PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr. Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:
PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon
Armenian version:
H. KEGHART RECEIVES THE SAINT MASROB MASHDOTS MEDAL
Lebanese-Armenian intellectual and well known public figure H. Keghart (Dr.
Haroutioun Kazandjian) was awarded the medal of Saint Mesrob Mashdots during
a ceremony organized in his honor by the Central Committee of the Hamazkayin
on 11 July 2005 in the St. Asdvadzadzine Cathedral in Bikfaya. Under the
patronage of His Holiness Aram I, the ceremony was organized on the occasion
of the 60th anniversary of the start of H. Keghart’s writing career.
Members of the Cilician Brotherhood, representatives from the Central
Executive Council, Archbishop Nourhan Manougian of Jerusalem, journalists,
writers, friends and representatives of cultural organizations attended the
event.
The opening remarks were delivered by the chairwoman of the Central
Committee of Hamazkayin, Seta Khedeshian.
Puzant Torikian represented H. Keghart, the public figure, talking about his
multi-faceted and decades-long national dedication, starting with the HMEM
scouts to the board of Trustees of the Azounieh Armenian Sanatorium and
reaching the Executive committee of the Diocese of Lebanon. Torikian also
talked about H. Keghart’s role as a professor in the Seminary of Antelias
and an editor in the Armenian press.
Aram Sepetdjian talked in detail about H. Keghart’s writing career. After
graduating as a surgeon-dentist from the French University of Beirut,
Keghart started to write first in “Aztag” Daily and received an award from
the paper in 1946. Keghart has been the editor of “Agos”, is one of the
founders of “Pakin” and of “Pejishg”, which he edited and published for
thirty years (1955-1985).
The lecturer talked about the different styles of writing Keghart followed,
including prose, poetry and fable writing. He described Keghart as a
dedicated editor. Keghart has also been a member of the jury of the Kevork
Melidintesi literary award.
His Holiness Aram I commended intellectual and well-known public figure H.
Keghart, for his active participation in the lives of Lebanese-Armenians. He
considered him worthy of the Saint Mesrob Mashdots Medal, awarded by the
Catholicosate of Cilicia to people who have had fruitful cultural careers.
V. Rev. Norair Ashekian read His Holiness Aram I’s Encyclical, which said:
“During the past 50 years, you valued and enriched the collective life of
the nation, its collective and primary interests. You responded to our
church’s spiritual and moral values. You became a committed student of
Mesrob Mashdots and loyally followed the doctrine and vision of the great
minds and souls of our history. You had the bravery to express your
thoughts, conflicts and feelings clearly everywhere.”
His Holiness considered H. Keghart a man with a wide range of skills and
efficacy. “His clinic became a little Armenia, a volcano of the Armenian
people’s sufferings and golas.”
“True, he occupied many positions, but the positions sought him, not the
other way around, because H. Keghart became an intellectual with something
to say and he clearly and bravely said it. He looked around him and saw what
others failed to see. And our nation, church and homeland are the ones who
benefited from his brave statements. He became one of those unique writers
who remained true to our spiritual and moral values. Finally, H. Keghart
remained loyal to the Catholicosate of Cilicia and became a respected and
loved individual in this house of God,” said His Holiness.
H. Keghart expressed his gratitude to His Holiness Aram I and the Central
Committee of Hamazkayin for having been granted the Saint Mesrob Mashdots
Medal. “Sixty year ago, when I first started writing, I was like soldier who
goes to the battlefield without the fear of being injured and comes back
without the expectation of being awarded.”
He quoted the poet Vahan Tekeian, in saying “Oh God, what you gave me I
return to you,” and continued: “My crops are few, but my heart is filled
with satisfaction to see that even those few have reached my nation.”
Adour Meguerditchian played the violin and Sirvart Boyadjian the piano.
Maral Gharibian read pieces of Keghart’s poetry.
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The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress