Training for the Soul and Body

The St. Nersess Seminarians are getting stronger not only spiritually, but now also physically. Thanks to seminary benefactor Dean Shahinian, Esq., a new initiative is in place to fund a personal trainer to come to the seminary every other Saturday. Anastasia Bohajian, a certified personal trainer, creates a workout schedule for each willing participant to follow between sessions. She is the daughter of Fr. Diran Bohajian, a seminary graduate and pastor of St. Leon Armenian Church in Fair Lawn, NJ, and Yn. Kismet Bohajian.

Anastasia meets the seminarians in the basement of Mangassarian Single Student Residence, where there is a full gym with equipment donated by Ms. Marilyn Keosayian of St. Gregory the Enlightener Armenian Church in White Plains, NY. Additional weights and workout equipment have been donated by David Aykanian, an Armenian Church of the Holy Translators parishioner and President of Precision Fitness Equipment of Framingham, MA, and Mr. Robert Adriano, formerly of Greenwich, CT and now Orlando, FL. 

“I donated to provide personal training for any interested students, faculty and staff because exercising can give people more strength, stamina and alertness,” shared Dean Shahinian. “A trainer can encourage one to exercise more frequently, thoughtfully and effectively. Training at the seminary would be convenient for community members and recognize that God sees significance in the body — the ‘temple of the Holy Spirit,’” he concluded.