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
MARCH 30, 2006
ARCHBISHOP OSHAGAN ATTENDS
MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CEREMONY
On Monday (March 27) His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan attended the
ceremony of the signing of a five-year, $235.65 million Compact between the
Millennium Challenge Corporation and the Republic of Armenia.
The Millennium Challenge Corporation was established in 2004 following
President Bush’s call for a “new compact for global development.” With
funds provided by Congress, the Corporation provides aid to those countries
that “rule justly, invest in their people, and encourage economic
freedom.”
Attending and addressing the gathering were Ambassador John J.
Danilovich, Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium Challenge Corporation
(MCC) and Condoleeza Rice, Secretary of State and chair of the MCC Board.
The Compact was signed by Ambassador Danilovich and His Excellency Vardan
Khachatryan, Minister of Finance and Economy of the Republic of Armenia.
Also attending were Ambassador John Evans, U.S. Ambassador to the
Republic of Armenia; His Excellency Tatoul Markarian, Ambassador to the
United States from the Republic of Armenia; His Excellency Vardan Oskanian,
Foreign Minister of the Republic of Armenia; Mr. Vahran Nercissiantz,
Economic Advisor to the President of Armenia; and Mr. Kenneth Hackett, MCC
Board member.
The main goal of the Compact-a five-year program-is to reduce rural
poverty in Armenia. About 750,000 people, or 75% of the rural population,
are expected to benefit from the economic advances achieved through the
Compact.
“GENOCIDE THEN AND NOW” AT UNITED NATIONS
Archbishop Oshagan and V. Rev. Fr. Anoushavan Tanielian attended a forum,
“Genocide Then and Now: Lessons Learned for the 21st Century,” at the
United Nations this afternoon, Thursday, March 30. Speakers included:
Ibrahim Gambari, Under Secretary General, Special Advisor on Africa at the
UN; Vahakn Dadrian, Director of Genocide Research, Zoryan Institute; and
Juan Mendez, Special Advisor to the UN Secretary-General on the Prevention
of Genocide. Ms. Andrea Kanapell, Assistant Foreign Editor of the New York
Times, moderated the discussion. The forum discussed the first and last
genocides of the 20th century with respect to lessons learned for the 21st
century and for United Nations reforms.
PRELATE AND VICAR VISIT THE ELDERLY
Yesterday morning, Wednesday, March 29, Archbishop Oshagan and V. Rev.
Fr. Anoushavan, paid a visit to the Old Age Home in Flushing, New York,
where they conducted a Lenten Arevakal (Sunrise) service for the residents,
followed by personal visits.
In the afternoon the Prelate and the Vicar went to St. Sarkis Church in
Douglaston, New York, where they shared lunch and fellowship with the
church’s seniors group.
VICAR TO ATTEND PREVIEW OF PBS DOCUMENTARY
V. Rev. Fr. Anoushavan Tanielian, Vicar General, will attend a preview of
the PBS documentary on the Armenian Genocide, produced by Andrew Goldberg,
on Monday, April 3. The documentary (without the controversial panel
discussion) is scheduled to be shown on the PBS station in the New York area
(channel 13) on Monday, April 17, at 10 pm. Contact your local PBS station
for scheduled viewings in your area.
PRELATE WILL ATTEND SERVICES AT ST. ILLUMINATOR CATHEDRAL
Archbishop Oshagan will attend and preside over the Divine Liturgy at St.
Illuminator’s Cathedral, 221 East 27th Street, New York City, this Sunday,
April 2.
LENTEN SERIES CONCLUDES NEXT WEEK
The final Lenten meditation will take place next Wednesday, April 5. V.
Rev. Fr. Daniel Garabedian will conclude this year’s Lenten series on the
popular prayer by St. Nerses Shnorhali, “In Faith I Confess” (Havadov
Khosdovanim), focusing on the final three stanzas (22 to 24) of the prayer.
The Lenten programs take place Wednesdays during Lent at St.
Illuminator’s Cathedral, 221 East 27th Street, New York City. Husgoom
Service begins at 7:30 pm, followed by a short mediation at 8 pm. The
evening concludes with a light Lenten dinner and fellowship. The annual
Lenten program is sponsored by the Armenian Religious Education Council
(AREC) and the Prelacy Ladies Guild.
BIBLE STUDY CONTINUES AT PRELACY
The 8-session Bible study, based on the Book of Revelation, continues at
the Prelacy, 138 E. 39th Street, New York City, this Monday, April 3.
Sponsored by the Armenian Religious Education Council (AREC), the classes
are conducted by Dn. Shant Kazanjian, executive director of AREC. The
sessions take place on the first and third Mondays. For information,
arec@armenianprelacy.org or 212-689-7810.
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON
CULTURE OF CILICIAN ARMENIA
An International Conference on the “Culture of Cilician Armenia” will
take place next year through the initiative and patronage of His Holiness
Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, in cooperation with the
Mashtots Matenadaran of Yerevan.
The conference is scheduled to take place January 18 to 20, 2007, in
Antelias, Lebanon. The conference will cover many aspects of Cilician
Armenia including history, education, law, art, economics, and ethnography.
For more information visit the following two web sites:
and
ARMENIAN FESTIVAL AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
The Armenian Club at Columbia University is hosting an outdoor Armenian
Festival this Sunday, April 2, 1 to 5 pm. The Festival which will feature
food and entertainment will take place on the campus at Low Plaza, 116th
Street and Broadway, New York City. Admission is free.
ST. GREGORY THE ILLUMINATOR COMMITMENT TO THE PIT
This Saturday, April 1, the Armenian Church commemorates one of three
days in the Armenian liturgical calendar in memory of St. Gregory the
Illuminator, the founder of the Armenian Church. The three days are:
Entrance into the Pit; Emergence from the Pit, and Discovery of his remains.
This Saturday is the commemoration of his commitment to the pit, or deep
dungeon (Khor Virap).
Gregory stood steadfast to his faith and refused to renounce Christ. He
endured many tortures and his final punishment was banishment into a deep
pit (Khor Virap), where he remained for 14 years. Miraculously he survived
the ordeal, thanks in large part to a woman (whose identity is not known)
who secretly lowered food into the pit.
Khor Virap is now a popular pilgrimage site. The church of St.
Asdvatsatsin built on the site dates to the 17th century. The area is one of
the most beautiful in Armenia.
SUNDAY OF ADVENT
This Sunday, April 2, is the Sunday of the Advent (Galstyan Kiraki), the
last Sunday of Lent. On Advent Sunday we are asked to ponder on the mystery
of the first coming of Christ and especially His second coming, which is
mentioned in the prayers read this Sunday. Christ came to the world for the
salvation of humankind. He will come again for the judgment of sinners, and
when the righteous will become worthy of entering the Kingdom of God.
Advent Sunday has its own special hymn, which proclaims that the apostles
knew the mystery of the advent of Christ. The story of the expulsion from
paradise is repeated and an appeal is made to Christ to ask the Heavenly
Father to establish peace on earth.
SPRING FORWARD….
Yes, it is that time of the year again. Daylight Saving Time (DST) begins
2 a.m. Sunday, April 2. So, turn your clocks one hour ahead. The main
purpose of DST is to make better use of daylight. Supposedly it also saves
energy. Arizona (with the exception of the Navajo Nation) and Hawaii and the
territories of Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa are the
only places in the United States that do not observe DST but instead stay on
“standard time” all year long. Perhaps those areas just don’t need
another hour of sunlight!
For the past twenty years the dates of clock changes have been the first
Sunday in April and the last Sunday in October. This will change in 2007 to
the second Sunday in March and the first Sunday in November, thus adding
about a month to daylight saving time.
Don’t forget to set your clocks one hour ahead this Sunday.
WINTER PLANNING TURNS INTO SPRING PLANTING
Winter in the garden is a great time. While the snow covers the ground
and sub-freezing temperatures harden the soil, a diehard gardener’s mind
turns to catalogs and paper grids marking all the hoped for crops with the
coming of spring. Like most things, it looks so easy on paper. Then the
reality of spring brings expectations down a notch or two once you are
outdoors tools in hand. But still, those winter dreams are so vital to the
overall success of a garden and to the human spirit. My father used to live
from planting season to planting season. The winter months were filled with
anticipation, as he instructed my sisters to order this and that from the
various catalogs he loved to peruse until his eyesight gave way. The year he
stopped talking about the approaching spring and the planting that needed to
be done, I knew he would not see another spring. He died in early March of
2001, at age 96, and that year for the first time in memory his abundant
garden remained unplanted and dormant.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
April 2-Annual Ladies Guild Lenten Luncheon, Soorp Asdvadzadzin Church,
Whitinsville, Massachusetts. Immediately following church services.
April 2-Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church, 635 Grove Street,
Worcester, Massachusetts, traditional Lenten Dinner in Danielian Hall
immediately following church services. For additional information,
508-852-2414.
April 8-Ladies Guild Annual Bake Sale, 10 a.m., Soorp Asdvadzadzin Church,
Whitinsville, Massachusetts.
April 17-“The Armenian Genocide,” a new documentary will be shown on most
PBS stations. Please check your local listings.
April 23-Commemoration of the 91st Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide at
Times Square-the crossroads of the world. Organized by the Mid-Atlantic
Knights and Daughters of Vartan, co-sponsored by ArmenPac and with
participation of area Armenian organizations. Featuring Prof. Israel W.
Charny, Andrew Goldberg, Edward Korkoian, Asien Surmeian, Annie Totah, Aram
Hamparian, Curtis Sliwa, and more. More details to follow.
April 29-Presentation by comedian Vahe Berberian at St. Sarkis Church,
Douglaston, New York. For details 718-224-2275.
May 5-Reunion of all students beginning from the 1930s who attended St.
Illuminator Armenian School in New York. Dinner Dance at Terrace on the
Park, Corona, NY. For reservations or information contact the St.
Illuminator’s Day School, 718-478-4073.
May 7-Mothers’ Day celebration at St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston, New York.
May 8-Mothers’ Day Luncheon by Prelacy Ladies Guild, St. Regis, New York
City.
May 12-Exhibition of the works of artist Emma Gregoryan at the Prelacy, 138
E. 39th Street, New York City.
May 13-Dinner-Dance organized by the St. Sarkis Church Ping-Pong Club. For
details 718-224-2275.
May 17-19-National Representative Assembly (NRA), hosted by Sts. Vartanantz
Church, Ridgefield, New Jersey.
May 16 and 17-Conference of Yeretzgeens in conjunction with the National
Representative Assembly, hosted by Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield, New
Jersey.
May 20-Saturday School year end Hantes, St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston, New
York.
May 21-Sunday School year end Hantes, St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston, New
York.
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