July 19, 2006
PRESS RELEASE
Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate
6252 Honolulu Avenue
La Crescenta, CA 91214
Tel: (818) 248-7737
Fax: (818) 248-7745
E-mail: prelacy@aol.com
Website:
YOUTH GATHERING IN SAN FRANCISCO FOR THE
PRELACY RELIGIOUS EDUCATIONAL LECTURE SERIES
On July 8, 2006 a delegation of youth from the Western Prelacy Armenian
Church Youth Association left for St. Gregory Armenian Apostolic
Church in San Francisco. The mission of the delegation was to mark
the establishment of a new ACYA chapter in San Francisco.
The three-day visit with local clergy and leaders from the community
proved to be a major success and triumph for the ACYA.
The delegation consisted of Very Rev. Fr. Muron Aznikian, Co-Director
of Christian Education, ACYA Central Board Chair Greg Martayan,
ACYA Central Board Secretary Ani Daglian, and several members from
various ACYA chapters.
On the evening of Saturday, July 8th, the delegation met with Rev.
Avedis Torosian and members of the St. Gregory Board of Trustees at
KZV Armenian School. The focus of the meeting was to create a one-year
plan for the local ACYA.
After the meeting came to a close, the delegation was invited for
a reception at the home of Prelacy Executive Council member Garbis
Bezdjian. The reception gave members of the delegation a better
understanding and a more complete picture of the issues affecting
the Armenian community in San Francisco and its needs.
On Sunday, July 9th, Very Rev. Fr. Muron Aznikian conducted Holy
Mass at St. Gregory Church and delivered the sermon. Immediately
following Mass, the Central Board of the ACYA had organized a
religious educational lecture at the church, held under the auspices
of H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate. Participating
in the event were local leaders from various Armenian community
organizations, such as Homentmen, and youth from distances as far as
ninety miles away.
The gathering began with the opening prayer by Rev. Avedis Torosian
and introduction of the members of the delegation, after which he
invited Greg Martayan to deliver a message from the ACYA Central
Board. "On behalf of the ACYA Central Board, I would like to welcome
you all to this joyous event. It is with a great vision that I have
come here today…a vision that the San Francisco ACYA will grow in
its ranks by the hundreds within this year."
Prior to discussing the topic of the day, Shant Kendirian, a youth
leader from Holy Cross Cathedral in Montebello, participated in the
gathering by presenting his book, "A Thousand and One Nights in the
Iraqi Army", about his experiences as an American soldier in Iraq.
Following Mr. Kendirian’s presentation, Rev. Torosian invited Very
Rev. Fr. Muron Aznikian to address the audience. He turned the
gathering into a roundtable discussion, within which he opened the
floor to questions from the youth present. "The time with Very Rev.
Aznikian was the highlight of the event", stated a local youth
leader. Questions such as "everlasting life" and "church involvement"
played a prominent role in the discussion. Very Rev.
Fr. Aznikian also addressed the importance of listening to parents
and elders. He stated, "it is through the acquired wisdom from your
parents that a good future can be made and sustained." He continued
"when you are confused and when things don’t make sense, seek the
guidance of someone who has already been through such tribulations."
At the end of the discussion, he closed the meeting with a prayer and
blessing of the day’s luncheon. During the reception that followed,
the youth took the opportunity to socialize and discuss issues of
concern. Subsequently, the delegation returned to Los Angeles pleased
with the outcome of the trip and hopeful that a solid foundation was
set on which the San Francisco ACYA will be built and thrive.
For information regarding the ACYA please call the ACYA Central Office
at (818) 981-6159 or your local parish.