Primate Consecrates Church in Framingham, Massachusetts

As Archbishop Khajag Barsamian rounded the sanctuary, there was a noticeable change in the old church building in Framingham, Massachusetts. Through the prayers, actions, and music of the Primate and parishioners, the old Baptist church was reborn as an Armenian sanctuary.

"Now we will begin our first Divine Liturgy as the Srpots Tarkmanchats Hayasdanyaitz Yegeghetzi," said Fr. Krikor Sabounjian, as the badarak began following the consecration of the former Armenian Church of Metro-West.

Hundreds of parishioners and guests filled the church in Framingham October 19 as Archbishop Barsamian consecrated it, renaming it the Armenian Church of the Holy Translators.

"The motivation of the Holy Translators was very plain and simple: They wanted to help people understand the word of God," Archbishop Barsamian said. "But in undertaking this mission, they also created a new way of life for the Armenian people. They opened a new chapter in our history, and launched a 'golden age' of literature. Our spiritual wealth, as a church and people, comes from seeds planted by the Holy Translators. Many subsequent generations of priests, artists, and common folk have lovingly tended to that treasure. And now, this parish too will take up its rightful place in that ongoing mission."

The parish community has been around since the late 1990s, earning full-parish standing in 2001. The parishioners bought an old Baptist church in the center of Framingham, and remade it to fit an Armenian mold. But even its physical refurnishing paled to the spiritual change that occurred during the consecration.

"Something special happened to the church that wasn't there before," Fr. Sabounjian said. "This should not be viewed as a completion of a mission, but a beginning of our new life. And just as the physical church building was transformed, so too we as people need to be transformed and dedicate ourselves even more to a life in Christ."

"This is a tight community, like a family," said Baykar Dervishian, who moved to the area three years ago from New Jersey. "It feels like a big family." "There's a lot of electricity in this church family. And everybody contributes in some way," said Ellsie Sarkisian, who along with her husband Sarkis were one of 16 "Godfamilies" of the church.

The "Godfamilies" were: the Barsamians of Sherborn; the Bablouzians of Framingham; the Barretts of Framingham; the Bogigians of Hopkinton; the Garabedians of Hopkinton; the Harotians of Ashland; the Kasparians of Holliston; the Maddens of Dover; the Malones of Burlington; the Sabounjians of Holliston; the Sarkisians of Natick; the Seifels of Framingham; the Strazzullas of Hopkinton; the Sullivans of Framingham; the Voskanians of Southborough; and the Zouranjians of Milford. The Godparents of the parish are Karnig and Karen Durgarian of Hopkinton.

THE NEXT GENERATION

Children took center stage when they came up from Sunday School to talk with the Primate about the day's services.

"Why is today a special day?" the Primate asked the dozens of children gathered at the chancel.

"Because we're a real church," one youngster said.

"Yes, because today we consecrated the church and made it holy. Did you see how we did that? Did you see me climb the ladder? Were you scared I might fall?" the Primate asked with a smile on his face.

Speaking later, flanked by her 12-year-old son Jeffrey, parish council member Lisa Hyde agreed with her son that the consecration made the church a "real" church.

"As much as it was a real church before, it's even more now," she said. "It's really exciting, and a little surreal, to think we've built a church, that we built a community. It was a lot of hard work; blood, sweat, and tears went into this building."