PRESS RELEASE
Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
138 East 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
Tel: 212-689-7810
Fax: 212-689-7168
e-mail: info@armenianprelacy.org
Website:
Contact: Iris Papazian
September 15, 2005
CATHOLICOS ARAM I IN GENEVA;
WILL BEGIN VISIT TO NORTH AMERICA
His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, is in
Geneva where he is chairing the meetings of the World Council of Churches’
secretariat, executive committee and several sub-committees. His Holiness is
the Moderator of the Central and Executive Committees of the WCC.
His Holiness will thereafter begin his visit to the Prelacies of North
America. He will visit the Prelacy of Canada from September 29 to October 5;
the Western Prelacy from October 5 to 19; and the Eastern Prelacy from
October 19 to November 1.
The primary purpose of the Catholicos’ visit is to celebrate the 75th
anniversary of the establishment of the Seminary at Antelias. In addition
the communities are celebrating the 10th anniversary of His Holiness’s
election and consecration.
Details about his visit to the Eastern Prelacy are on our web site
(). The site also contains historical information
about the Seminary, as well as messages from His Holiness. New material is
added to the site almost on a daily basis. We recommend that you visit the
site on a regular basis.
MARKING THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNITED NATIONS
In celebration of the 60th anniversary of the United Nations this week,
world leaders have converged in New York to mark the occasion. Leaders of
170 nations are in town, creating colossal traffic problems on the eastside
of Manhattan, where the Prelacy offices are located.
On Monday afternoon, September 12, Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, Prelate,
and V. Rev. Fr. Anoushavan Tanielian, Vicar, attended a prayer service on
the occasion of the UN’s anniversary. The prayer service was hosted by Holy
Trinity Church, across from the United Nations complex. Kofi Annan,
Secretary-General of the United Nations, addressed the gathering, which was
attended by world leaders, ambassadors, and leaders of various religious
communities.
RECEPTION FOR PRIME MINISTER OF ARMENIA
Archbishop Oshagan and V. Rev. Fr. Anoushavan will attend a reception in
honor of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, H. E. Andranik
Margaryan and Mrs. Margaryan, tonight at Kavoukjian Hall in New York City.
The reception is hosted by the Permanent Representative of Armenia to the
United Nations, H.E. Armen Martirosyan.
PRELATE WILL BE IN WORCESTER THIS WEEKEND
Archbishop Oshagan will travel to Worcester, Massachusetts, where he
will join the Holy Trinity parish in celebration of the 25th anniversary of
the consecration of the Church. His Eminence will officiate the Divine
Liturgy, deliver the Sermon and ordain three acolytes. A banquet following
the Liturgy will honor the Godfathers of the Church.
NATIONAL DAY OF REMEMBRANCE
As we told you last week, President Bush has declared tomorrow, Friday,
September 16, as a National Day of Remembrance for the disaster affecting
the Gulf States. Donations are being accepted at the Prelacy for the victims
of hurricane Katrina. Send your donations to the Prelacy, 138 E. 39th
Street, New York, NY 10016. All parishes within the Eastern Prelacy have
made special plate collections for the past two Sundays.
Archbishop Oshagan has asked the parishes of the Eastern Prelacy to open
their doors at 9 a.m. tomorrow for those who wish to offer private prayers
or light a candle.
ARMENIAN INDEPENDENCE DAY
Next Wednesday, September 21, is the 14th anniversary of the current
Republic of Armenia. Let us give thanks for the rebirth of the Armenian
Republic and pray for the future growth and prosperity of the Republic under
wise and visionary leadership. With our prayers let us add our wholehearted
support.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR IN ARMENIA
Dr. Vazken Ghougassian, Executive Director of the Eastern Prelacy, is
leaving for Armenia tonight where he will spend the next ten days conferring
with the Prelacy’s office staff in Armenia, as well visiting the sites of
various charitable projects undertaken by the Prelacy.
RECEIVING CROSSROADS REGULARLY
Some of you have informed us that you do not receive Crossroads on a
regular basis. Crossroads is sent to our email list every Thursday
afternoon. We suggest that you add Crossroads to your address book and/or
mark it as “not spam” so that you receive all future issues.
AUTUMN IN OUR GARDEN
Yes, we are approaching the official beginning of autumn. Our vegetable
garden has experienced the worst planting and growing season in more than
forty years. In the springtime our seedlings endured frost, intense heat,
and violent rains leading into a summer of severe drought. However, the
plants endured, flowered, bore fruit. And then came an assault from the
animal world: groundhogs-a new experience for us. We first noticed that the
herb garden was gone-totally-no sign of anything ever being within those
borders. Then day-by-day everything else-squash, cucumbers, eggplants,
peppers, okra, tomatoes-were attacked and annihilated. We read up on some
natural ways of deterring these critters and found none. One reference
suggested a fence that must start at least three feet underground! Another
had a one-word solution: “Move!”
But we live with hope and we will try again next year. The truth is that
since our childhood we had the presence of vegetable gardens all around us.
Every tiny little patch of land was cultivated by someone. I suppose it goes
back to the “Victory Gardens” so prevalent during the Second World War, when
there were large posters encouraging Americans to grow their own crop of
food. The campaign for victory gardens came to an end with the war when food
rationing was no longer necessary. But for many the habit continued-and
continues-because it is good to be able to eat really fresh food for at
least a few months out of the year. And for some of us gardening-especially
for edible crops-is therapy, exercise, prayer and meditation, all rolled
into one.
FINALLY.
In honor of the 60th anniversary of the United Nations, an institution
that is certainly at the crossroads of its existence with many critics, we
remember the words of Eleanor Roosevelt from a speech defending the UN
delivered on July 23, 1952:
“There have been sacrifices and discouragements, triumphs and set-backs.
The United Nations is attempting to convert this last chance, carrying
mankind’s best hope, into an effective instrument that will enable our
children and our children’s children to maintain peace in their time. The
path upon which we have set our course is not an easy one. The trail is
often difficult to find. We must make our maps as we go along but we travel
in good company with men and women of good-will in the free countries of the
world.
“Without the United Nations our country would walk alone, ruled by fear,
instead of confidence and hope. To weaken or hamstring the United Nations
now, through lack of faith and lack of vision, would be to condemn ourselves
to endless struggle for survival in a jungle world.
“In examining what the UN has done, and what it is striving to do, it
must be remembered that peace, like freedom, is elusive, hard to come by,
harder to keep. It cannot be put into a purse or a hip pocket and buttoned
there to stay. To achieve peace we must recognize the historic truth that we
can no longer live apart from the rest of the world. We must also recognize
the fact that peace, like freedom, is not won once and for all. It is fought
for daily, in many small acts, and is the result of many individual
efforts.”
Calendar of Events
September 18-Banquet to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the consecration
of Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church, Worcester, Massachusetts, and
honor the Church Godfathers. His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan will deliver
the keynote address. For more information, 508-852-2414.
September 25-35th anniversary of St. Gregory Armenian Church of North
Andover, Massachusetts, presided over by His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan.
For more information, 978-685-5038.
September 26-Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church, Worcester,
Massachusetts, will host its second annual golf tournament at the Raceway
Golf Club in Thompson, Connecticut, to benefit the church’s Capital Fund.
For information: 508-872-9629.
October 19-November 1-Visit of His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great
House of Cilicia, to the Eastern Prelacy, commemorating the 75th anniversary
of the establishment of the Cilician Seminary in Antelias, Lebanon.
October 28-29-Mashtots Conference celebrating the 1600th anniversary of the
founding of the Armenian alphabet, at Harvard University. Jointly sponsored
by the Eastern Prelacy and Harvard University Mashtots Chair, Department of
Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations.
November 6-St. Stephen Armenian Apostolic Church of Hartford-New Britain,
Connecticut, will celebrate its 80th anniversary. Archbishop Oshagan
Choloyan will be the keynote speaker. The program will include a slide show
presentation two non-Armenian Peace Corps volunteers who recently returned
from serving in Armenia.
November 11-13-Mini-Datev program for the Midwest parishes.
December 31-New Years Eve dinner-dance, Sts. Vartanantz (NJ) and ARF Dro
Gomideh, Parsippany Hilton. Information: 201-943-2950 or 201-945-0011.
March 5-Sts. Vartanantz (NJ) 2006 membership meeting.
March 17-19, 2006-Sunday School Teachers’ Conference at the Wonderland
Conference and Retreat Center in Sharon, MA.
Parishes of the Eastern Prelacy are invited to send information about their
major events to be included in the calendar. Send to:
info@armenianprelacy.org
Visit our website at