St. Gregory of Datev Institute Holds 23rd Summer Program
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By Weekly Staff – on August 7, 2009
>From Sun., June 28 to Sun., July 5, about 50 young students from 10
Prelacy parishes and 11 instructors gathered at the St. Mary of
Providence Center in Elverson, Pa., for the 23rd St. Gregory of Datev
Institute Summer program, under the auspices of His Eminence
Archbishop Oshagan, the Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian
Apostolic Church.
Approximately 20 of the participants began the annual summer program
with a weekend retreat that started on Fri., June 26, under the
directorship of His Grace Bishop Anoushavan, the Vicar General of the
Eastern Prelacy.
Sponsored by the Armenian Religious Education Council (AREC) of the
Prelacy, the institute provides an intensive week-long program for
Christian formation, through Bible studies and discussions, prayer and
worship services, communal activities, and fellowship. `Christian
formation is not about memorizing a few Bible verses, or learning a
few dates and facts about the Armenian Church and its history, or
reciting one or two ready-made prayers, important though they are,’
said Dn. Shant Kazanjian, director of AREC. `Christian formation is
about living the mandate of the Gospel of Christ, wherever we may
be. It is learning to ever more fully submit our lives to the lordship
of Jesus Christ.’
Each day the program began with Morning Service from 7:15-7:45
a.m. Classes were held from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. In the afternoons,
the students enjoyed recreational activities, such as volleyball,
soccer, basketball, kickball, dodgeball, swimming, board games, and
music. In the evenings, they participated in panel discussions from
7:30-8:20 p.m., followed by three concurrent Bible studies from
8:30-9:20 p.m. for different age groups. Each day came to a close with
the Compline Service (Husgoom) from 9:45-10:30 p.m.
`I was extremely excited to come back for my second year of Datev,’
said Erica Mengouchian from the St. Sarkis Armenian Church in
Douglaston, N.Y. `Going to classes, having free time, and attending
both morning and evening services allows us to balance our days,’ she
continued. `We are able to have fun and make new friends, all while
learning about our faith and Armenian culture. I would never trade my
experiences at Datev for anything. I look forward to my future years
here and plan to return after my four years are completed as a
post-grad student.’
The institute is a four-year program, with one week each
summer. Students who complete the four-year program have the option of
returning for post-graduate classes. Classes for all five levels of
study take place concurrently. During the weeklong program, a hundred
50-minute classes were held, 20 per level, plus evening panel
discussions and Bible studies, all conducted by 11 instructors and 3
guest instructors.
The instructors of the Datev Institute this year were Bishop
Anoushavan Tanielian, Rev. Fr. Khoren Habeshian, Rev. Fr. Antranig
Baljian, Rev. Fr. Nerses Manoogian, Rev. Fr. Sarkis Aktavoukian,
Rev. Fr. Stephan Baljian, Dn. Shant Kazanjian, Dn. Bedros Kalajian,
Dn. James Haddad, Denise Borekjian, and Jeanette Nazarian.
The distinguished guest instructors were Rev. Fr. Paul Tarazi,
professor of Biblical studies and Biblical languages at St. Vladimir’s
Orthodox Theological Seminary; Michael Papazian, associate professor
and chairman of the religion and philosophy Department of Berry
College; and Edward G. Mathews, recurring visiting professor of early
Christian languages and literature, and director of research at
St. Nersess Armenian Seminary.
The curriculum for the first four years is the same, covering the
traditional essentials of our faith, including the Bible, the
sacraments with a particular emphasis on the Divine Liturgy (Soorp
Badarak), feasts and worship, the Creed and Armenain Church history,
the Ten Commandments, and contemporary moral issues. The post graduate
curriculum changes every year, the classes providing further
explanation on the elements of our faith. In addition to the clergy
instructors, guest lecturers are invited to teach the post-graduate
classes.
A popular guest lecturer at the Institute, Rev. Fr. Paul Tarazi, very
much loved and respected by the Datevatsis, presented four sessions on
the Letter of St. Paul to the Galatians. Fr. Tarazi also led a
two-hour session on the same topic with the clergy instructors of the
institute.
Prof. Michael Papazian presented two sessions on Stepanos Sunetsi’s
commentary on the Gospels, an 8th-century Armenian
theologian. Prof. Edwards G. Mathews presented two lectures on the
Holy Translators’ Heritage, focusing on St. Ephrem the Syrian.
On June 30, His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan visited the institute and
engaged the students in a lively open discussion. At the end of the
session, to everyone’s pleasant surprise, His Eminence announced that
next year in August, the Armenian Prelacy will sponsor a `youth
pilgrimage.’ He said that on the occasion of the 95th anniversary of
the Armenian Genocide, they will go on a pilgrimage to Der Zor, as
well as to the Forty Martyrs’ Cathedral in Aleppo (which has recently
become a place of pilgrimage for countless believers) and to Kessab,
an Armenian village in Syria. It will then culminate with the visit to
the Holy See of the Catholicossate of Cilicia in Antelias,
Lebanon. This pilgrimage will be open to the upper level Datev
students.
On July 4, the students enjoyed a 4th of July picnic, a day of copious
delicious Armenian food and table fellowship, coupled with games and
music and dancing, made possible by the generosity of Asdghig
Kazanjian, the owner of `Armenian Delight’ in Broomall, Pa.
The Datev Program came to a close with the celebration of the Divine
Liturgy at St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Apostolic Church in
Philadelphia on Sun., July 5, followed by a luncheon graciously hosted
by the `Artemis’ chapter of the Armenian Relief Society (ARS). The
celebrant was His Grace Bishop Anoushavan. In his sermon, he spoke
about the summer program, its goals and aims, and emphasized the
importance of Christian formation, particularly in the formative years
of youth. For that reason, he added, His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos
of the Great House of Cilicia, has declared this year as the `Year of
the Youth,’ exhorting all of us to give this segment of our community
greater attention in their religious development.
***
The participants came from the following 10 parishes: 19 from
Sts. Vartanantz Church in Ridgefield, N.J. (6 church servers); 12 from
Sts. Vartanantz Church in Providence, R.I. (8 church servers); 7 from
St. Gregory the Illuminator Church in Philadelphia, Pa. (4 church
servers); 4 from Holy Trinity Church in Worcester, Mass. (2 church
servers); 4 from Sourp Khatch Armenian Apostolic Church in Washington,
D.C. (1 church server); 3 from St. Sarkis Church in Douglaston,
N.Y. (1 church server); 1 from St. Illuminator’s Cathedral in New
York; 1 from St. Stephen’s Armenian Apostolic Church in Watertown,
Mass.; 1 from St. Stephen’s Church in New Britain, Conn. (1 church
server); and 1 from St. Gregory Church in Indian Orchard, Mass. (1
church server).
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
