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The Church has established a virtual fundraising event for Earthquake Relief in Aleppo on its Facebook page - St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Apostolic Church, Granite City, IL. Any donation is greatly appreciated. Thank you. Link is below.
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NOTE FROM THE PRELACY:
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FORTY ORPHANS FROM ARMENIA AND ARTSAKH NEED YOUR SPONSORSHIP
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The waiting list of the St. Nerses the Great Organization has been reduced to 37 orphans both from Armenia or relocated from Artsakh to Armenia. Six college students are in need of sponsorship too.
In addition, this morning we received new names for our waiting list: three children of a soldier killed in September 2022 during the military incursions from Azerbaijan. With your help, we hope to secure sponsors for this family who lives in one of the small villages in the Vardenis region of Armenia as soon as possible.
We have 412 individual and institutional sponsors from the United States, Canada, France, and Armenia who have taken care of 1,443 minors and university students currently enrolled in our Orphan Sponsorship Program, administered by the Prelacy through the St. Nerses the Great Organization of Armenia. The overwhelming majority of sponsors come from 26 states of the United States. Since 1993, the St. Nerses the Great Organization has sponsored a total of 3,476 orphans in Armenia and Artsakh.
We are grateful to all the sponsors who support our efforts with an annual contribution of $250 per child, as well as with additional amounts as special gifts. The contribution brings much needed relief to the financial burdens of the recipients and their families, and also boosts their morale.
Children from the waiting list are admitted into the Orphan Sponsorship program only when a sponsor is secured for them. They remain a beneficiary until the age of 18 or longer (if they decide to pursue higher education in a university of their choice). Sponsored children are not dropped from the program even if their sponsors cannot continue their initial commitment, submit their payment late, or have to skip a year of their contribution for any reason. They continue receiving their bi-monthly stipend on a regular basis until another sponsor is secured for them or they reach the age of 18. This is possible thanks to our program’s General Fund, which consists of one-time donations, in-lieu-of-flowers donations, and the incredible generosity of some of our sponsors.
If you cannot make a long-time commitment but would like to contribute to the Orphans General Fund, please visit https://armenianprelacy.org/programs/orphans-fund/ and choose the option “Other” for your tax-exempt charitable donation to the program.
You can always contact the Prelacy by email (sophie@armenianprelacy.org) or telephone (212-689-7810) for the sponsorship of both minors and university students. It is also possible to make donations of shares or IRA contributions.
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Click here for online sponsorship of minors up to the age of 18.
Click here for online sponsorship of orphans who become students at a higher education institution upon turning 18.
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Bible readings for Sunday, February 12th, Fifth Sunday after Nativity, are: Isaiah 63:18-64:12 Titus 1:1-11; John 7:37-52.
Titus 1:1-11
Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and the knowledge of the truth that is in accordance with godliness, in the hope of eternal life that God, who never lies, promised before the ages began—in due time he revealed his word through the proclamation with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior,
To Titus, my loyal child in the faith we share: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.
I left you behind in Crete for this reason, so that you should put in order what remained to be done, and should appoint elders in every town, as I directed you: someone who is blameless, married only once, whose children are believers, not accused of debauchery and not rebellious. For a bishop, as God’s steward, must be blameless; he must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or addicted to wine or violent or greedy for gain; but he must be hospitable, a lover of goodness, prudent, upright, devout, and self-controlled. He must have a firmer grasp of the word that is trustworthy in accordance with the teaching, so that he may be able both to preach with sound doctrine and refute those who contradict it.
There are also many rebellious people, idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision; they must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for sordid gain what it is not right to teach.
***
John 7:37-52
On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’” Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified. When they heard these words, some in the crowd said, “This is really the prophet. Others said, “This is the Messiah.” But some asked, “Surely the Messiah does not come from Galilee, does he? Has not the scripture said that the Messiah is descended from David and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David lived? So there was a division in the crowd because of him. Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.
Then the temple police went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why did you not arrest him?” The police answered, “Never has anyone spoken like this!” Then the Pharisees replied, “Surely you have not been deceived too, have you? Has any one of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd, which does not know the law—they are accursed.” Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus’ before, and who was one of them, asked, “Our law does not judge people without first giving them a hearing to find out what they are doing, does it?” They replied, “Surely you are not also from Galilee, are you? Search and you will see that no prophet is to arise from Galilee.”
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PRAYER REQUESTS
Armenians of Artskakh
All those affected by the Syrian/Turkish Earthquake
For: Manny & Sonia Ohanesian and Leslie Mikaelian
Requested by: Steve & Susie Hagopian
REQUIEM REQUESTS
Remembered with gratitude and honor.
His Holiness Catholicos Zareh I, His Holiness Catholicos Khoren I, His Holiness Catholicos Karekin II, Archbishop Hrant Khatchadourian, Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian, Archbishop Sumbat Lapajian, Bishop Meghrig Parikian, V. Rev. Fr. Vaghinag Sisagian, V. Rev. Fr. Ghevont Martougesian, V. Rev. Fr. Nishan Papazian, V. Rev. Fr. Barouyr Ekmekjian, V. Rev. Fr. Oshagan Minasian, V. Rev. Fr. Vahan Berberian, Rev. Fr. Mesrob Amrigian, Rev. Fr. Arsen Varjabedian, Rev. Fr. Mateos Mannigian, Rev. Fr. Bedros Mampreian, Rev. Fr. Stepanos Garabedian, Rev. Fr. Mesrob Der Hovanesian, Rev. Fr. Houssig Naghnikian, Rev. Fr. Adom Melikian, Rev. Fr. Yeghishe Kasbarian, Rev. Fr. Ghevont Khosrovian, Rev. Fr. Bedros Kasarjian, Rev. Fr. Sahag Balian, Rev. Fr. Ghevont Papazian, Rev. Fr. Papken Kasbarian, Rev. Fr. Sahag Yeghigyan, Rev. Fr. Nerses Shahinian, Rev. Fr. Bsag Sarkisian, Rev. Fr. Yeghishe Mkitarian, Rev. Fr. Souren Papakhian, Rev. Fr. Arsen Simeoniantz, Rev. Fr. Movses Der Stepanian, Rev. Fr. Mampre Biberian, Rev. Fr. Khachadour Giragossian, Rev. Fr. Yervant Yeretzian, Rev. Fr. Gomidas Der Torosian, Rev. Fr. Movses Shrikian, Rev. Fr. Dickran Khoyan, Rev. Fr. Smpad Der Mekhsian, Rev. Fr. Vahan Ghazarian, Rev. Fr. Ashod Kochian, Rev. Fr. Arshavir Sevdalian, Rev. Fr. Kourken Yaralian, Rev. Fr. Arsen Hagopian, Rev. Fr. Sarkis Antreasian, Rev. Fr. Sahag Andekian, Rev. Fr. Hmayag Minoyan, Rev. Fr. Krikor Hairabedian, Rev. Fr. Asoghik Kiledjian, Rev. Fr. Varant Bedrosian, Rev. Fr. Sahag Vertanessian, Rev. Fr. Vartan Kassabian, Rev. Fr. Torkom Hagopian, Rev. Fr. Anoushavan Artinian, Rev. Fr. Geghart Baboghlian, Rev. Fr. Arshag Daghlian, Rev. Fr. Vatche Naccachian, Rev. Fr. Vahrich Shirinian, Rev. Fr. Vartan Arakelian, Rev. Fr. Gorun Shrikian, Rev. Fr. Zaven Poladian, Rev. Fr. Armen Ishkhanian, Rev. Fr. Mesrob Tashjian, Rev. Fr. Nareg Shrikian, Rev. Fr. Moushegh Der Kaloustian, Rev. Fr. Vazken Bekiarian
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Just a reminder that all prayer and requiem requests must be submitted via the church email by Thursday noon in order to be included in the weekly E-bulletin.
Thank you.
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Join us for the
"Souper Bowl" luncheon after church sponsored by the ARS Reubena chapter
If anyone wishes to host a future Fellowship hour, please notify Takouhie Kakligian via the church email.
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