The Sts. Vartanantz Church Mourad Armenian School celebrated Armenian Christmas on Saturday, January 6th, following the Christmas Badarak and the Blessing of the Water.
During the Divine Liturgy, the 7th grade students came together to recite the Havadamk as they stood in front of the Altar, with their shabeegs and veils. Our students did an amazing job reciting the Havadamk on this special day. They also witnessed the beautiful ceremony of the Blessing of the Water, where Matt Burke was honored as Godfather of the Cross.
Right after Church services, approximately 180 guests, including students, made their way to Aramian and Fermanian Halls for the Christmas Hantes. Due to the efforts of our parent-teacher organization (PTO), the hall was bustling with Christmas cheer and a festive atmosphere.
In her opening remarks, co-director Mrs. June Mangassarian thanked everyone for supporting the school and she commended the students and teachers for their dedication. “Our students brighten up our days, every Saturday. They come to school with big smiles and eager to learn our language”, said Mangassarian. After the remarks, Rev. Fr. Kapriel Nazarian was invited for the opening prayer.
Co-director Mrs. Lala Attarian highlighted the vital role of the Armenian institutions in our struggle to preserve our identity, language and heritage. She also mentioned that our students have had an active role in helping raise funds for their brothers and sisters from Artsakh. Moreover, she proudly announced that Mourad School has established the Sister School program with the “Nor Oughi” school in the Ararat province of Armenia, an ongoing project which aims at helping our students connect with their peers in the homeland. Attarian invited chair of Mourad School Committee, Mr. Hagop Khatchadourian to give his remarks.
Khatchadourian reflected on the Message of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, proclaiming the year 2024 as the “Year of Human Resources Preparation”. “Let us rekindle our mission of devoted work and let’s revamp our activities in Providence… Considering the challenges of our community, we need to work together to “prepare” our future leaders and teachers”, said Khatchadourian. Finally, he invited the community to attend the 90th anniversary celebration of the Mourad Armenian School which will take place on April 6, 2024.
The students then began their performance which included songs and a piano solo. They sang their with enthusiasm under the direction of Baron Raffi, the music director. When the children started singing Gaghant Baba, Santa appeared with a bag full of gifts for the students on stage as well as babies and siblings in the audience. Gifts were donated by the Providence ARS “Arax” and “Ani” chapters and Taline Badrikian; author of children’s books. After Santa left, the raffle tickets were drawn, and everyone, winners or not, left with such delight and joy! The event concluded with Der Kapriel’s appreciative remarks and the closing prayer.
The food, prepared and served by the Ladies’ Guild and the Men’s Club, was as usual delicious and plentiful. Special thanks to the PTO members Ani Dedeyan, Alenoush Hagopian, Megan Khatchadourian and Melanie Zeitounian, the students and teachers who all worked hard for this unprecedented event. It really takes a village to put on such an event!
We thank the following establishments and individuals for their generous donations: Patio on Broadway, The Gentleman Cigar Lounge, PJ’s Pub, Hercules Pizza, My Car, Inc., Pizza Palace, the Krikorian family, Sako’s Pizza, Karo’s Barber Shop, Ani’s Full-Service Salon, Kodos jewelry, Mrs. Noreen LaFazia, Mrs. Talar Restikian, the Dedeyan family, the Iskenderian family, Virginia and Spanish Peanut Company, and to all the families who donated the desserts.
