Remembering Ashkhen

Michele Marr

Just before noon on Thursday morning, a bright winter sun penetrated

the stained-glass windows of St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church in

Costa Mesa, illuminating a dozen jewel-colored images of saints for

worshipers inside.

On the south wall of the sanctuary, a window depicting St.

Ashkhen, queen of Armenia, stood alongside a window of her husband

and fellow saint, King Trdat.

A garland of tulle and silk roses outlined the window’s arched

frame. Two votive candles on tall brass candle sticks flicker beside

it.

The window, installed in July on the Feast Day of St. Ashkhen,

held unique significance for hundreds of women and several handfuls

men, husbands and clergy who were gathered in the church to pray.

“We celebrate Armenian Women Saints Day every year,” said Rose

Kaskavalciyan, chairwoman of the St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church

Ladies’ Society. “This is the 25th anniversary of the celebration [in

the U.S.].”

This year’s celebration was dedicated to St. Ashkhen, the first

Christian queen of Armenia, and to the 1,700th anniversary of

Armenia’s Etchmiadzin Cathedral.

Ashkhen was the daughter of the king of Alan, in what is today

Karabagh and Azerbaijan. She was married to King Trdat of Armenia in

A.D. 291.

The royal couple was among their nation’s first Christians,

brought to the faith by St. Gregory the Illuminator. Trdat converted

to Christianity in A.D. 301, many believe greatly influenced by his

wife, and proclaimed Armenia a Christian state.

In A.D. 303, Ashkhen and Trdat encouraged the establishment of

Armenia’s first cathedral, and she is said to have helped, hands-on,

to dig and lay its foundation at Etchmiadzin.

The Ladies Society at St. Mary planned and hosted Thursday’s

prayer service, luncheon and music program to remember Ashkhen for

her remarkable faith, which through her dedication, loyalty and

sacrifice is an example to them and to all Christians.

Velo Herbekian, chairwoman of the Western Diocese Central Council

of Ladies Societies, said members of the Central Council, chairwomen

of local Ladies Societies and their members from parishes throughout

Orange, Los Angeles and San Diego counties came for Thursday’s

events. Some came in large groups, arriving in rented buses.

In English and Armenian, the service offered prayers, Scripture

readings from the Gospels, Epistles and Psalms, hymns and a short

biography of Queen Ashkhen, in tribute to St. Ashkhen and as an

encouragement to women today to follow her example.

“We remember St. Queen Ashkhen’s commitment to the faith and,

[following her] example, we dedicate our lives also to the faith on

this day,” said Father Moushegh Tashjian, pastor of St. Mary Church,

who presided at the morning prayer service.

Under an archway inscribed with the message “Love one another,”

Tashjian reminded the women of the unique and holy task they have to

serve God and, in their homes, to raise by example children who love

God, who love the church and who live in the world as peacefully as

possible with Christian love and good will.

After the service, a Lenten luncheon, a menu of various

traditional meatless and dairy-free Armenian recipes all prepared by

the women of St. Mary Church, was served in the parish’s Fesjian

Hall. Hilda Sakarya, choir chairwoman at St. Mary and vocal soloist,

presented a program of music.

As a commemoration of the day, and to mark the 25th anniversary of

the Armenian Women Saints Day celebrations, each woman was given a

porcelain plate depicting the Good Shepherd and the 23rd Psalm.

The plates were given to the women of the Ladies Societies as a

gesture of appreciation and support by St. Mary members Peter and

Henrietta Bodourian.

* MICHELE MARR writes religion features.