REV. FATHER VARTAN KASSABIAN:
A Remembrance

By order of His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, Prelate of the Armenian Apostolic Church of the Eastern United States, solemn requiem services will be performed on the occasion of the 40th day of the sudden and unexpected passing of Rev. Father Vartan Kassabian. Traditionally, the 40 days following death are considered to be an official period of mourning, which typically ends with a requiem service, a visit to the cemetery and a hokejash or mercy meal. This period offers the family and friends of the deceased the opportunity to remember and mourn privately, quietly while at the same time they are consoled by the presence and support of other family members and close friends.

The past 40 days have served to allow me and my family to remember Der Vartan and be thankful for his presence in our lives. Many people have written about him and commented on his deep devotion to the Armenian Church and nation; his passion for the priesthood to which he was called by God; his ability to put people at their ease and make them feel better; his talent to find humor in any situation and lighten peoples’ moods with laughter and mirth. As a pastor Der Vartan was one of a kind. He always found new and refreshing ways to interact with his flock. His compassion, willingness to help his parishioners and his ability to bond with old and young alike not only made him a VIP (Very Inspirational Priest) but also made his sudden passing all that much more difficult to accept and understand.

I knew Der Vartan, as did many people, when he was still Markar. He would occasionally appear in church on a Sunday morning way back when I had my first parish in Indian Orchard. He would come and serve on the Holy Altar. I remember being at his ordination when his pride at being anointed a priest in the Armenian Church was tempered and balanced by his humility in the face of the awesome responsibilities to which he was being called. I remember that we kept in touch during his tenure in far away Granite City and looked forward to the rare occasions such as the National Representative Assembly and Annual Ghevontiants Clergy Conference when we could spend some quality time together. But it really wasn’t until he was called to become the pastor of St. Gregory’s in North Andover – a forty-minute drive from my church to his – that our friendship began to grow and we became, over the years, more than friends.

The Bible tells us that “...there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.” (Prov. 18:24) Over the past seven years Der Vartan was that friend. He was my confidante, my confessor, my travel agent and companion, my cigar buddy and even one of the “angels” who came to care for me during my hospitalization from September through October. The latter was one of the lowest periods of my life. I had come close to the brink – too close. I know my situation caused him a lot of anguish. My recovery was slow. Several times he came and gave me communion, prayed over me and just sat with me trying to cheer me up, supporting me with his love and concern. As I look back on those days I see his smiling face, a beacon of light in the darkness remembering him as one who could put a smile on my face by just walking into my room.

But of course Der Vartan was much more that what he did. What defined Der Hayr was his deep and abiding faith in Jesus Christ. This was the base upon which everything he did was built: his friendship; his ministry as a priest; his extraordinary talent at making people laugh and most of all his success as a loving husband to his wife Pauline and an extraordinary father and companion to his three children Scott, Susan and Mego. St. Paul wrote: “For to me to live is Christ…” (Phil. 1:21) Der Vartan embraced that concept and it colored everything he did and said and thought and defined him as a true follower of our Lord.

Just last February Der Hayr and I traveled together to Philadelphia, PA. On our return we stopped to get a bite to eat at one of the airport concessions. When we approached the counter the young girl who took our order asked, “Are you two brothers?” Der Vartan and I looked at one another in surprise for a moment then turned back to the girl and simultaneously answered “yes” realizing as we said so that it was true, for not only were we brothers in the priesthood but also by our own choice and volition.

So, while the close of the 40-day period of mourning draws to an end, I suspect it will take a longer time to fill the place in my heart that is now empty because my best friend, my brother, Fr. Vartan Kassabian has gone before me to God’s heavenly divide, where I know he awaits with patience our eventual reunion in glory.

To our sister Pauline and her children, to Roxanne and all of Der Vartan’s and Yn. Pauline’s family members; to His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan, His Grace Bishop Anoushavan and all his clergy brethren; to the members of his flock in North Andover, MA and Granite City, IL; to all his friends and those who looked to him for spiritual inspiration and guidance, fatherly blessings and even humor, Yn. Cheryl and I offer our sincerest sympathies and hope with you all to be consoled by the memories of the great times we shared with Der Vartan.

Brother, may your soul rest in peace and as you lit up our lives, may you live forever in the divine light of our Lord’s eternal presence. May the eternal memory of the righteous be blessed.

Fr. Antranig Baljian