St. Stephen’s Sunday School graduate recognized for 15 years of perfect attendance

WATERTOWN, Mass. — A graduate of St. Stephen’s Armenian Apostolic Church of Greater Boston Sunday School was recently honored for 15 years of perfect Sunday School attendance. Christian Manjikian of Belmont received special recognition from His Eminence Archbishop Anoushavan Tanielian for his perfect attendance record, having attended Sunday School faithfully without missing a week from Nursery 1 through Grade 12, including attending virtual classes during COVID.

“We believe this is a first, certainly in the Eastern Prelacy, and likely beyond,” said Archpriest Fr. Antranig Baljian of St. Stephen’s Armenian Apostolic Church. “We wanted to honor Christian’s remarkable commitment and hold Christian up as a role model to the other children in our parish, so we invited Srpazan Hayr to recognize Christian during our church’s celebratory weekend.”

Manjikian was one of eight graduating Sunday School seniors to receive a Sunday School diploma from Srpazan Hayr. Fellow graduates included Mary Ashbahian, Sarineh Cunningham, Narineh Gevorkian, Katie Najarian, Michael Najarian, Alina Ouligian and Aram Stepanian. “This was a special class of students who formed a tight bond with one another and with their church over their 15 years in Sunday School,” said Sunday School principal Nayiri Baljian Bell, “As Sunday School teachers, it is our privilege to watch our students grow up and go out from here and to pray for them along the entire journey. We wish these remarkable students God’s blessings and guidance as they continue into the next phase of life with the Christian faith and devotion that they have developed.”

At the conclusion of Divine Liturgy on Sunday, May 22, Der Antranig invited Manjikian to step forward to be recognized before a packed church. There was an audible gasp when parishioners learned of Manjikian’s seemingly unprecedented accomplishment. Srpazan Hayr gifted Manjikian an ancient silver coin from the Kingdom of Cilicia minted by King Levon and a special commendation which read: “Excellency Award presented to Christian Manjikian in recognition of his exceptional love and dedication for Sunday School as an exemplary student, attending for 15 years without absence. ‘For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be.’ (Matthew 6:21)” Srpazan Hayr expressed his deep admiration and respect for Manjikian’s unwavering commitment as well as his appreciation to his parents Raffi and Laurie for their support. Srpazan Hayr asked Manjikian to remain standing among the clergy and altar servers as he gave the final blessing and as the crowd joyfully sang “Giligia.”

“My biggest takeaway from Sunday School is the importance of commitment,” said Manjikian. “Not missing a day of Sunday School has shown me that simply saying you enjoy something isn’t enough; showing your dedication through putting in effort is what matters.” Manjikian is a 2022 graduate of Belmont High School and plans to attend UMass Amherst in the fall.

Sunday School classes at St. Stephen’s Armenian Apostolic Church are offered each week from mid-September through mid-May for students from pre-school to high school. “We strive for a program that engages the whole person – the head, hands and hearts of our students through learning, community service and worship,” said Baljian Bell. “We have a warm and nurturing staff who create a fun and comfortable atmosphere for our students. Our curriculum incorporates Christian basics, Bible stories, saints and church history, Armenian hymns and holy days, and other important topics that are foundational for developing Christian faith in the Armenian Apostolic Church. We always welcome new students and, no, we don’t expect everyone to have Christian’s track record of attendance!”

This year marks the 65th anniversary of St. Stephen’s Armenian Apostolic Church. Srpazan Hayr also participated in a spring bike-a-thon fundraiser for Armenia, Artsakh and Lebanon and presided over the ordination of six dedicated servants of the St. Stephen’s Armenian Apostolic Church. Anoushavan Srpazan has plans to visit the Watertown parish again, including a special family Christmas celebration on Sunday, December 18.