This Sunday, August 2A guest priest visiting from the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Armenia joins us for the Holy Badarak at 2:00 PM. All are welcome.
Holy Badarak · Every Other Sunday · 2:00 PM
Plan Your VisitWe are the Armenian Apostolic parish that High Desert families rely on for the Holy Badarak, feast-day traditions, and a warm community table. From our first gatherings to the parish family we are today, this church has been a home for worship, culture, and fellowship.
Whether you were baptized in the Armenian Church or are visiting for the first time, there is a place for you here. Come for the Divine Liturgy, stay for the coffee and conversation.
The khachkar, the carved cross-stone, is the signature of Armenian faith: a blossoming cross woven with patterns of eternity, cut by hand into living rock. For over seventeen centuries, since Armenia became the first Christian nation in 301 AD, these stones have marked the places where faith took root.
Our parish carries that same tradition to the High Desert: ancient in worship, enduring in spirit, and open to every generation that comes after us.
If the khachkar is faith carved in stone, the Holy Muron is faith poured as oil. Muron is the sacred chrism of the Armenian Church, a blend of olive oil, balsam, and forty-eight flowers and herbs, consecrated only by the Catholicos of All Armenians at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, once every seven years.
At each blessing the oil is stirred with three relics of our Church: a fragment of the True Cross, the Holy Lance that pierced the side of Christ, and the right hand of St. Gregory the Illuminator, who baptized the Armenian nation in 301 AD. Into every new batch a measure of the old Muron is poured, an unbroken chain of blessing reaching back seventeen centuries.
This is the oil that anoints every Armenian at baptism, every priest at ordination, and every altar and khachkar we raise. When a child of this parish is chrismated, they are sealed with the same holy oil that has consecrated our people since the beginning.
Through every Holy Badarak, a cloud of fragrant incense rises through the church. The Armenian Church calls the censer the bourvar, the "aroma-burning" vessel, and its rising smoke carries an ancient prayer: "Let my prayer be counted as incense before You" (Psalm 141).
Every part of the censer teaches. Its three chains are the Holy Trinity, joined at the top as one God. The twelve small bells that ring as it swings are the twelve Apostles, still preaching Christ. The vessel is humanity, and the glowing coal within is the prayer of the faithful, carried up to God.
With it the priest censes the altar, the Gospel, the holy gifts, and the people themselves, sanctifying all and filling the church with the fragrance of heaven. When the incense reaches your pew, you are being blessed, and your own prayers join the rising cloud.
Father Vatche leads our parish in worship and pastoral care, celebrating the Divine Liturgy and walking alongside families in every season of life.
Placeholder biography. The parish will provide the full biography, including ordination history, education, and ministry milestones.
Deacon Andre serves at the altar during the Holy Badarak and supports the liturgical life of the parish with dedication and joy.
Placeholder biography. The parish will provide the full biography, including ordination history, education, and ministry milestones.
Deacon Anthony serves the parish at the altar and in the community, helping carry the life of the church between Sundays.
Placeholder biography. The parish will provide the full biography, including ordination history, education, and ministry milestones.
Faith, family, and the fruits of the harvest.
Join us each August for the traditional Blessing of the Grapes.
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| Holy Badarak | Every other Sunday, 2:00 PM, followed by lunch |
|---|---|
| Location | 11305 Hesperia Rd, Hesperia, CA 92345 |
| Serving | Hesperia, Victorville, Apple Valley, and the High Desert |
| Diocese | Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America |
| Language | Classical Armenian liturgy; English speakers welcome |
| Contact | (833) 844-8886 · [email protected] |
Holy Badarak (Divine Liturgy) is celebrated every other Sunday at 2:00 PM, followed by lunch and fellowship. Feast days such as the Blessing of the Grapes and the Exaltation of the Holy Cross are also celebrated; see the events calendar for exact dates.
We worship at 11305 Hesperia Rd, Hesperia, CA 92345. The parish serves Armenian families across the High Desert, including Hesperia, Victorville, and Apple Valley.
Not at all. The Badarak is served in classical Armenian, but visitors of every background are welcome, and many parishioners are happy to help you follow along. Come as you are.
Arrive a few minutes before 2:00 PM, take a seat anywhere, and stay for lunch afterward. The Divine Liturgy lasts about two hours, with incense, chanting, and Holy Communion in the ancient Armenian tradition.
Use the Add Event button in the Events Calendar section. Submissions are reviewed by the church office before they appear publicly.
Call (833) 844-8886 or email [email protected].
