St. Thaddeus and St. Bartholomew
come to Armenia!
St. Thaddeus was one of Jesus' twelve
disciples. Inspired by the Holy Spirit soon
after Jesus' death, he spread the good news
of Jesus Christ's teaching and resurrection
in Syria, Iraq and Armenia. The Armenian
Church remembers St. Thaddeus in
February and December.
In Armenia, Thaddeus met with the
Armenian King Abgar, who reigned in the
city of Edessa from 1 B.C. to A.D. 37. King
Abgar had contracted a grave illness during
his travels to the East. Hearing of the
miracles of healing by Jesus of Nazareth, he
wrote a letter to Jerusalem inviting Christ to
Edessa. A delegation headed by the king's
emissary Anan delivered the letter to
St. Bartholomew
Jerusalem, where it was received by the
St. Thaddeus
Apostle Thomas. The delegation may have
with the Gheghard
been among the pagans the Apostle John wrote about in his
account of Christ's entry into Jerusalem: "and there were certain pagans who had
come to Jerusalem to worship him (John 12:20)." King Abgar's letter received its
response after the resurrection and Pentecost with the mission of Thaddeus to
Armenia. The Armenian Church remembers St. Abgar in December.
According to tradition, St. Thaddeus brought to Armenia the spear (Armenian:
geghard) with which the centurion Lucian pierced Christ's side on the cross. It
was kept at Ayrivank (Cave Monastery, present-day Geghard Monastery) in
Armenia. This sacred relic is used once every seven years in the consecration of
Holy Chrism (Muron), which is used for baptismal, ordination and other rites by
Armenian churches around the world.
Thaddeus was a bold missionary, bringing the word into the royal palace of
Armenia's King Sanatruk, baptizing the king's daughter, Sandoukht. The
established government and religious leaders bitterly opposed the threatening
new sect called Christianity, going so far as to imprison the king's daughter. In
prison, Sandoukht refused to renounce Christianity, instead converting the other
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prisoners. Sandoukht became the first Armenian martyr. When her father forced
her to choose between the church and the crown, Sandoukht chose the church,
knowing it would mean her death. After Sandoukht was executed, Thaddeus
continued preaching and around 66 A.D. was martyred. It is said that a nearby
rock opened upon and received the body of the apostle. The tomb is near a place
now called Makou in present-day Iran, where St. Thaddeus Monastery is located.
The Armenian Church remembers St. Sandoukht in February.
St. Bartholomew, also named Nathaniel, was a disciple whom Jesus especially
liked from the first time they met. Although at first doubting whether Jesus was
the long-awaited Messiah, Bartholomew responded to Jesus' invitation to "come
and see," showing his openness to discover the truth without being naive. Seeing
this, Jesus turned to the other followers and proclaimed, "Behold, an Israelite
indeed, in whom there is no guile (John 1:47)!" Bartholomew followed Thaddeus'
mission to Armenia around the time of Santoukht's imprisonment and martyrdom.
He converted King Sanatruk's sister Volouhi. The king in anger ordered the
execution of both his sister and Bartholomew. The Armenian Church remembers
St. Bartholomew in December.
12 Apostles
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Simon, whom He also named Peter,
Andrew, Simon’s brother;
James
John
Philip
Bartholomew
Matthew
Thomas
James the son of Alphaeus,
Simon called the Zealot
Thaddeus, also known as Jude or Judas the son of James
Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor
http://www.psalmtours.com/news/?p=view&news=72
http://www.geocities.com/paris/leftbank/6507/chronicle702.html
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Activity 1:
Put on a play telling the story of Thaddeus and Bartholomew coming to Armenia
http://www.psalmtours.com/news/?p=view&news=72
http://books.google.com/books?id=Zlne965didwC&pg=PA193&lpg=PA193&dq=thaddeus+sandoukht&source=
web&ots=BKdz2oP__S&sig=jpxTgCqS1SxFFiMaRHAES2TKIl8&hl=en#PPA195,M1
Name Tags
St. Thaddeus
St. Bartholomew
(Jude)
(Nathaniel)
King Abgar
King Sanatruk
(sick, writes letter to Jesus)
Princess
Sandoukht
(Sanatruk’s daughter)
Volouhi
(Sanatruk’s sister)
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Actors
Narrator
St. Thaddeus
St. Bartholomew
King Abgar
King Sanatruk
Princess Sandoukht (Sanatruk’s daughter)
Volouhi (Sanatruk’s sister)
1. Narrator
2. King Abgar
3. Narrator
4. St. Thaddeus
5. St. Thaddeus
6. King Abgar
7. St. Thaddeus
8. King Abgar
9. Narrator
At the time Jesus came to Jerusalem, around Palm
Sunday, King Abgar wrote a letter to Jesus asking him to
visit Armenia because he was very sick and wanted to be
cured.
I am king Abgar and I am very sick (cough, cough)
I think I will write a letter to Jesus, I heard he has magical
healing powers…”Dear Jesus, I have heard that you have
magic healing powers and that you have made the blind to
see and the deaf to hear and the crippled to walk, please
visit me in Armenia and make me better. I believe in you
and will let you live in peace here in my beautiful city of
Urfa.”
Jesus and the Apostles received the letter but were very
busy in Jerusalem and didn’t go to Armenia. After Jesus
died and was resurrected, the Apostles decided that
Thaddeus should go to Armenia.
I am Thaddeus, I’m all packed and ready to go Armenia.
I’ll write you a letter if I need help.
Hello King Abgar, I am Thaddeus. I bring the word of the
Lord. I can heal you.
Hello Thaddeus, I believe in you and Jesus, Wow, I’m not
sick anymore. Thanks!!!
King Abgar, is there anyone else I can visit in the area to
tell them about Jesus?
Yes, I know someone you can visit. You can go to King
Sanatruk’s palace in Ormi, he has a daughter named
Sandoukht. You should tell them about God and Jesus
because they don’t believe, good luck.
Thaddeus travels to Ormi and visits the King and his
daughter.
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10. St. Thaddeus
11. King Sanatruk
12. St. Thaddeus
13. King Sanatruk
14. Sandoukht
15. St. Thaddeus
16. Narrator
17. King Sanatruk
18. Sandoukht
19. King Sanatruk
20. Sandoukht
21. Narrator
22. Narrator
23. St. Bartholomew
24. Narrator
25. Volouhi
26. St. Bartholomew
27. Volouhi
28. King Sanatruk
29. Narrator
30. Narrator
31. Narrator
Hello King Sanatruk, I am Thaddeus, Peace be with you, I
bring the word of the Lord. He did great things and I want
to tell you about him.
I am King Sanatruk and I don’t believe in Jesus, please
leave
But I want to tell you how Jesus said we should love and
be kind to each other
I said I don’t believe in Jesus, please leave
hi, my name is Princess Sandoukht. I’d like to learn about
Jesus
Great I’ll teach you
Some time later King Sanatruk found out that Sandoukht
became a Christian.
Princess, I want you to stop being a Christian
No
I order you to stop being a Christian
I won’t stop being a Christian
King Sanatruk made a new law that said anyone who is a
Christian must be put to death, and so St. Thaddeus and
Sandoukht were killed.
But before he was killed, Thaddeus wrote a letter to his
friend Bartholomew.
I am Bartholomew, I just got this letter from friend
Thaddeus. I think I should go and help him. I hope I get
there before it is too late.
Bartholomew came to visit King Sanatruk’s palace but he
got there after Thaddeus died. While there Bartholomew
secretly converted Volouhi, the king’s sister to Christianity.
I am Volouhi, the king’s sister and I love being a Christian!
I want to tell everyone about it!
Great, maybe we can convince your brother, King
Sanatruk to change the law about killing Christian’s.
Brother, I want you to change this law.
I won’t do it!!
Bartholomew and Volouhi were both put to death.
Year’s later, beautiful churches were built to remember St.
Thaddeus, St. Bartholomew, Princess Sandoukht and
Volouhi the King’s sister. And because of the work that St.
Thaddeus and St. Bartholomew did, Armenia became the
first Christian nation in the world in the year 301.
No one knows what happened to Sanatruk.
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Activity 2:
Make a Welcome to Armenia Sign for St. Thaddeus and St. Bartholomew
Images to include about Armenia:
 Mt Ararat
 Mt Masis
 Trees
 Armenian people
 Armenian foods
Images to include about the Jesus and the Apostles:
 Hayr Mer
 Picture of Jesus
 Picture of Thaddeus
 Picture of Bartholomew
 Chalice
 Bible
 Cross

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7
8
9
Hayr Mer
vor hergeens yes
Soorp yeghitsee anoon ko
Yegetse arkayutyoon ko
Yeghitseen gamk ko
Vorbes hergeens yev hergree
Zhats mer hanabazort, door mez aysor
Yev togh mez uzbardees mer
Vorbes yev mek
toghoomk merots
bardabanats
Yev mee daneer
uzmez ee portsootyoon
Ayl purgya uzmez ee chare
Zee ko e arkayootyoon
yev zorootyoon
yev park haveedyans
Amen
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Thaddeus continued preaching and around 66 A.D. was martyred. It is said that a
nearby rock opened upon and received the body of the apostle. The tomb is near a
place now called Makou in present-day Iran, where St. Thaddeus Monastery is
located.
http://www.allaroundpersia.com/Images/g11b.gif
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Hayr Mer
vor hergeens yes
Soorp yeghitsee anoon ko
Yegetse arkayutyoon ko
Yeghitseen gamk ko
Vorbes hergeens yev hergree
Zhats mer hanabazort, door mez
aysor
Yev togh mez uzbardees mer
Vorbes yev mek toghoomk
merots bardabanats
Yev mee daneer
uzmez ee portsootyoon
Ayl purgya uzmez ee chare
Zee ko e arkayootyoon
yev zorootyoon
yev park haveedyans
Amen
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Hayr Mer
vor hergeens yes
Soorp yeghitsee anoon ko
Yegetse arkayutyoon ko
Yeghitseen gamk ko
Vorbes hergeens yev hergree
Zhats mer hanabazort, door mez
aysor
Yev togh mez uzbardees mer
Vorbes yev mek toghoomk
merots bardabanats
Yev mee daneer
uzmez ee portsootyoon
Ayl purgya uzmez ee chare
Zee ko e arkayootyoon
yev zorootyoon
yev park haveedyans
Amen
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