ONE MORE YEAR, ONE MORE MEMORIAL

AZG Armenian Daily
21/01/2009

Diaspora

Melkonian graduates and friends honor founders

Melkonian graduates and friends gathered in Nicosia on Sunday for the
annual memorial service (parerarnerou hokehankisd) of the founders of
the Melkonian Educational Institute, the benefactor brothers Krikor
and Garabed Melkonian.

A church service was held after Sunday mass and the group of
Melkoniantsi and friends later went to the founders’ monument
(tampan) where they laid flowers and prayed, led by Rev. Der Momig
Habeshian. Following the ‘Hayr Mer’, Vartan Tashdjian led those
present with the school’s hymn.

The most senior Melkoniantsi graduate, Haroutioun Dedeyan (1936),
symbolically laid flowers and led those present in a moment of silence.

After the brief ceremony, many wandered around to see for themselves
the state the school buildings have fallen into and the statues that
have been defaced or allowed to erode.

This year, too, the AGBU decided not to honor its greatest benefactors
of the past 100 years by not sending a representative or at least a
wreath or flowers.

Melkoniantsi and members of the Armenian community of Cyprus are
hopeful that this year will see the removal of the Greek name of
"Gymnasion Aglandjias" and the Armenian language will once again be
spoken within the school grounds.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress