PRESS RELEASE
Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apost. Church of America and Canada
H.E. Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan
Prelate, Easter Prelacy and Canada
138 East 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
Tel: 212-689-7810
Fax: 212-689-7168
Web:
October 22, 2009
IN MEMORIAM; ANTRANIG SARKISSIAN, 72
With deep sorrow we convey the news of the passing of Antranig Sarkissian, a Pillar of the Prelacy, a steadfast supporter of the Armenian Church
and nation. Mr. Sarkissian was a trustee of the Prelacy’s Endowment Fund for many years, as well as a member of various Prelacy special events
organizing committees, including pontifical visits and major cultural events. He was also a supporter of many charitable organizations including his
service as a board member of the Children of Armenia Fund (COAF), and as a member of the Executive Board of the Near East Foundation. Mr.
Sarkissian, who was born on May 29, 1937, died today.
At this time funeral arrangements are
still incomplete. A special issue of Crossroads will be sent as soon as arrangements are finalized.
PRELATE WILL PRESIDE IN NEW YORK
Archbishop Oshagan will preside over the Divine Liturgy this Sunday, October 25, at St. Illuminator’s Cathedral in New York. His Eminence continues
to monitor closely the remaining work being done on the Cathedral which underwent a year-long renovation.
COUNCILS WILL MEET THIS WEEKEND
The Religious and Executive Councils will meet this weekend at the Prelacy administrative offices in New York City tomorrow and Saturday, October
23 and 24.
ARCHBISHOP OSHAGAN VISITS RACINE PARISH
The Prelate traveled to St. Hagop Church, Racine, Wisconsin, last weekend where he conferred with the pastor, V. Rev. Fr. Daniel Garabedian and
members of the Board of Trustees. On Sunday His Eminence celebrated the Divine Liturgy and delivered the sermon and presided over the church’s annual
banquet. During the banquet the Prelate presented Certificates of Merit to the following parishioners in appreciation of their years of
devoted service: Zohrab Khzligian, Paul Mandasian, Sara Mikaelian, Allen Bud Nelson, Mark Olson, Mary Olson, Charles Salbashian, Levon Saryan,
Shirley Saryan.
Photo: Archbishop Oshagan and V. Rev. Fr. Daniel Garabedian with the
honorees.
VICAR VISITS NORTH ANDOVER
CHURCH
Last Sunday Bishop Anoushavan presided over the Divine Liturgy at St. Gregory Church of Merrimack Valley, North Andover, Massachusetts. The
Liturgy was celebrated by the recently ordained Rev. Fr. Karekin Bedourian. Der Karekin was ordained to the priesthood in March by Archbishop
Oshagan in Kessab, Syria, where the new priest was born and grew up. The Prelate gave him the priestly name of Karekin in honor of another clergyman
born in Kessab–His Holiness Karekin I, of blessed memory.
Der Karekin is currently serving as a pastoral intern at St. Stephen’s Church in Watertown, Massachusetts.
VICAR RETURNS FROM WCC MEETINGS
Bishop Anoushavan returned to the United States last Friday from Greece where he attended the World Council of Churches Faith and Order Plenary
Commission. One hundred fifty-seven church delegates, consultants, and guests attended the 8-day gathering which took place at the Orthodox Academy
of Crete, on the island of Crete, Greece.
The keynote speaker during the opening session was the Ecumenical Patriarch, His All Holiness Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople and New
Rome.
The major topics discussed were: Called to be One Church; The Nature and the Mission of the Church; Tradition and Traditions; and Moral
Discernments and the Churches.
The participants met in plenary sessions and in working groups. Bishop Anoushavan, who represented the Armenian Church (Catholicosate of
Cilicia), was the moderator of one of the groups.
Bishop Anoushavan is the Vicar General of the Eastern Prelacy and the Ecumenical Officer in North America on behalf of the Holy See of
Cilicia.
Participants in the WCC Faith and Order
Commission.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LADIES’ GUILDS
MEETS IN NEW YORK
Archbishop Oshagan welcomed the National Association of Ladies’ Guilds (NALG) to the Prelacy last Saturday, October 17. His Eminence offered the
opening prayer and delivered his message to the gathering at the start of the NALG’s annual meeting.
In his remarks the Prelate said, "We welcome you to the Prelacy in a true spirit of warmth and as your Armenian church home. The role of the
Ladies Guilds is a crucial and important role for our church. You are the cement that binds together all of the extensions of our church."
Archbishop Oshagan welcomes the NALG to the Prelacy.
Mary Derderian, the chairlady of the
NALG, called the meeting to order at 10 am and guided it to its successful conclusion in the afternoon, after a lunch break at noon, hosted by the
Prelacy Ladies Guild. The interaction of the Ladies’ Guilds and their involvement in the Church was discussed at length. The women shared their
thoughts on how they can involve young women to participate and join the local Ladies’ Guilds. Each Guild represented presented a short report.
The NALG annual raffle which this year benefited the St. Gregory of Datev Institute, was drawn with the following winners: First prize, Nora
Sarajian, Chestnut Ridge, New York; second prize, Mary Derderian, Norwood, Massachusetts; third prize, Pam Kachadourian, Chesterfield, Maryland.
The next NALG meeting will take place during the National Representative Assembly (NRA) in May 2010, which will take place in New York, hosted
by St. Illuminator’s Cathedral, New York City, and St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston, New York.
ST. ILLUMINATOR SCHOOL STUDENTS
PRESENT SPECIAL PROGRAM
Students of St. Illuminator’s Armenian Day School, Woodside, New York, presented a special program in honor of the Holy Translators last Sunday
at St. Illuminator’s Cathedral in New York City. Rev. Fr. Mesrob Lakissian, pastor, and parishioners welcomed the charming and artistic efforts of
the youngsters celebrating the creation of the Armenian alphabet and the translations that followed.
CATHOLICOS ARAM I IN PONTIFICAL VISIT TO LATAKIA
VISITS KESSAB; CONSECRATES NEW CHURCH IN KARADURAN
During his pontifical visit to the Diocese of Latakia His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, was received by the President
of Syria, Bashar al-Assad. During the visit he also met with the Greek Orthodox Patriarch Ignatius and the Syrian Orthodox Patriarch Zakka, and
delivered a lecture at the University of Damascus.
The Catholicos visited the Armenian town of Kessab in Syria where he was received warmly by the local religious and political leaders and the
general population. The Prelate, Bishop Shahan Sarkissian, welcomed His Holiness and noted that Kessab is a special place not only because of the
peoples’ contribution, but also because of the significant number of young seminarians who later served the church as catholicos, bishops, priests
and teachers.
His Holiness consecrated the new St. Mary Church in Karaduran. In his message the Catholicos said: "Wherever our people have gone, they have built
a church next to their homes. However, we should not only be churchgoers, but we should incorporate the church into our lives. We are not anointing
the stones of the altar and the walls, but we are renewing our covenant with God, with our church traditions, its spirituality and on the path
carved by St. Gregory of Nareg and St. Nerses the Gracious.
DAILY BIBLE READINGS
Bible readings for today, Thursday, October 22, are: Wisdom 3:11-17; Isaiah 51:22-52:3; 1 Thessalonians 2:13-16; John 15:11-16.
Thus says your Sovereign, the Lord, your God who pleads the cause of his people: See, I have taken from your hand the cup of
staggering; you shall drink no more from the bowl of my wrath. And I will put it into the hand of your tormentors, who have said to you, "Bow down,
that we may walk on you"; and you have made your back like the ground and like the street for them to walk on.
Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion! Put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for the uncircumcised and the
unclean shall enter you no more. Shake yourself from the dust, rise up, O captive Jerusalem; loose the bonds from your neck, O captive daughter
Zion! For thus says the Lord: You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money. (Isaiah 51:22-52:3)
For listing of this week’s Bible readings click here ( 82/goto: acy/PDF/dbr2009-10.pdf ).
FEAST OF THE DISCOVERY OF THE HOLY CROSS (GIUT KHATCHI)
This Sunday, October 25, the Armenian Church commemorates the Discovery of the Cross (Giut Khatchi). According to tradition, Empress
Helena, mother of Constantine, and a devout Christian, wanted to find the True Cross. She went to Golgotha (Calvary), which had become an obscure and
neglected place. According to some chronicles, it was an informed Jew, named Juda who pointed out the location. After excavation of the site, three
wooden crosses were found. In order to identify the True Cross, the three crosses were successively placed on the body of a youth who had just died.
When one of the crosses was placed on him, the young man came back to life. This was the True Cross. The commemoration of the event takes place on
the Sunday closest to October 26, and can vary from October 23 to 29.
Christ’s exact burial site was also located and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher was built on that spot in 335. The church was destroyed by fire in
614 when the Persians invaded Jerusalem, and subsequently rebuilt. The current dome dates back to 1870. Three denominations (Armenian Orthodox, Greek
Orthodox, and Russian Orthodox) administer and maintain the church and surrounding grounds–unfortunately not always harmoniously. Agreements
regulate times and places of worship for each denomination. Ironically, a neutral Muslim family has been the custodian of the keys for centuries.
The Church, which is within the walled Old City of Jerusalem, is revered and continues to be a popular destination for pilgrims.
SO, YOU WANT TO LEARN ARMENIAN?
CHECK OUT THIS ON LINE COURSE
The Prelacy is making available an on-line course in modern Western Armenian. The course was developed by Dr. Thomas J. Samuelian with partial
funding from the Prelacy. It is accessible through the Prelacy’s web page. Anyone wanting to learn Armenian can have access to it.
Also available are Dr. Samuelian’s pioneering text books: A Course in Modern Western Armenian, (which comes with its companion book,
Dictionary and Linguistic Notes); and his popular Armenian Dictionary in Transliteration. Although not mandatory, the books
are valuable companions to the on-line course. The books are available at the Prelacy Bookstore.
To access the on-line course go to the Prelacy’s web page ( ( 82/goto: ))
or click here ( 82/goto: epartments/anec/an-online-course-in-modern-western -armenian ).
SOME IMPRESSIONS FROM LINKED iN PARTICIPANTS
As reported earlier, the second annual LINKED iN youth gathering which took place at the Holy Virgin Mary Spiritual Vineyard in Charlton,
Massachusetts, was a successful weekend of education and fellowship. We are happy to share some impressions that were received recently from
participants:
"This was my first year at Linked iN. It was a new experience for me. Although the duration was short, the information I received was very
influential. I benefited from the lecture topics such as Armenian Church vs. Greek Orthodox and Catholic churches, Pillars of Family and Church; and
most of all, Bible, Theology, and Art in the Divine Liturgy. I would like to thank the Linked iN committee for providing the new generation with the
opportunity to get together on a meaningful and intellectual level."
Nevair Oranjian, New York
"This is the second year I have been attending the Linked iN weekend retreat, and have come out of it both times with renewed faith and dedication.
It gave me a chance to ask questions about my religion and church to those who have spent many years studying our faith. Basic and essential
questions were answered, such as the differences and similarities between the Armenian, Eastern Orthodox, and Catholic Churches, and the origins of
the church hierarchy. The weekend gave all those present the chance to make connections, learn, and grow in faith within the environment of the
Armenian Church."
Ari Nalbandian, Rhode Island
"This is my second year attending the Linked iN retreat, and I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. Linked iN satiates my need to spend time with
God and with my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. We came together this year and sat cozily together to hear the most edifying talks about
leadership in the church and how to lead others by example. For me, personally, it was exactly what I needed to hear. Through listening to these
talks and praying together, I have come to realize that God is calling me, along with many others, to serve Him and His church in a small, yet
amazing way. I look forward to learning more next year at Linked iN and hope to keep in touch throughout the year with the people I met. I am so
grateful to all those who serve God and us by making this retreat possible, so that we too may learn to serve starting tomorrow."
Jasmine Yedigarian, Virginia
SPECIAL NOTE OF INTEREST:
LECTURE BY BRIAN BRIVATI THIS SUNDAY
Professor Brian Brivati, a genocide scholar, will deliver a lecture followed by a question and answer session this Sunday, October 25, at 5 pm
at the Armenian Center, 69-23 47th Avenue, Woodside, New York. Professor Brivati’s lecture topic is "The Armenian Genocide in Comparative
Perspective–the Possibility and Meaning of Closure." The lecture is hosted by the Armenian National Committee of New York.
Professor Brivati is the Director of the John Smith Trust in the United Kingdom. He was previously professor of contemporary history at Kingston
University and directed the University’s under-graduate and graduate human rights programs.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
October 25–The Armenian School of St. Gregory Church of Merrimack
Valley, North Andover, Massachusetts, will present "Hello Ellis Island," performed by The Way We Were ensemble, directed by Hourig Papazian
Sahagian. Adults $30/Students $10.00, including lunch. For information/tickets: 978-256-2538 or 978-685-3566.
October 25–St. Sarkis Church Cultural Committee (Douglaston, New
York) presents "Holistic Approaches to Well-Being," lecture and workshop with Mr. Edward Boladian, 1 pm at the church hall, 38-65 234th St.,
Douglaston, New York. For information 718-224-2275.
November 1–St. Gregory Church, Philadelphia, Sunday School Halloween
Party.
November 6–"On the Road," by Levon Shant, presented The Theater Group
of Hamazkayin, New York, directed by Dr. Herand Markarian. Sponsored by the Armenian Relief Society Mayr Chapter, this performance is a benefit for
St. Illuminator’s Armenian Day School. Performance begins at 8:35 pm at the Armenian Center, 69-23 47th Ave., Woodside, New York. For tickets ($25)
contact Sonia at 718-961-9550 or Alice at 516-676-6167.
November 6-7–St. Gregory Church, Philadelphia. Food Festival.
November 6-7–St. Stephen’s Church, Watertown, Massachusetts, 53rd
annual bazaar, 10 am to 9:30 pm at the ACEC, 47 Nichols Avenue, Watertown. Delicious lamb, losh and chicken kebab, kheyma, kufta and yalanchi. Meals
served from 11:30 am to 8:30 pm. Armenian pastries, gourmet foods, arts & crafts, auction, raffles, and more.
November 7–Christmas Holiday Craft Fair, St. Gregory Church, North
Andover, Massachusetts, Jaffarian Hall, 10 am to 4 pm.
November 7 & 8–Sts. Vartanantz Church, Providence, Rhode Island,
largest Armenian Fest in New England. Saturday from 12 noon to 10 pm. Sunday 12 noon to 8 pm. Rhodes-on-the-Pawtucket, 60 Rhodes Place (off Broad
Street), Cranston, Rhode Island. Kebobs and kufta dinners, pastry, raffles and more. Performance by the Armenian school dance group. Live Armenian
music * dancing. For information, 401-831-6399.
November 13–Anthropology Museum of the People of New York and The
American Museum of Natural History co-presenting the U.S. Premier of the film Gyumri, at the 33rd Annual Margaret Mead Film and Video
Festival, 8 pm. Filmmaker Jana Sevcikova, who will attend the screening, tells the story of the survivors of the December 7, 1988 earthquake that
struck northern Armenia nearly destroying the town of Gyumri. For information: 718-428-5650.
November 14–Soorp Khatch Church, Bethesda, Maryland, 45th anniversary
celebration.
November 15–39th anniversary of St. Gregory Church, North Andover,
Massachusetts, presided by His Grace Bishop Anoushavan, Vicar General.
November 20-21–Holy Trinity Armenian Church, Worcester, Massachusetts,
Fall Fest 2009, Friday, November 20, 5 pm to 8 pm; Saturday, November 21, 10 am to 5 pm. Armenian delicacies and dinners. For information
508-852-2414.
November 20, 21, 22–Sts. Vartanantz Church (Ridgefield, New Jersey)
Annual Bazaar and Food Festival. Saturday night dancing with "Onnik Dinkjian"; Sunday traditional kavourma dinner.
December 5–Soorp Asdvadzadzin Church, Whitinsville, Massachusetts,
annual bazaar. Come one, come all.
December 5–Saint Gregory (North Andover, Massachusetts) Ladies Guild
Christmas Luncheon and Yankee Swap at the Phoenician at Michael’s Function Hall, Route 110 in Haverhill.
December 20–St. Gregory Church, Philadelphia. Sunday School Christmas
Pageant.
December 31–St. Gregory Church, Philadelphia, Seroonian Community
Center New Year’s Eve celebration.
December 31–Sts. Vartanantz Church (Ridgefield, New Jersey), New
Year’s Eve Dinner-Dance. Details to follow.
July 17–"A Hye Summer Night V," dance hosted by Ladies’ Guild of Sts.
Vartanantz Church and ARS Ani Chapter, Providence, Rhode Island. Watch for details.
Web pages of the parishes can be accessed through the Prelacy’s web site.
To ensure the timely arrival of Crossroads in your electronic mailbox, add [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) to your address book.
Items in Crossroads can be reproduced without permission. Please credit Crossroads as the
source.
Parishes of the Eastern Prelacy are invited to send information about their major
events to be included in the calendar. Send to: [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])