News

Cultivating a generation of young people who grow in their Chrstian faith and knowledge is one of our parishes most important goals.  It is with great joy and pride that we announce that on Sunday, December 21, 2014 St. John launched Its junior ACYO program under the direction of our  parish priest Fr. Mesrop Ash and youth advisor Ed Barber Jr., and with the support of many parents.

The festive season is well and truly underway at St. John Church. Sunday December 7, following the Divine Liturgy and a warm bevereage, our youth decorated the Christmas tree with handmade ornaments, while parents and parishioners helped decorate the hall with garlands and lights.  St. John was ready for Christmas with the sound of Christmas music and the lighting of the tree and our beautifully decorated hall. Our Christmas tree was generously donated by Cecelia Baloian.

Sunday September 7, 2014 a busy Sunday at St. John Armenian Church.  Following the Divine Liturgy and a thoughtful spiritual message by Rev. Fr. Mesrop Ash about Christ's Ministry of Restoration, the congregation gathered in the Paul Family Hall Fellowship Hall.

Early Sunday morning, Parish Council Chairman, Dn. Steven Cherezian and his crew were up preparing food and supplies for the Annual Church Picnic on Sunday.

The gorgeous sunny day, an ideal picnic area located near Coyote Point Marina, the Armenian music, and the aroma of the Armenian BBQ (Khorovads) brought the St. John family together. The day started with the morning service and spiritual message delivered by Fr. Mesrop Ash.  The lunch was served at noon; more than 175 people attended and enjoyed the food and fellowship.

Organize and Thrive was a free life changing presentation by Christina Ardemis. Christina Ardemis discussed the matter of organizing things in your home and work and how it makes you feel less stressed and happy. Fifty eager people attended Organize and Thrive and we hope that they all took the information and advice and applied them to their own circumstances. Christina Ardemis is a professional organizer, Vice-Chair of St. Johns Ladies Society and she sings in the choir. What a skilled and talented woman if I do say so my self.

Summer this year at St.John has been an awesome and cool time so far. We have participated in Christina Ardemis’s Organize and Thrive event, St. John Family Night and the most exciting so far, Lost and Found in Armenia.

We are pleased to announce that this year over 16 youth from St. John Armenian Church will attend Hey camp during the second and fourth week sessions. Fr. Mesrop Ash will be the camp chaplain for both weeks.  We wish them a happy and safe trip.  Campers will take with them choregs baked by our own ladies. Yum!

For those parents that have applied for camp scholarships, the Scholarship Committee will review them and inform the recipients throughout the month of June.

Sunday, June 1, was the last day of Sunday School.  As usual students gathered in the Ashjian room for a short rehearsal, and attended church to receive communion and a spiritual message by Fr. Mesrop Ash.

The Feast of Hampartzoom  (Ascension) is one of the most joyous of the feasts celebrated by the Armenian Church.  It is celebrated after the 40 days of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

One of the projects of St. John Parish Council this year is to have Family Nights and dedicate them to diasporan communities that Armenians came from.

The first Family Night took placed on Saturday May 17, 2014, and was dedicated to Fresno Armenians. More than 80 people from the community attended the event. Following a casual dinner, respected members of the community that grew up in Fresno shared their stories about the farm and town life in the Valley during the good times and bad.