January 10, 2007
PRESS RELEASE
Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate
6252 Honolulu Avenue
La Crescenta, CA 91214
Tel: (818) 248-7737
Fax: (818) 248-7745
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
PRELATE’S TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS DINNER A GREAT SUCCESS
– SUBSTANTIAL DONATIONS MADE TO VARIOUS WESTERN PRELACY FUNDS
On Saturday, January 6, on the Feast of the Nativity and
Theophany of our Lord, Jesus Christ, the Prelate’s traditional New Year’s
and Christmas Dinner took place at Bagramian Hall of Holy Cross Cathedral in
Montebello with over 600 guests in attendance. On Saturday morning, H.E.
Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate, had officiated over Holy Mass,
the blessing of water ceremony, and delivered his sermon at St. Mary’s
Church in Glendale.
The Prelate’s Dinner, initiated by the Religious and Executive
Councils and organized by the Prelacy Ladies Auxiliary Guild, was sponsored
by Prelacy benefactors Mrs. Tina Carolan and family. Among the invited
guests in attendance were Consul General of Armenia Mr. Armen Liloyan and
Consulate staff, Catholicosate Central Executive member Mr. Khajag Dikijian,
A.R.F. Bureau member Dr. Viken Hovsepian, A.R.F. Central Committee
representative Mr. Avedik Izmirlian and members, national representatives
assembly delegates, Board of Trustees, representatives of the Board of
Regents, Homenetmen, A.R.S., Hamazkayin, A.N.C., and media, as well as
Prelacy benefactors, sponsors, and friends.
The evening began with Master of Ceremonies Very Rev. Fr.
Barthev Gulumian greeting the guests and announcing the start of the program
with the entrance of the Prelate and clergy in a procession. With candles
in hand, the procession entered the hall singing hymns for the occasion,
after which the guests participated in the ceremony of the Tatakh.
On behalf of the Ladies Auxiliary Chairperson Mrs. Mariam
Karapetian offered her remarks, followed by greetings by Executive Council
Chair Dr. Garo Agopian who expressed gratitude for the completion of the new
Prelacy building and urged the guests to continue their support of the
Prelacy’s mission.
In His taped Christmas message projected on a large screen, H.H. Aram I,
Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, greeted the Prelate and guests
expressing gratitude for the completion of the building renovation project.
His Holiness also commended the Prelate and affiliates of the Prelacy for
their service to the Armenian people. He then spoke of how the New Year and
Christmas is a time for us to ruminate and remember that during Christ’s
mission on earth, the old was destroyed and a new world was created,
stressing that we should not completely discount the past but rather learn
from our past experiences and begin anew.
Following His Holiness’ message, Hayr Barthev invited Consul
General Armen Liloyan to offer his remarks. Mr. Liloyan expressed gratitude
for the opportunity to collectively celebrate and be filled with the
messages of the Nativity and Epiphany of our Lord. He emphasized that this
is a time for us to reflect on our past endeavors and head towards the
future with the messages of Christmas as our guide. The Consul also
stressed the importance of cooperation and collaboration between Armenia and
the Diaspora, emphasizing the invaluable role Diaspora Armenians play in the
preservation of Armenian education and language.
Subsequently, a brief video was shown chronicling the progress
of the building renovation from the blessing of the foundation to the
completion of the structure.
After dinner, guests were entertained with songs by Anahit
Nercissyan and Razmik Mansourian, accompanied on the piano by Prof. Levon
Aprahamian, dances by Chamlian students Sona and Silva Geokgezian, and Aram
Manoukian on the Armenian flute accompanied on piano by his teacher Mr.
Ararat Bedrossian.
Hayr Barthev then invited the Prelate to deliver his Christmas
message.
The Prelate first spoke of the timeless message of the Nativity
and of Christ’s earthly mission. He expressed his gratitude to His
Holiness, and reflected on the mission of the Prelacy, noting that the
forthcoming relocation to our new offices will offer us new beginnings and
the launch of new fields of activity. The Prelate thanked all the
supporters who continuously offer their moral and financial support to the
Prelacy’s endeavors. He then offered special thanks to the Carolan family,
sponsors of the traditional Armenian Christmas Dinner, as well as to all the
sponsors and donors whose names were listed in the evening’s program. The
Prelate concluded by noting that in 2008 we will celebrate the 35th
anniversary of our Prelacy and wished for the messages of Christmas to guide
our path to success in the coming years (Text of the Prelate’s message is
provided separately).
The evening concluded with the `Bahbanich’ prayer, followed by
the collective singing of `Giligia’, `E Veh Partsants’, and `Mer Hayrenik’.
PRELATE’S MESSAGE AT THE CHRISTMAS DINNER
(January 6, 2007)
With the Good Tidings of Christmas and the messages of love, peace, and
goodwill, I greet you all as we are gathered here to celebrate the Glorious
Birth and Epiphany of our Lord, Jesus Christ, and to be renewed by our
Christian faith. Glory to God who, once again, has granted us this blessed
opportunity to collectively offer gratitude to our Lord through prayers and
hymns.
2007 years after the Glorious Birth of Christ, the timeless message of the
Nativity continues to invite us to follow the bright star of Bethlehem.
Centuries ago, the bright star guided the shepherds and the wise men to the
humble manger where Jesus was born. The fact that Jesus was born in a
humble manger conveys to us the message of humility. The shepherds and wise
men were the first to revere Jesus and offer Him gifts, thus establishing
the precedent for benevolence and teaching us by example that just as Jesus
was worthy of gifts, love, and faithfulness, the church established in His
name also needs the same care and devotion with which we dedicate ourselves
to Him. The Great and Marvelous Mystery of the Nativity continues to direct
us to stand up to the Herod’s of our time and allow the bright star of
Bethlehem to guide our path.
Dear Friends,
On this joyous evening, I would first like to offer my filial
love and gratitude to H.H. Catholicos Aram I who, in keeping with tradition,
has once again conveyed His blessings and Pontifical message.
In our daily lives, we have countless opportunities to give
thanks to God. Today, I would like to offer a special prayer of thanks and
gratitude as our dreams have finally come true and we find ourselves at a
historic and memorable junction. It gives me great spiritual joy to
announce that the renovation of the new Prelacy building is complete and we
will be returning to our offices shortly. What started as a vision has
become a reality thanks to the financial and moral support of our friends,
and especially the Carolan, Bedrosian, Pilavjian, Karaghossian, Kasimian,
Sulahian, and Der Ghazarian families and Forest Lawn, as well as the
Building Committee Chair and members, all of whose dedication to this
project is greatly appreciated and will not be forgotten.
Just as the New Year represents a new beginning for us all, so
too does our return to the new Prelacy building. As our fields of activity
expand, so do our parish communities. Our newest parish, the Las Vegas
parish, was rejuvenated last March and continues to thrive. In the past two
years, the parish communities of Colorado, Riverside County, and the
Crescenta Valley have also joined our family. The latter will soon be
endowed with a Board of Trustees and delegates. We hope that the Riverside
County and Las Vegas parishes will soon follow course.
As in past decades, our noble endeavors will continue in the
coming years with renewed vigor, especially considering that we are nearing
the 35th anniversary of our Prelacy which we will celebrate in 2008. To
alleviate our expanding activities, in recent years we have established
special funds. I would like to take this opportunity to once again express
my thanks and appreciation to our donors who assisted in establishing one of
these funds, the Mortgage Burning Fund.
Alongside the Mortgage Burning Fund, the Prelacy has various
other funds allocated for scholarships, religious publications and similar
purposes. It is with the help of these funds that we are able to cover the
expenses of our newsletter the `Spiritual Spectrum’, our website, weekly
T.V. program, and related activities through which we are able to keep our
faithful informed of our endeavors. However, as our work is continually
expanding, it is necessary to establish further funds, specifically
endowment funds to assist in our broadening mission.
This evening, I would like to make a special mention of our
activities directed towards our youth, since the youth are the future of our
church and nation. The Prelacy Christian Education Department is largely
responsible for overseeing this field, the work of which is carried out
commendably by Co-Directors Hayr Muron and Hayr Barthev, as well as by our
pastors.
As I mentioned earlier, our work and mission is constantly
expanding. In this regard, I am pleased to announce that upon the
recommendation of the National Representatives Assembly and in accordance
with the Religious and Executive Councils, we are establishing a program for
the preparation of new priests to accommodate the needs of our community. A
committee has already been appointed for this purpose and plans are
underway.
With this resolve and determination, we welcome the New Year and
on the Nativity and Epiphany of our Lord, and renew our vows to serve our
church and nation. Our clergy, council members, educators, and donors and
friends must all join us in this vow. We must embark on our future
endeavors inspired by the enduring message of the Nativity and guided by the
bright star of Bethlehem, which continues to illuminate our lives. Like the
humble circumstances of Christ’s Birth, we must remain humble, just, and
righteous, and fulfill our God-pleasing service with love and goodwill in
our hearts, never losing sight of our objective.
I pray to God to grant us health and prosperity, a renewed
spirit of service, and love in the New Year. May the Lord grace us with His
bountiful blessings and grant peace and harmony to this nation. Let us once
again join in the angels’ tidings and proclaim
Glory to God in the Highest,
And on earth Peace,
Goodwill toward man…
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
