St. John Church Celebrates Mother’s Day

Sunday, May 10, 2026, was a special and joyful day for the parish family of St. John Church as the community gathered to celebrate Mother’s Day together. Following the church service, parishioners were welcomed to a beautiful brunch prepared with love and dedication by a hardworking group of volunteers.

The Paul Family Fellowship Hall was beautifully decorated with flowers, and the tables were arranged with elegance and care, creating a warm and festive atmosphere for everyone in attendance.

On Sunday, August 17, the St. John Armenian Apostolic Church of San Francisco joyfully celebrated the Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God, one of the most beloved feast days of the Armenian Church. The day was marked by solemn worship, the traditional Blessing of the Grapes, and a vibrant community picnic filled with fellowship, food, and Armenian culture.

St. John recently opened its doors—and its kitchen—to welcome a group of cyclists from the Fuller Centre for Housing’s Bicycle Adventure. These dedicated bikers, who ride across regions to raise awareness and funds for affordable housing, were treated to warm hospitality and delicious home-cooked meals prepared by generous volunteers from the community.

On the weekend of April 4th to 6th, the St. John Church SF ACYO was blessed to participate along with Fr. Mesrop Ash in the ACYO Spring Retreat held at the beautiful HyeCamp in Dunlap CA. If you haven't had a chance to visit it yet, it is definitely a must for any Armenian Christian in the Western Diocese. The weather was sunny but chilly; it had snowed a few days ago and there were small patches of snow leftover, which of course were used for spontaneous snowball fights.

The Feast of Pentecost is the commemoration of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles on the fiftieth day following the Feast of the Glorious Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

This past Sunday marked a significant moment for our community as we gathered for the highly anticipated "Healing From Grief Through Loving Grace" event, led by the Western Diocese's Diran Avagyan. The presentation, a key part of our ongoing "Year of Healing" series, saw a significant turnout, underscoring the collective need and desire for emotional and spiritual healing within our community.

In an auspicious observance, St. John San Francisco and St. Vartan Oakland marked the Feast of the Ascension, known as Hampartsoum in Armenian, on May 18, 2023. The day's events unfolded with reverence and solemnity, reflecting the significance of this paramount event in the Christian liturgical calendar.

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, St. John Armenian Church of San Francisco has and will continue to have an important role to play by continuing its God-pleasing mission to best serve our community. During these past two months, the Parish Council of St. John, volunteers, and the staff have implemented outreach programs for seniors and vulnerable parishioners. Weekly phone calls were made to ensure everyone's safety and health.

During these uncertain times, volunteerism and feeling responsible to unite the community is very important, learning and helping one another will help the community to grow and become stronger.

Last week The Bay Area Armenian COVID-19 Task Force donated face masks and gloves to all the Bay area Armenian Churches, and organizations. Thanks to the volunteers we were able to distribute them to our parishioners. Over forty households received masks and gloves.