On Saturday, October 12, the Tarkmanchats (Saint Translators) Day, was celebrated with Eucharistic Celebrations in the Armenian Apostolic Churches.
The ceremony which took place in Ortakoy Holy Mother of God Armenian Apostolic Church Turkey was led by Armenian Patriarchal Locum Tenens Bishop Sahak Mashalyan. Archpriest Tatul Anusyan offered the Holy Sacrament, while he was assisted by Rev. Harutyun Damatyan.
In the commemoration of the Holy Translators of Armenian Churches Catholicos Sahak Bartev and Reverend Mesrop Mashdots a big group of clergy was present, including Rev. Zadik Babikyan, Rev. Kirkor Damatyan, Rev. Antreas Hagopyan, Rev. Kevork Çınaryan, Rev. Sarkis Kuyumcuyan, Rev. Zakar Koparyan, parish priest of Ortakor Zaven Bıçakçı, board member of Tarkmançats School Foundation Mr. Hayk Aslanyan, board chair Mr. İskender Şahingöz as well as the old and new principals of the school. While the crowded faithful community was present with the students, Psalmist Hagop Çavuşyan and the church choir performed the hymns during the ceremony under the direction of Maestro Rober Doğanay.
For the Armenian people the Feast of the Holy Translators is one of the most favorite and beloved national-ecclesiastical feasts. Qahana.am reports that nearly two hundred disciples of St. Mesrob Mashtots and St. Sahak are known by the general group name “Holy Translators”. The disciples of the above-mentioned group of Holy Translators are known as “Junior Translators”.
Celebrating this feast, the Armenian Apostolic Church pays tribute of respect to the bright memory of St. Mesrob Mashtots, Yeghishe, Moses of Khoronk, philosoppher Davit Anhaght, whose sacred work and mission later has been continued on by St. Gregory of Narek and St. Nerses the Gracious. The word “Translator” means “Interpreter”. Comprehending and precisely understanding the demands of that period, the Holy Translators initiated the sacred work of creating the Armenian alphabet and literature. By the strength of their faith they dispersed the darkness and warmed the human souls. Thanks to the Holy Translators the Holy Bible was translated into Armenian and the Armenian peoples obtained the possibility to read the Holy Book in the native language. By means of their activity the Holy Translators contributed to the spiritual-cultural awakening of Armenia. After the translation of the Holy Bible, many books of Church Father were translated into Armenian, and thanks to this fact many translations, the original copies of which haven’t been preserved, presently exist only in the translated variant and thus the translations have obtained the value of the original.
