PRESS RELEASE
Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
138 East 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
Tel: 212-689-7810
Fax: 212-689-7168
e-mail: [email protected]
Website:
Contact: Iris Papazian
EASTERN, WESTERN AND CANADIAN PRELACIES GATHER IN MONTREAL
FOR STS. GHEVONTIANTZ COMMEMORATION
NEW YORK, NY – Continuing a tradition that began in 2001, clergymen
from the Eastern, Western and Canadian Prelacies gathered in Montreal,
Canada, for the annual Sts. Ghevontiantz commemoration that precedes
the Feast of Vartanantz.
The clergy conference began on January 31 and concluded on February
2. Participating in the conference were the three prelates,
H.E. Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, Eastern Prelacy; H.E. Archbishop
Moushegh Mardirossian, Western Prelacy; and H.G. Bishop Khajag
Hagopian, Canadian Prelacy. Also in attendance was H.E. Archbishop
Souren Kataroyan, former Prelate of Aleppo.
Each year the clergy gather to learn and to pray in an atmosphere
marked by brotherhood, fellowship and renewal.
The three major lecturers included: V. Rev. Fr. Meghrig Parikian, “The
Seminary’s Mission and Its Nurturing”; Rev. Fr. Karnig Kouyounian,
“The Armenian Church’s Contribution to Armenian Culture”; and
Rev. Manuel Jinbashian, “Translations of the Bible.”
An important aspect of this year’s clergy conference centered around
three encyclicals recently issued by His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of
the Great House of Cilicia, commemorating the 1600th anniversary of the
founding of the Armenian alphabet, the 90th anniversary of the Genocide
of 1915, and the 75th anniversary of the Seminary of the Cilician See.
The clergymen also attended a special blessing service of the new
Canadian Prelacy building. The official opening of the new headquarters
will take place in May.
The Feast of Ghevontiantz is named in honor of Ghevont Yeretz
(Leondius the Cleric) who stood alongside Vartan Mamigonian during
the Vartanantz war, and became the symbol of a collective group of
clergy who gave their lives for their faith and nation.