During the Requiem service (Hokehankisd) we remember and pray for the souls of our departed loved ones. In Armenian Church tradition we believe that with the Resurrection of Christ the barrier between the living and the dead has been vanished. By His Resurrection, Christ conquered death. The Church of those who have fallen asleep in Christ is as real as of those who live on this earth. This is why our Church teaches us that not only can we pray for those who have departed, but they can also pray for us and intercede on our behalf until the second coming of Christ, when all will stand before the Righteous Judge.
In our Church most common times to request a Hokehankisd are on the 7th and/or 40th (Karasoonk) Day following a death, on the occasion of the 1st year anniversary and all the following anniversaries. It is important to know that the Armenian Church does not have Hokehankisd on the Five Tabernacle Feast days (Christmas - January 6, Easter - between March 22 and April 25, Transfiguration/Vartavar - between June 28 and August 1, Assumption/Asdvadzadzeen - the Sunday nearest August 15, Exaltation of the Holy Cross/Khachverats - the Sunday nearest to September 14). Instead the Mondays following the Feast days is designated specially for the departed souls (Merelotz). On these days, the loved ones and friends of the deceased gather together for a Hokehankisd prayer with the conviction that death is not simply the end, but rather a passing into a new reality, where the immortal soul of man enters into another position, a place where there is no sickness and pain.
During Hokehankisd the faithful participate with the singing of hymns. The Gospel is read for the soul of the departed, and at the end of the service the priest recites the prayer “Christ, Son of God” during which he mentions the name of the departed ones asking from the “forbearing and compassionate” Son of God, to remember and have mercy on them.
Parishioners who wish to request a Requiem in memory of a loved one should download the fillable Requiem Request Form at the link bellow and email the completed form to the church office at office@holy-martyrs.org no later than the Wednesday before the Sunday that the Requiem will take place. Alternativly you can call the church office at 718-225-0235 to place your request.
