Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue
New York, NY 10016
(212) 686-0710

Prayer of the Week
Remind me, Lord that I am the light of the world. That a city set on a
hill cannot be hidden. A lamp is not lit and then put under a
basket. No, it is set on a stand where it gives light to all the
house. In the same way, let my light shine before all people so that
they may see goodness in what I do and give praise to you, my heavenly
Father.
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BLESSING OF THE HOLY MURON HELD AT HOLY ETCHMIADZIN
His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All
Armenians, presided over the Blessing of the Holy Muron (Chrism) at
the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin on Sunday, September 28. The Holy
Muron is blessed by the Catholicos of All Armenians once every seven
years in a tradition that dates back to the Apostles of Christ. It is
then distributed to Dioceses of the Armenian Church across the world.

Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian
Church of America (Eastern), led a delegation from the Eastern Diocese
to participate in the Blessing of the Holy Muron at Holy
Etchmiadzin. The newly-blessed Holy Muron will be carried to
St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral in New York City from where it will be
distributed to all parishes of the Eastern Diocese on Sunday, October
12. To learn more about the Blessing of the Holy Muron, visit

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DIOCESAN PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOLY LAND FOR ARMENIAN CHRISTMAS –
REGISTRATION DEADLINE APPROACHING
>From January 13 to 22, 2009, the Eastern Diocese will lead a
pilgrimage to the Holy Land to celebrate Armenian Christmas according
to the Old Calendar (January 18-19). Pilgrims will visit some of the
holiest sites of our faith in Jerusalem and also travel to Jericho,
the Sea of Galilee, the Dead Sea, the Jordan River, Tiberias and
Qumran. Participants will tour the Armenian Quarter in Jerusalem and
the Patriarchate Complex, where they will be received by the
Patriarch. On January 18, pilgrims will travel to Bethlehem to
celebrate the birth of Christ with a Christmas procession and a
midnight Divine Liturgy.

The registration deadline for this pilgrimage is October 15. To learn
more, click here or call Nadia Charchyan at Educational Opportunities
Tours: 863-648-0383, ext. 1+287.

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DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE ARMENIAN CHURCH TO AIR ON ABC
A documentary entitled "Everyone Prays in Holy Etchmiadzin" will air
on ABC-affiliated stations throughout the United States, beginning on
December 7, 2008. The documentary, produced by Diva Communications
under the leadership of the Eastern Diocese and the National Council
of Churches, will detail the history and spiritual heritage of the
Armenian Church, with a particular focus on the efforts of the modern
Armenian Church to foster Christian unity and interfaith dialogue. To
learn more, click here.

Please contact your local ABC affiliate and request that "Everyone
Prays in Holy Etchmiadzin" air during peak viewing times. Click here
to find contact information for your local station.
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CHURCH & HOME MATERIALS AVAILABLE ONLINE
A wealth of new Church & Home materials are now available on our Web
site, Click on the `Church & Home’ button on
the homepage and you will be directed to a listing of a variety of
online tutorials and programs designed to offer `Back to the Basics’
educational tools that can be used from the comfort of your
home. Learn about Armenian Church feasts, the calendar, Modern and
Classical Armenian and much more!
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40TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OF THE CONSECRATION OF ST. VARTAN
ARMENIAN CATHEDRAL PLANNED FOR THIS MONTH
As part of this year’s celebration of the 40th anniversary of the
consecration of St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral, a series of special
events are planned for the weekend of October 11 and 12.

Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian
Church of America (Eastern), will celebrate the Divine Liturgy at the
Cathedral on Sunday, October 12. During services, vessels containing
newly-blessed Holy Muron will be distributed to youth representatives
of every parish in the Eastern Diocese. The recipients will deliver
the Muron to their home parishes where it will be used for
consecrations, baptisms and ordinations.

A celebratory luncheon will follow services, during which all
individuals who participated in the establishment of St. Vartan
Armenian Cathedral will be honored. Celebrated Armenian-American
artists Lucine Amara, Kay Armen, Anahid Ajemian and Lili Chookasian
will be honored with the St. Nersess Shnorhali Medal and Pontifical
Encyclical.

For more information about these events, please call the Diocese at
212-686-0710 or click here to send an email. To make reservations for
the October 12 luncheon, please send a $40 check, payable to Diocese
of the Armenian Church, to Lorraine Marootian, 774 Butternut Dr.,
Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417.

FEAST OF THE HOLY TRANSLATORS CELEBRATION ON OCTOBER 11
On Saturday, October 11, Armenian school and Sunday School students
from the greater New York area are invited to participate in a
celebration of the Feast of the Holy Translators at St. Vartan
Armenian Cathedral. Students will tour the Cathedral, learn about its
history and participate in other educational activities at the
Diocese. For more information, click here.
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STS. VARTANANTZ ARMENIAN CHURCH TO MARK 30 YEARS
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian
Church of America (Eastern), will celebrate the Divine Liturgy at
Sts. Vartanantz Armenian Church in Chelmsford, Mass. on Sunday,
October 5. Following services, the parish will mark the 30th
anniversary of the consecration of Sts. Vartanantz Church. To learn
more, visit
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ACYOA HOSTS PAN NORTH AMERICAN RETREAT IN CHICAGO AREA
More than 50 young adults and clergy from the Eastern, Western and
Canadian Dioceses gathered at the Techny Towers Conference Center in
Techny, Ill. for the 4th Annual Pan North American Retreat (PNAR) on
September 26 to 28. The goal of this yearly event is to bring together
young people from the three North American Dioceses for a weekend of
spiritual growth and Christian fellowship. The retreat was sponsored
by the Armenian Church Youth Organization of America (ACYOA) Central
Council of the Eastern Diocese.

During the retreat members of the Youth Organization’s Central
Councils of the Eastern, Western and Canadian Dioceses also met to
discuss common concerns and the possibility of future joint
projects. A number of collaborative efforts were reviewed, including
plans to send representatives of each Central Council to attend the
annual ACYO General Assembly and Sports Weekend at each Diocese.