St. Nersess Armenian Seminary
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Pre-Halloween Visit to St. Nersess Seminary - Boo-tiful!

11/19/2008

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November 19, 2008

By Elise Antreassian-Bayizian

It was indeed a beautiful day for a drive north – bright fall leaves, clear blue sky (after a rainy Saturday), and mild weather. But the beautiful backdrop was just one of God’s gifts that morning to 14 students and 4 teachers who formed a small caravan to our “hidden treasure” in New Rochelle, NY – St. Nersess Armenian Seminary.

Erase this and place the image hereWrite Caption HereAmong the others: the miracle of everyone arriving early and on time; the good will of teachers (thanks to Arda Haratunian) to help get some of our girls to their basketball game later that afternoon; NO traffic either way (is the world coming to an end?); our students participating in and actually experiencing a Badarak from first minute to last in an hour and 15 minutes, including discussion and reflection; and the discovery of the Armenian Seminary very few of the students and staff had ever seen.

Fr. Stepanos Doudoukjian, Director of Youth and Vocations, and a number of seminarians (Deacon Haik Tigranyan, Stan Sheridan, as well as Deacon Ryan Tellalian and recent graduate Megan Jendian, who had been teaching last year at our Sunday School) warmly greeted them. Once inside the small, intimate Seminary chapel, students were joined by others in the community, including professors Abraham Terian and Edward Matthews, and liturgy began.

Brandon Ajamian and Hayk Matevosian were enlisted as acolytes (first time ever), Ashley Kechian read the epistle and Laura Ketigian and Julia Smaldone helped pass the Kiss of Peace. Fr. Stepanos talked to the teens about the “great I ams” of Jesus (I am the good shepherd; I am the vine; I am the gate; I am the bread of life) and asked the students to share a word or two about who they were (a uniquely personal moment during Divine Liturgy).

After Badarak, everyone gathered in the comfortable living room for an introduction to the Seminary’s history and program during which seminarians Stan Sheridan, Ryan Tellalian, and Hayk Tigranyan shared their reasons for coming to Seminary – an enlightening few moments for students so close to thinking of their own careers. After a get-to-know you chat, a wonderful lunch was served (prepared by Yn Paulette Doudoukjian and Zovig Ashjian) and kids got to work on decorating pumpkins “Christian-style.” With full-color pictures of saints and Christian motifs spread around the tables, everyone got creative with paints, buttons, assorted do-dads, moss (for hair), stickers, and, yes, glue guns (upon seeing the mischievous gleam in a few eyes, they were used under strict supervision). Seminarians had the challenge of judging, and while all were deemed “winners,” Nina Policano and Ashley Kechian won 2nd and 3rd prize respectively while 1st prize of a 50% discount to a St. Nersess summer conference went to Arianna Haviters.

Fr. Stepanos bid the students an affectionate goodbye, noting that “This was a great day. Seeing you discover the Seminary, where the life of the Armenian Church and one’s personal faith can come together so powerfully, was such a joy. I look forward to seeing you at our Summer Conferences next year.” Note: Brandon Ajamian and Ashley Kechian are Conference alums with plans to return (and maybe bring some Sunday School colleagues along…).

For those who haven’t yet seen this beautiful and exciting place, our 7th-11th graders heartily recommend a trip – maybe next time parents will come along to be educated and inspired.

Note: Did you know that 80% of our clergy in the United States studied at St. Nersess, most of them for a Master’s of Divinity? And that all youth and Christian education programming of the Eastern Diocese is directed by St. Nersess alumni? That right now, St. Nersess is the only place you can learn Classical Armenian (krapar) in all of North America?

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The First St. Nersess Saturday

11/15/2008

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College students spent the day at the Seminary with
Fr. Stepanos Doudoukjian and the seminarians for the
first ever St. Nersess Saturday

November 15, 2008

by Christopher S. Le

It is always a unique experience to be a part of the first of something, and the first “St. Nersess Saturday” proved to be not only unique, but also very fun. The size of the group that participated was not large, but every person who attended was able to bring their own unique perspective and eclectic personality out during the course of the session. The great people combined with the interesting discussion topics and pumpkin decorating made for a very exciting and engaging atmosphere. 

Upon first arriving at the seminary, we started off with an icebreaker game so that all of the old and new participants could get to know one another. It was a good kick off, and we were able to learn different things about our fellow participants that we may not have been able to guess at first site.

Halloween: A Hallowed Holiday?
After the ice breaker, we engaged in the main part of the session, with a discussion about the true meaning of the Halloween holiday. We learned about its pagan roots, as well as the numerous occult rituals that individuals unknowingly invoke every Halloween. We also talked about ghosts and whether or not we believed that they existed in the living world. In addition to this, we also talked about what the Armenian Church believes about the subject of the existence of ghosts.

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A relaxing day with friends at St. Nersess
Lazarus and the Rich Man
To conclude our discussion, we read a passage from the Bible discussing a rich man who lived the good life on Earth but ignored the pain and suffering of a beggar named Lazarus. When both the rich man and the beggar Lazarus died, Lazarus went to heaven and was taken into the bosom of Abraham, while the rich man was taken to hell. When the rich man asked of Abraham to be able to go back to Earth so he could warn his friends and family, Abraham told him that he could not and that even if he could it would do him no good.

The Narrow Path to Faith
One of the things we concluded from this passage was that it indicated a separation between Earth, Heaven, and Hell, which could not be bypassed by spirits (supporting a church belief that ghosts do not exist). We also interpreted the words of Abraham to mean that if one is blind on Earth to the word of God, to God’s prophets, and to their own faith, and even if the dead were able to come back and warn the living of their blindness they would still not believe and remain blind. Obviously, these interpretations have significant meanings for us as Christian Armenians, supporting a disbelief in the reality of the supernatural or occult, and affirming that we must find faith within ourselves, the Church, and the Word of God because no other institution can cast this blindness away.

After the discussion, we had a delicious lunch that was prepared for us by Yn. Paulette Doudoukjian and Zovig Ashjian. Then we carried on with a Pumpkin decorating contest! The theme was to decorate the pumpkins as creatively as possible, and to depict on them Christian symbols, stories, and figures of the Armenian Church.

All of the pumpkins turned out really well, and a few lucky people were able to win prizes in the end for winning the competition. After the prizes were awarded, we finished off the session by moving to the chapel and saying a short prayer in thanks for the time we spent together and to safeguard all of our journeys back home.

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Nersess Saturdays for college students will be
a seasonal feature at 150 Stratton Road

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What does pop culture have to say about Halloween and the occult? What does the Armenian Church have to say?
To sum up the first “St. Nersess Saturday,” I have to say that it went above and beyond what I had expected. Being a very busy graduate student, it was very nice to be able to take some time off and enjoy the simple pleasures of St. Nersess. The short time there was a great opportunity to recharge the batteries, meet wonderful new people and see old friends, as well as enjoy an enlightened discussion and fun activities. I can only hope that I will get the opportunity to participate in a St. Nersess Saturday again in the near future.
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Christmas is in the Air at St. Nersess — Especially for College Students!

11/9/2008

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November 9, 2008

St. Nersess Seminary will host the annual Christmas Conference for college students fromJanuary 2-6, 2009 at the Seminary in New Rochelle, New York.

Each year American-Armenian college students come to St. Nersess over the Armenian Christmas holiday to retreat, refresh and retool from the rigors and stresses of life together with friends and colleagues. Year after year young people confirm that nothing can match the Armenian spiritual oasis of St. Nersess during the Christmas holidays.

Living Christmas Every Day
Come and enjoy the true joy of the Christmas season, quality time with friends, the wintry tranquility of St. Nersess, prayer, meaningful worship, home-cooked meals, Christmas carols, the crackling fireplace, frank talk about real issues, quality time with God, honest answers and the very best that the Armenian Church has to offer. The theme for this year's conference will be, "Living Christmas Every Day."

Led by Fr. Stepanos Doudoukjian, the Christmas Conference is open to college-age men and women. The cost of the program including tuition, materials, room and board is $325. Enrollment is limited to 25 participants.


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To register, DOWNLOAD AN APPLICATION, fill it out, enclose your check for $325 payable to St. Nersess Armenian Seminary" and mail it right away to the Seminary at 150 Stratton Road, New Rochelle, NY 10804.

To pay your enrollment fee online, click here.

For further information contact Fr. Stepanos Doudoukjian, Director of Youth and Vocations at frstep@stnersess.edu or by telephone: (914) 636-2003.


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Preparing leaders for service in the
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St. Nersess Armenian Seminary
​486 Bedford Road
Armonk, NY 10504

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Phone: (914) 273-0200
Email: info@stnersess.edu

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Monday - Friday, 9:30am-5:30pm


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