
They decorated.
They sang.
They left.
Or better: They came.
With every string of lights hung, every strand of garland unfurled and every ribbon tied, they showered their boundless love on St. Nersess Seminary and the Armenian Church.
They filled the seminary with the spirit of Christmas.
And they left, promising to come back again, maybe even before next Christmas.


Another delegation headed for the kitchen to start the coffee and heat the sugar syrup for the freshly-baked khadayif pastry they brought along.
It was perhaps that unique fragrance that attracted the seminarians. For weeks they were looking forward this special event. Falling as it does at the end of the semester, it provides a welcome relief from the pressures of term papers and final exams.

"They transformed our house!", said Dr. Abraham Terian, mingling with the guests.

"We love you very much," said Mrs. Dovie Tilbian, one of the organizers of the evening, "And we are so happy to spend this time with you each Christmas. It's our way of saying thank you for all you do for our church."
And as abruptly as they appeared, they were off again for the ride back to New Jersey. In their wake, a trail of love and motherly affection for a community of young people working diligently, in that same spirit, for God and his holy church.