November 8, 2013
St. Nersess Armenian Seminary and the Eastern Diocese co-sponsored a Deacons' Training "Double Workshop" at St. Stepanos Armenian Church (Elberon, NJ) on November 1-3. Twelve altar servers participated from parishes in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington, DC. Fr. Daniel Karadjian, Pastor of St. Stepanos, and Fr. Daniel Findikyan, Director of the Diocese's Zohrab Information Center and Director of the St. Nersess Seminary Deacons' Training Program, conducted simultaneous workshops, respectively, on censing for the Divine Liturgy and the Blessing of Water ceremony.
The participants, the youngest of whom was 14 years old, devoted themselves enthusiastically to intensive training sessions late into the night on Friday and all day Saturday. The results were better than anyone could expect. By the end of the weekend even those with little or no previous experience in using the censer (poorvar) mastered the skill and Badarak censing patterns. Meanwhile, the students learning the chants and rituals of the Blessing of Water service are now prepared to assist competently in the service when it is next conducted on Theophany, January 6, in their parishes.
On Sunday morning, Armen Chubukian and Arras Mermer, both of St. Mary Armenian Church, Washington, DC, were confident enough to execute the impressive but complex double-censing technique known as zooyk poorvar during the Divine Liturgy at St. Stepanos. Following the Divine Liturgy, a luncheon in honor of the workshop participants was hosted, the proceeds of which were generously donated to St. Nersess to support future Deacons' Training Workshops.
St. Nersess Armenian Seminary and the Eastern Diocese co-sponsored a Deacons' Training "Double Workshop" at St. Stepanos Armenian Church (Elberon, NJ) on November 1-3. Twelve altar servers participated from parishes in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington, DC. Fr. Daniel Karadjian, Pastor of St. Stepanos, and Fr. Daniel Findikyan, Director of the Diocese's Zohrab Information Center and Director of the St. Nersess Seminary Deacons' Training Program, conducted simultaneous workshops, respectively, on censing for the Divine Liturgy and the Blessing of Water ceremony.
The participants, the youngest of whom was 14 years old, devoted themselves enthusiastically to intensive training sessions late into the night on Friday and all day Saturday. The results were better than anyone could expect. By the end of the weekend even those with little or no previous experience in using the censer (poorvar) mastered the skill and Badarak censing patterns. Meanwhile, the students learning the chants and rituals of the Blessing of Water service are now prepared to assist competently in the service when it is next conducted on Theophany, January 6, in their parishes.
On Sunday morning, Armen Chubukian and Arras Mermer, both of St. Mary Armenian Church, Washington, DC, were confident enough to execute the impressive but complex double-censing technique known as zooyk poorvar during the Divine Liturgy at St. Stepanos. Following the Divine Liturgy, a luncheon in honor of the workshop participants was hosted, the proceeds of which were generously donated to St. Nersess to support future Deacons' Training Workshops.
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