
As part of its Extension Program, St. Nersess Armenian Seminary will offer a course on theSacraments of the Armenian Church. The course will be held on Wednesday evenings from 7-9 PM at the Seminary in New Rochelle, NY beginning September 15, 2004 and is open to the public.
The course will be taught by V. Rev. Fr. Daniel Findikyan, Dean and Professor of Liturgy at St. Nersess Seminary.
After the Divine Liturgy, the most common Armenian Church services are the sacraments: baptism, marriage, ordination, and other occasional services that the Armenian Church considers "mysteries" [khorhurt] or "sacraments" of God's love for us.
What is a sacrament? How many sacraments are there? What really happens when a sacrament is conducted? How do sacraments work? The Armenian Church has different answers to these questions than many other Christian denominations.
Students will study the meaning, the distinctiveness and the history of the development of baptism, marriage, ordination, penance, funerals, Blessing of Water, Blessing of Grapes, Anointing of the Sick, Madagh, and others in the Armenian Church. Students will read and discuss the prayers, hymns and Bible passages appointed for these sacraments. In so doing students will come to a greater appreciation for the role and importance of the sacraments for Armenian Christians today.
How many sacraments are there in the Armenian Church?
If you said "seven" you're wrong.
Why do we baptize children in the Armenian Church?
If you said, "To clean away original sin," you're wrong.
Which nation was the first to require marriages to be solemnized in church?
If you said, "Armenia" you're right!
Invest one evening per week at St. Nersess Seminary this Fall and grow closer to your ancestral heritage as you grow closer to God.
Registration will take place at the first class session on September 15, 2004 at 7PM. Tuition is $100 for auditors. For further information write to info@stnersess.edu or call the Seminary office at (914) 636-2003.