PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Chris Zakian
Tel: (212) 686-0710; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: prl@armeniandiocese.org
Website:

September 28, 2004
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JOINT COMMISSION OF EASTERN & ORIENTAL ORTHODOX CHURCHES ANNOUNCES 4TH
ANNUAL UNITED NATIONS PRAYER SERVICE

Public Invited to Gathering of UN Officials, Orthodox & Oriental
Orthodox Churches, at NYC’s St. Vartan Cathedral

NEW YORK, NY (SCOBA/SCOOCH)–The Joint Commission of the Standing
Conference of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA) and
the Standing Conference of Oriental Orthodox Churches in America
(SCOOCH) is pleased to announce that the 4th annual “Orthodox Prayer
Service and Reception for the United Nations Community” will take place
on the evening of Tuesday, October 12, 2004, at St. Vartan Armenian
Cathedral, 630 Second Avenue (corner of 34th Street), New York City.
The event will begin at 6:30 p.m.

This year’s prayer service will be conducted according to the tradition
of the Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch, and will be dedicated to
overcoming violence in the world–a theme suggested by the World Council
of Churches’ “Decade to Overcome Violence.”

Distinguished speakers for this year’s service will be Mr. Kahn Chitaia,
Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Georgia to the United
Nations; and His Excellency Ambassador Teruneh Zenna, Deputy Permanent
Representative of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to the
United Nations.

Delivering the homily will be His Eminence Metropolitan Mor Cyril Aphrem
Karim, Archbishop of the Syrian Orthodox Archdiocese for the Eastern
United States–prelate of the church which will host the event at the
Armenian Cathedral of St. Vartan.

The Orthodox Prayer Service for the UN Community was inaugurated in
2000, as a way to establish an Orthodox presence for the cause of world
peace and understanding, and to enable Orthodox Christians to share in
their common religious and cultural heritage. Last year’s
service–hosted by His Beatitude Metropolitan Herman of the Orthodox
Church in America, at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Cathedral
in New York City–drew over 300 participants, including dignitaries of
the local Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches, and UN ambassadors
representing nations with significant Orthodox populations.

Members of the metropolitan New York area Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox
communities–and the public in general–are encouraged to come together
once again for this annual prayer service. For more information, kindly
contact the Archdiocese of the Syrian Orthodox Church for the Eastern
United States, at (201) 801 0660.

–9/28/04

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