{"id":3833,"date":"2015-07-23T14:32:30","date_gmt":"2015-07-23T18:32:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stjameswatertown.org\/?p=3833"},"modified":"2015-07-23T14:37:19","modified_gmt":"2015-07-23T18:37:19","slug":"watertown-pilgrims-visit-serve-in-armenia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stjameswatertown.org\/test\/watertown-pilgrims-visit-serve-in-armenia\/","title":{"rendered":"Watertown Pilgrims Visit & Serve in Armenia"},"content":{"rendered":"

On June 30th<\/sup>, forty pilgrims from St. James Armenian Church in Watertown, MA made a 10 day pilgrimage to\u00a0Armenia\u00a0to embark on a spiritual journey to explore the country\u00a0and give back to their homeland.\u00a0 The group, led by pastor Fr. Arakel Aljalian, consisted of several families traveling together and pilgrims of all ages.\u00a0With Yerevan as their base, the pilgrims made day trips to visit various sites throughout the country.<\/p>\n

Exploring their roots
\n<\/strong>The trip began with a city tour of Yerevan, as the group visited Armenia\u2019s Natural History Museum, taking in Armenia\u2019s ancient roots, and learning that Yerevan is 29 years older than the city of Rome.\u00a0 A visit to the Armenian Genocide Memorial and newly renovated museum was a moving site to see for all, especially following the Armenian Genocide centennial events this past spring.<\/p>\n

Each day brought a new journey for the group, many of whom were visiting Armenia for the first time.\u00a0\u00a0 The participants visited various breathtaking monasteries and churches, seeing the origins of our faith firsthand.\u00a0 While visiting the Geghard monastery complex, which was bustling with tourists of various nationalities, the group was able to have a private moment in the upper chapel.\u00a0 Fr. Arakel led the group in the singing of the Lord\u2019s Prayer and \u201cDer Voghormya\u201d while the pilgrims spent a few moments in prayer and reflection.<\/p>\n

Participant Steve Derderian noted, \u201cOur family had a wonderful trip to Armenia.\u00a0 We were able to see so many historical sites and also spend time with cousins we met for the first time, in their village of Vanashen.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Sunday morning, the group departed for Holy Etchmiadzin, attending Divine Liturgy in the mother cathedral followed by an audience with His Holiness Karekin II.\u00a0 The Catholicos visited with the group, sharing his thoughts on the Armenian Genocide Centennial, the growth of the Armenian Church, and answering questions from the group.<\/p>\n

Other churches visited included Khor Virap \u2013 the site of the pit of St. Gregory the Illuminator, Noravank Monastery, and the beautiful Haghartsin monastery complex.<\/p>\n

With temperatures hovering near 100*F, the group enjoyed a welcome relief from the heat with a visit to Lake Sevan.\u00a0\u00a0 After an outdoor lakeside lunch and a visit to the churches at the top of the peninsula, the group was able to relax with a dip in the cool waters of the lake.<\/p>\n

Enjoying Armenia\u2019s rich cultural heritage
\n<\/strong>In the evenings, the group got a chance to enjoy the lively nightlife and culture of Yerevan.\u00a0 Group dinners filled with live music and dancing gave the pilgrims a chance to connect with one another.\u00a0\u00a0 The group enjoyed spending time in Yerevan\u2019s beautiful outdoor cafes as a way to unwind at the end of a long day.\u00a0 Attending a concert of the Tatul Altunian Song and Dance group brought our homeland\u2019s rich culture to life.<\/p>\n

\u201cUpon returning from our homeland, not only were we enlightened with a renewed reinforcement of our culture, but created memories and friendships with our travel companions which will stay with us forever, said participant Caroline Sislian. \u201cHow blessed are we to have had this opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Giving Back through Service
\n<\/strong>A new addition to this year\u2019s pilgrimage for St. James was a few days dedicated to service, giving the group a chance to spend time giving back to their homeland.<\/p>\n

Visiting the Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR) Children\u2019s Support Center in Yerevan was a touching experience for the pilgrims.\u00a0 Following a tour of the facilities, the group spent time with the children and staff, playing games and singing songs.\u00a0 Bonds were formed quickly over a pizza and ice cream lunch, donated by the group.<\/p>\n

On the second day of service, the group partnered with The Paros Foundation, traveling to Gyumri to help out with various projects.\u00a0 The participants split up in to smaller groups to assist with the Paros Foundation\u2019s efforts to help the city of Gyumri in its rebuilding efforts, which still continue following the 1988 earthquake.\u00a0 Some participants helped tear down a \u2018domik\u2019 \u2013 makeshift housing made out of old shipping containers and metals \u2013 after the Paros Foundation moved the family into an apartment.\u00a0 Others worked at the \u2018Debi Arach\u2019 Children\u2019s Center, preparing and distributing backpacks to the local children and preparing the backyard for use by moving soil, building paths and setting the groundwork for a playground.\u00a0 A third group visited the Terchoonian Home Orphanage, painting classrooms and bedrooms for use by the children.\u00a0 Some of the home\u2019s children were eager to help, working alongside our group members and forming unforgettable bonds.\u00a0 After a long and fulfilling day of work, the group enjoyed a delicious fish dinner hosted by the Paros Foundation.<\/p>\n

After ten very full days and nights of touring, working, and exploring, the group gathered at a popular outdoor restaurant for their farewell dinner.\u00a0 They enjoyed live music and dancing \u2013 and of course, fresh lavash \u2013 as they reflected on their experiences.\u00a0 Participant Florence Bahtiarian said,\u201d The 10 day pilgrimage trip to Armenia with St. James was an amazing experience and a dream come true for me.\u00a0 We were able to learn about the 3000 year history, and experience our fascinating heritage and culture first hand.\u00a0 The food was so fresh, and in abundance, with fresh hot lavash at every meal.\u00a0 Being able to visit Armenia during the 100th<\/sup> year Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide will always be a special memory.\u00a0 I can\u2019t wait to go back again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0To view photos from the trip, click here.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"On June 30th, forty pilgrims from St. James Armenian Church in Watertown, MA made a 10 day pilgrimage to\u00a0Armenia\u00a0to embark on a spiritual journey to explore the country\u00a0and give back to their homeland.\u00a0 The group, led by pastor Fr. Arakel Aljalian, consisted of several families traveling together and pilgrims of all ages.\u00a0With Yerevan as their base, the pilgrims made day Continue Reading<\/a>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3835,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3833","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","cat-1-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stjameswatertown.org\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3833","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stjameswatertown.org\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stjameswatertown.org\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stjameswatertown.org\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stjameswatertown.org\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3833"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.stjameswatertown.org\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3833\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3834,"href":"https:\/\/www.stjameswatertown.org\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3833\/revisions\/3834"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stjameswatertown.org\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3835"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stjameswatertown.org\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3833"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stjameswatertown.org\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3833"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stjameswatertown.org\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3833"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}