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Naples Daily News, FL
March 26 2011
Mostly made up of seasonal residents, Armenian Church of Southwest
Florida community happy to have place to worship
By CANDACE ROTOLO
Naples Daily News, Posted March 26, 2011 at 6 a.m.
.
On a recent Sunday afternoon during Lent, Carole Meghreblian and a
host of volunteers are busily preparing the sanctuary of St. Mary's
Episcopal Church in Bonita Springs for service. There are gold
chalices to bring in, liturgy books to organize, an altar to move and
a Lenten lunch to prepare in the Parish Life center next door.
The volunteers do their best to get everything ready in less than one
hour, after the final Episcopal service of the day has ended.
After all, they're guests in this church.
For the last decade, these members of the Armenian Church of Southwest
Florida have used the sanctuary of other churches such as St. Mary's,
for monthly services, called Badaraks, during tourist season.
This mission parish is one of a handful in Florida. The state only has
three Armenian churches, the closest in Pinellas Park. During tourist
season, the Southwest Florida parish swells to about 80, although more
than 100 attended the recent Sunday service, the last one of the year.
About
40 members live in Southwest Florida year-round.
With a mostly transient congregation - most parishioners spend the
rest of the year in New York, Michigan or Wisconsin - the parish can
only afford to cover the expenses of having a mission parish director.
The Rev. Tateos Abdalian, who's based at the denomination's New York
City Diocese, oversees services four to five times a year.
`It's important to them that they have the opportunity to come to an
Armenian church and worship in the Armenian community,' said the Rev.
Abdalian of the parishioners, many of whom are retirees and active in
their Armenian parishes back home. `It's the preservation of the faith
and our culture. It's what we do.'
This committed mission parish has come a long way in 10 years. When
Harry Torosian and his wife, Pam, moved to Naples from Milwaukee in
2001 and realized there was no local Armenian church, Harry Torosian
worked diligently to set up the current mission parish, recruiting
fellow Armenians Robert and Sylvia Raubolt.
About 40 people attended the first service, an Easter celebration in
April 2001, and the mission parish has steadily grown over the decade.
Although Harry died in 2003, his wife, a Roman Catholic, and the
Raubolts continue his legacy.
Church members find the Southwest Florida mission parish by word of
mouth from other Armenians or researching it on the diocesan website.
Michael and Queenie Mullian traveled from Sarasota to attend the
recent Sunday Badarak.
`It means everything to us,' said Queenie of being able to worship
with fellow Armenians in their native language. `We were raised with
this church. I hear the music and I'm home.'
A Badarak is similar to a Catholic Mass or Episcopal Eucharist. In
fact, the Armenian Church is considered an Apostolic church - that is,
its clergy is in a succession that dates back to Christ's apostles.
Members recite the Nicene Creed, the Lord's Prayer and receive
communion during the 90-minute (or longer) service.
However, the liturgy is conducted in Armenian. The priest and deacon
do not face the parish except during the homily, and the celebrants
are behind a curtain during part of the service, a part of the liturgy
the Southwest Florida mission parish has to forego in a borrowed
sanctuary.
Music is an important component of the Armenian Church service, with
its beautifully haunting hymns and responses.
`The music is something you can't replace,' commented Meghreblian,
chairperson of the parish council and a full-time Naples resident.
But it's more than notes and a Mass that brings this congregation together.
`These people miss having other Armenians to associate with,' added
Meghreblian. `There's a bond and it's hard for a non-Armenian to
understand.'
Despite celebrating the mission parish's 10-year anniversary, members
say building a church of their own is a highly unlikely option.
`That's always a dream,' said Pam Torosian, one of the parish
founders. `But clergy is limited, there are no funds and it's not
really a reality right now. Our focus is to provide Badarak services
for residents and visitors.'
For now, parishioners are just pleased to have the opportunity to
celebrate their faith, and pray that their congregation continues to
grow.
`They're wonderful people here,' said the Rev. Abdalian `They've taken
what they've learned in their home parish and brought it here to
satisfy the spiritual needs of the people here.'
For more information about the Armenian Church of Southwest Florida,
call (239) 348-3804 or go to www.ArmenianDiocese.org
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2011/mar/26/mostly-made-seasonal-residents-armenian-church-sou/
From: A. Papazian
March 26 2011
Mostly made up of seasonal residents, Armenian Church of Southwest
Florida community happy to have place to worship
By CANDACE ROTOLO
Naples Daily News, Posted March 26, 2011 at 6 a.m.
.
On a recent Sunday afternoon during Lent, Carole Meghreblian and a
host of volunteers are busily preparing the sanctuary of St. Mary's
Episcopal Church in Bonita Springs for service. There are gold
chalices to bring in, liturgy books to organize, an altar to move and
a Lenten lunch to prepare in the Parish Life center next door.
The volunteers do their best to get everything ready in less than one
hour, after the final Episcopal service of the day has ended.
After all, they're guests in this church.
For the last decade, these members of the Armenian Church of Southwest
Florida have used the sanctuary of other churches such as St. Mary's,
for monthly services, called Badaraks, during tourist season.
This mission parish is one of a handful in Florida. The state only has
three Armenian churches, the closest in Pinellas Park. During tourist
season, the Southwest Florida parish swells to about 80, although more
than 100 attended the recent Sunday service, the last one of the year.
About
40 members live in Southwest Florida year-round.
With a mostly transient congregation - most parishioners spend the
rest of the year in New York, Michigan or Wisconsin - the parish can
only afford to cover the expenses of having a mission parish director.
The Rev. Tateos Abdalian, who's based at the denomination's New York
City Diocese, oversees services four to five times a year.
`It's important to them that they have the opportunity to come to an
Armenian church and worship in the Armenian community,' said the Rev.
Abdalian of the parishioners, many of whom are retirees and active in
their Armenian parishes back home. `It's the preservation of the faith
and our culture. It's what we do.'
This committed mission parish has come a long way in 10 years. When
Harry Torosian and his wife, Pam, moved to Naples from Milwaukee in
2001 and realized there was no local Armenian church, Harry Torosian
worked diligently to set up the current mission parish, recruiting
fellow Armenians Robert and Sylvia Raubolt.
About 40 people attended the first service, an Easter celebration in
April 2001, and the mission parish has steadily grown over the decade.
Although Harry died in 2003, his wife, a Roman Catholic, and the
Raubolts continue his legacy.
Church members find the Southwest Florida mission parish by word of
mouth from other Armenians or researching it on the diocesan website.
Michael and Queenie Mullian traveled from Sarasota to attend the
recent Sunday Badarak.
`It means everything to us,' said Queenie of being able to worship
with fellow Armenians in their native language. `We were raised with
this church. I hear the music and I'm home.'
A Badarak is similar to a Catholic Mass or Episcopal Eucharist. In
fact, the Armenian Church is considered an Apostolic church - that is,
its clergy is in a succession that dates back to Christ's apostles.
Members recite the Nicene Creed, the Lord's Prayer and receive
communion during the 90-minute (or longer) service.
However, the liturgy is conducted in Armenian. The priest and deacon
do not face the parish except during the homily, and the celebrants
are behind a curtain during part of the service, a part of the liturgy
the Southwest Florida mission parish has to forego in a borrowed
sanctuary.
Music is an important component of the Armenian Church service, with
its beautifully haunting hymns and responses.
`The music is something you can't replace,' commented Meghreblian,
chairperson of the parish council and a full-time Naples resident.
But it's more than notes and a Mass that brings this congregation together.
`These people miss having other Armenians to associate with,' added
Meghreblian. `There's a bond and it's hard for a non-Armenian to
understand.'
Despite celebrating the mission parish's 10-year anniversary, members
say building a church of their own is a highly unlikely option.
`That's always a dream,' said Pam Torosian, one of the parish
founders. `But clergy is limited, there are no funds and it's not
really a reality right now. Our focus is to provide Badarak services
for residents and visitors.'
For now, parishioners are just pleased to have the opportunity to
celebrate their faith, and pray that their congregation continues to
grow.
`They're wonderful people here,' said the Rev. Abdalian `They've taken
what they've learned in their home parish and brought it here to
satisfy the spiritual needs of the people here.'
For more information about the Armenian Church of Southwest Florida,
call (239) 348-3804 or go to www.ArmenianDiocese.org
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2011/mar/26/mostly-made-seasonal-residents-armenian-church-sou/
From: A. Papazian