OF  STS VARTANANTZ CHURCH

IN RIDGEFIELD, NEW JERSEY

Sts. Vartanantz Church was founded in 1957 and the Church was consecrated on May 2, 1959. Affiliated with the Catholicate of Cilicia, Sts. Vartanantz was established in 1957 by the petition of parishioners in Northern New Jersey, who wanted to have their own church. The Church was named Sts. Vartanantz to commemorate the heroic struggle of its patron saints. In 451 the Armenian army led by Vartan Mamigonian, fought against the fire-worshipping King Yazgert, who wanted to force the Armenians to turn back from their Christian faith

Many Armenian philanthropic, political, cultural, social, educational, athletic, compatriotic unions and scouts organizations have their offices and carry on activities in our church complex. Thus, the church has developed educational, social, welfare, religious and sports programs and Ministries.

Every Armenian is a member of the church by birthright or by Holy Baptism. Our Church has more than 500 dues paying members, who have a say in governance.   Sts. Vartanantz Church meets the spiritual needs of thousands of Armenians of New Jersey. We have a telephone directory listing names of more than 1500 families.

.Three dedicated married pastors of blessed memory, Rev. Khatchadour Guiragossian, Rev. Arsen Simoniantz, and Rev. Nishan Papazian served the community as dedicated spiritual leaders in those early years.

In 1951, a building Committee was made up of three active members, Mgrditch Mildonian, Charles Kazanjian and Charles Tashjian developed a project, they set up a Board of Trustees to make plans for a church in Bergen County N.J.  The project was realized thanks to the additional combined efforts of the Fund Raising Committee, the Ladies’ Guild, the Men’s Club, the choir and the Sunday School.

The present site was purchased for the construction of a complex comprising the Church and the Community Cultural Center. Two builders, members of the church volunteered their services.

His Eminence Archbishop Khoren Paroyan, then Prelate of Beirut and later Catholicos of Cilicia, Antelias, Lebanon, paid a pastoral visit to America bringing the blessings, the spiritual support and jurisdictional leadership of His Holiness Catholicos Zareh I and consecrated the newly built Sts. Vartanantz Church of Ridgefield on Sunday May 3, 1959. On Sunday May 2, 1999, we celebrated the church’s 40th Anniversary.

The Church Building

The Church is a beautiful brick building with a large wooden hand carved door, opening into a vestibule with two stained glass windows. There is a small office in the vestibule and another larger office with three stained glass windows. A balcony situated above the church entrance was originally used for the Church Choir, is now used for the congregation.

The large stained glass windows represent both spiritual centers, the cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin in Armenia and the cathedral of St Gregory the Illuminator of Antelias. Inside the Church there are 12 windows representing Christ’s Baptism and Resurrection and the saints of the Armenian Church.

A large space of 14 pews on each side makes it possible to seat about 200 faithful. The nave that separates the faithful and the altar with a wooden decorated section is reserved for the clergy, and the church choir has three pews on each side for about forty choir members. This joins the beautiful elevated altar made by Charles and Zaven Najarian, father and son woodcarvers of Somerville, Mass. The hand carved face of the oak altar is a reproduction of the Last Supper. In both sidewalls near the altar, there are two small openings, where the chalices that symbolize the heart of Christ are placed on both sides of the altar for the Holy Eucharist.

Several classrooms are built on the lower middle level for Sunday School and Saturday Armenian School The small hall is reserved for small group receptions by the Men’s Club, Ladies’ Guild, and Senior Citizens.  The Large Hall and Gymnasium on the lower Level with the adjacent kitchen, accommodates many major religious and cultural community gatherings and athletic games.

STS. VARTANANTZ CHURCH ORGANIZATIONS

Sts. Vartanantz Church is governed by the By-Laws of the Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America for the Eastern United States and Canada. The Prelate is the spiritual leader of all churches and parishes of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America, under the jurisdiction of the Catholicate of Cilicia.

The delegates representing the parishes elect the Prelate together with the Religious and Lay Executive Councils. The delegates also elect the Representatives of the Prelacy to the World Council of the Cilician See in Antelias, Lebanon.

The role of the Executive Council consists of planning, directing and leading the Prelacy parishes for the development of religious life, and for the advancement and prosperity of the church.

Auxiliary bodies, such as the Armenian Religious Education Council (A.R.E.C.) and The Armenian National Educational Committee (A.N.E.C) are under the supervision of the Prelate and the Executive Council.

Delegates of Sts. Vartanantz

Delegates attend the Board of Trustees meetings to be informed about church and community activities and issues. They are elected to represent Sts. Vartanantz Church at the National Representative Assembly of the Prelacy, held annually in a different host parish.  Sts. Vartanantz Church will be the host parish for the 2006 NRA Convention.

Board of Trustees

It is important to relate here the mission and activity of our Board of Trustees, since they are elected by the parishioners to organize and guide church life, and take care of the administrative and financial needs of the church. The same general membership meetings elect delegates by dues paying members. Our Board is composed of eleven members. A Nominating Committee presents the names of the candidates to the members.

The Board presents the annual report of its activities to the Church members at the annual meeting. All church affiliated bodies present their annual reports complied in a special booklet.

The members elect the Auditing and Nominating Committees. They also elect chairpersons and secretaries for the annual meeting, which is the supreme body in local parish governance. Committees, including the Board of Trustees are responsible to this governing body. They also elect seven delegates for the National Representative Assembly, which meets every year during the second week of May.

The minutes of the Annual Meeting in two languages, Armenian and English are approved by the parish and sent to the Prelacy with the result of the election, for official approval.

The Board meets every two weeks and considers all the issues relating to the Church. The Chairman, the Pastor and the treasurer present their reports at each meeting.

The Board organizes several social functions to bring the parishioners together to raise funds and enhance a bonding experience such as annual dinner dances and luncheons on major feast days. They also organize the annual picnic bazaar, raffle, etc, and make the necessary arrangements for repairs, renovations, utility expenses, and salaries of the secretary, the custodian. The pastor’s salary is determined according to the Prelacy guidelines.

The Board invites the members of the choir, the deacons and the Sunday School teachers for a luncheon once a year, as a token of appreciation of their services to the church.

The Pastor and three Board members serve on the Endowment Fund Committee. Board members work with church related organizations that conduct their activities in our church facilities.

Every Sunday at least three members of the Board of Trustees are required to be at the Liturgy They welcome the faithful, receive donations and announce special prayers for the sick, and Requiem Services requested by families for their loved ones.

Church Choir

            Sts. Vartanantz Church is fortunate to have a very capable Choir Director Mr. Zohrab Zakarian. Zohrab leads a choir of more than 30 male and female members. The Yegmalian Holy Mass, is interpreted every Sunday and is very much appreciated by the faithful of N.Y. and NJ, the Holy Mass is accompanied by Ara Dinkjian, a highly recognized musician.  We are blessed with five Deacons, many candle bearers and Acolytes, who are Sunday School students.

Sunday School

Sts. Vartanantz Sunday School existed long before the Church was built. More than 105 students attend classes every Sunday morning from 10:45 12: 30. The teachers are volunteers and most of them are graduates of our Sunday School.

The Co-Directors choose the teachers, assistants and interns. The Armenian Religious Education Council presents the curriculum.  The Pastor is the President of the School. He meets with the advisors and co- directors, to discuss, monitor and provide guidance.  Every Sunday a group of Sunday school students attends the Holy Mass.

The Sunday School organizes the Fall Dedication Service, prepares the Christmas Pageant, Easter Eve Scriptural Readings and Graduation Ceremony.

Nareg Saturday Armenian School

Sts. Vartanantz Armenian Church founded a weekly Saturday School in 1960. Our new generation was taught to read and write the Armenian Alphabet, created by St. Mesrob Mashdots in 403. The first principal of the school was Rev. Kourken Yaralian. He named the school after his son, Nareg, to remind us of  St. Gregory of Nareg of the 10th century, one of the greatest theologians of the Armenian Church.

Every year the school opens its doors in September. About 90 students ages 4-14 attend the classes. The school has a principal, under the supervision of the Board of Trustees of the church. The parents pay a modest amount each year to send their child to Armenian School. Textbooks are prepared and proposed by the Armenian National Education Committee.

The Pastor is the President of the school committee, and attends their meetings 2-3 times a year. The pastor conducts the opening prayer. The school children learn Armenian History, Culture, Religion and Music.

Sunday and Saturday students attend Holy Mass and receive Holy Communion on Christmas and Easter. They also prepare special programs for their parents on the Feast of Holy Translators, Christmas, Armenian Memorial Day April 24, and graduation ceremony.

Tuesday Morning Worships

For many years a group of Sts Vartanantz members have regularly attended Bible Study programs. We are pleased to have this group in our church. The group has proposed a number of spiritual issues to be presented to the faithful.

We also prepare a special worship service with prayers, hymns and sermon. Every Tuesday morning for one hour, we offer a time of meditation on questions and issues related to church, religion and spirituality.

Men’s Club

The Men’s Club of Sts. Vartanantz Church was founded in 1953, and is very active in supporting and organizing the social activities of the Church. They have their own executive board and meet once a month.  They help working in the kitchen on special occasions, picnics, bazaars, etc.  They make a yearly financial contribution to the church.  Finally, they sponsor youth basketball teams in the Armenian Churches’ League.

Ladies’ Guild

The Ladies’ Guild of Sts. Vartanantz Church plays a very active role in the life of our Church. The Guild supports the Church and helps the Board of Trustees.

The Ladies prepare Armenian pastries and delicacies for Bake Sales and offer a yearly financial contribution to the church. The Ladies visit the Armenian Home for the Aged to entertain and present gifts to the residents twice a year. The Ladies meet once a month, and cooperate with the Men’s Club in organizing some common functions.

Senior Citizens’ Club

Sts. Vartanantz Senior Citizens’ Club meets every Monday in the middle hall.

They pass their time playing social games. Most of them are men. They have sandwiches, refreshments, coffee and lunch. Sometimes families offer memorial dinners for their loved ones. Armen Babamian is the chairman. The group makes a yearly financial contribution to the church.

Sts. Vartanantz Church Athletic Teams

New York-New Jersey area Armenian churches have formed Armenian Churches Sports Association, sponsoring Church basketball teams of boys and girls, juniors, and seniors in competition for church League championship trophies.

Sts. Vartanantz team players have their weekly training in our Church Hall. They have scored very good results. Most of the time, the games are held on Sunday afternoons, in the gymnasiums of Middle and High schools in Hackensack.  This year our junior boys team won 2006 Championship game in their division.  Sts. Vartanantz Men’s Club sponsors the athletic teams of our church, providing training and organizing a yearly recognition and appreciation party.

Outreach Mission at the Armenian Home For the Aged

The Pastor of Sts. Vartanantz Church, once a month performs the Holy Mass at the Armenian Home for the Aged in Emerson NJ.  He delivers the sermon and distributes Holy Communion. 

Other Church Related Organizations

Many Armenian religious, athletic cultural, and social organizations use our facilities, such as the Christian education Committee, the Homenetmen athletic Club, the Compatriotic Unions of Marash, Ourfa, and Evereg, The Hamazkayin Cultural and Educational Organization, the Armenian Relief Society, (a women’s organization with four chapters in New Jersey), the Armenian Youth Federation, The Armenian National Committee of NJ and the ARF Dro Gomideh..