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About
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Mission
To make Christ's presence known in Austin through prayer, worship and community according to the rich faith and traditions of the orthodox faith of t Armenian Church.
To celebrate and enjoy the culture, language & traditions of the Armenian people as one loving and unified community.
To contribute to the betterment of our community, the Armenian homeland, and the world through charitable works, and by working together for justice and peace.
To celebrate and enjoy the culture, language & traditions of the Armenian people as one loving and unified community.
To contribute to the betterment of our community, the Armenian homeland, and the world through charitable works, and by working together for justice and peace.
VISION
It is our dream to have a building of our own, one that can double as a community space for worship, socializing, and cultural events alike. A church can look like many different things in the very beginning—a leased house, a space in an office building, a suite in a strip mall, or a piece of property of our very own. Our goal is to start small and grow. We are currently in the research stage, exploring all possibilities to decide what is best for our growing community. We welcome all new ideas, excited voices, and helping hands.
If you would like to give toward our goal, please visit our donate page. We especially welcome and encourage active participation in all our events. Attendance numbers matter in working toward a new church, so please show your support by joining us. Your presence alone is deeply appreciated.
If you would like to give toward our goal, please visit our donate page. We especially welcome and encourage active participation in all our events. Attendance numbers matter in working toward a new church, so please show your support by joining us. Your presence alone is deeply appreciated.
WORSHIP
We thank our friends at St. Elias Orthodox Church for the use of their beautiful sanctuary for our worship services.*
We hold worship services several times a year depending on the availability of clergy to visit. Our visiting pastor is The Reverend Fr. Yeprem Kelegian, who resides in Racine, Wisconsin. We are grateful for his presence and spiritual leadership in our community.
Our Divine Liturgies are typically followed by a fellowship hour with coffee, snacks, or dinners and occasionally a cultural program. These are usually on, or close to major feast days of the Armenian Church, including Christmas, Easter, Assumption, and the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
Our place of worship is currently. St. Elias Orthodox Church, located downtown at 408 E. 11th Street
*See the "Vision" section below where we share our vision of having a community center of our own.
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PASTOR
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Fr. Yeprem Kelegian, our visiting pastor, has served the Armenian Church as a priest since his ordination to the priesthood in 1977. From 1993 to 2016, Der Yeprem served as pastor of St. Mesrob Armenian Church in Racine, Wisconsin. In addition to serving as the visiting pastor here in Austin, Der Hayr also volunteers at St. Nersess Seminary with FAR, the Racine Interfaith Coalition, and the Wisconsin Council of Churches. As a member of Habitat for Humanity-Racine, he also serves on its board. Der Hayr and his wife Judy deliver Meals on Wheels every week.
If that is not enough, Der Yeprem also wrote a book of reflections. The book's title is "Reaching Out to Others, Lenten Messages," published by Old Homestead Press. In the book, Der Yeprem gives us a glimpse of his personal Lenten prayer life in this collection of reflections. While reading, we move with him through the season of preparation, being reminded of how God spent generations preparing the world for Christ and how we can spend this time preparing ourselves. The 48 meditations center around the idea that Lent is a joyous time, not a dark penitential period. Each day of Lent has a one-page meditation/message. Visit Fr. Yeprem's YouTube channel here. Having Der Yeprem as our visiting pastor is truly a blessing for our small community. |
COMMUNICATION
Most of our communication within the community is through email and our Facebook group, Austin Hye Armenians. We also circulate a monthly newsletter via email about upcoming worship, cultural, and social events. Please visit our contact page and fill out our brief form to receive all email notifications.