ARMENIAN HERITAGE CELEBRATED
By Robert Cristo, The Record
Troy Record, NY
Aug 6 2007
TROY – For Sunday gatherers at the Holy Cross Armenian Apostolic
Church’s annual picnic, it was all about the shish kebab, ethnic music,
faith in God and taking pride in the positive political steps forward
Armenia has taken in recent years.
Nearly 350 people spent a sunny afternoon at the small church on Spring
Avenue, enjoying memories of the past and hopes for the future mixed
in with a little dolma (stuffed peppers), baklava (a sweet dessert),
music and blessings.
"This is our biggest event and fund-raiser. … It’s a religious
event, but people also like to come for the Armenian foods, pastries
and music," said Greg Karian, the church’s chair of the trustees.
Every year, the picnic raises about $7,000 for a church that currently
has a congregation of about 100 families of mostly Armenian backgrounds
that look to keep not only their religious faith alive but also their
connection to the culture and customs of their homeland.
There are currently three Armenian churches in the Capital District,
two in Troy and one in Watervliet, and a small population of a little
less than 2,000 Armenians living in the region, according to Karian.
"We get together to continue our traditions, speak Armenian, eat
traditional foods, have dances… It’s very important to keep that
alive," said Karian. "If we didn’t have the three churches, we would
lose a lot of the customs of our culture and church.
After a morning service, most of the afternoon was spent eating,
chatting and dancing, but things got serious around 3 p.m. when
parishioners assembled for The Blessing of the Grapes.
It is a more than 2,000-year-old sacramental ceremony in which
parishioners ask the Holy Spirit to make the grapes holy, and for
those who eat them in faith to receive physical healing and spiritual
nourishment.
"It’s the blood of Jesus," said John Sarkissia, a longtime parishioner
from Guilderland. "It gives up spiritual enlightenment.
… It makes us more a part of God."
Besides the religious overtones, many who gather also come to discuss
what currently is happening in Armenia.
"People are very poor and life is difficult, but I went there for the
first time last year and was pleasantly surprised to see Armenians
getting by pretty well with so little," said Karian. "They are a very
proud people, but they still need a lot of assistance getting back
on their feet.
Armenians have a long painful history of oppression that includes the
Armenian genocide perpetrated by the Turkish that ended in the early
20th century with the massacre of more than 1.5 million Armenians
and years of tyrannical rule under the Soviet Union.
"We were massacred and oppressed for a long time, but out of all
the Russian satellite states Armenians are dong the best today,"
said Karian. "Armenia was accepted into the United Nations and the
first Democratic nation of the Baltic states."
Karian and others say just knowing their Amenian brothers and sisters
overseas were doing them proud makes them want to celebrate their
rich history even more.
"It’s very significant for me and my family to be involved," said
Lusine Karageozian. "To get together with all Armenian people is
wonderful, and that’s what it’s all about."