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
February 22, 2007
CLERGY OF THREE NORTH AMERICAN PRELACIES
GATHER ON WEST COAST FOR GHEVONTIANTZ
Each year on the occasion of the Feast of St. Ghevont, the clergy gather
for a conference where they explore mutual concerns and share in a
rejuvenating time of renewal and fellowship. Several years ago the three
North American prelacies marked the occasion together. It was so successful
that they decided to continue this practice every two years. This year the
Western Prelacy hosted the three-day joint clergy conference from February
12-14, at Forty Martyr’s Church in Orange County, under the auspices of
Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate of the Western Prelacy, Archbishop
Oshagan Choloyan, Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy, and Archbishop Khajag
Hagopian, Prelate of Canada. The conference included meetings, religious
services, and visits to some area schools, churches and the new Prelacy
headquarters. The clergy returned to their own parishes spiritually renewed
and prepared to continue their attentive and devoted service to the
faithful.
40th DAY REQUIEM SERVICE FOR HRANT DINK
Archbishop Oshagan has directed all parishes within the Eastern Prelacy
to offer a requiem service on Sunday, March 4, on the occasion of the 40th
day of the death of the Hrant Dink. The noted journalist was assassinated in
Istanbul last month.
In New York City, a united requiem service will take place at St. Vartan
Cathedral, 34th Street and Second Avenue, with the participation of the
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern); the Prelacy of the
Armenian Apostolic Church of America; the Armenian Catholic Exarchate of
America; and the Armenian Missionary Association of America. The requiem
service will begin at 1:30 pm, following Sunday services in the individual
churches. The guest preacher at the requiem service will be The Reverend
Canon Francis V. Tiso, Associate Director of the Secretariat for Ecumenical
and Interreligious Affairs of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Speakers during the reception/program that will follow the requiem service
include Peter Steinfels, who covers religious news for the New York Times
and writes the Beliefs column; Anna Kushner, coordinator of the Freedom to
Write Program at PEN American Center; and Sonya Frye of the Overseas Press
Club. The students of the Hovnanian School (New Jersey) will offer an
audio/visual presentation about Hrant Dink.
PRELACY LENTEN SERIES BEGINS
The first of the six Prelacy Lenten Meditations took place yesterday
evening, Wednesday, February 21. The 2007 Prelacy Lenten program focuses on
the seven vices and seven virtues. Last evening, Bishop Anoushavan
Tanielian, Vicar General, inaugurated the series with his thoughts on "Pride
and Humility."
Bishop Anoushavan began his meditation by noting that not all pride is
bad, and not all humility is good. For example a parent can be very proud of
a child. And we should not be so humble as to lose our self-worth. When we
view the great universe that God created, we are humbled knowing that we are
a small part, and nothing compared to God, but because we live in God we are
worth more than we can imagine.
Next Wednesday, Rev. Fr. Nareg Terterian, pastor of St. Sarkis Church in
Douglaston, New York, will speak about Envy and Brotherly Love.
The annual Lenten series is sponsored by the Prelacy Ladies Guild, the
St. Illuminator’s Ladies Guild, and the Prelacy’s Armenian Religious
Education Council (AREC). All of the programs take place at St. Illuminator’s
Cathedral, 221 East 27th Street, New York City, with the following general
schedule: Lenten Service at 7:30 pm in the Sanctuary; Lecture at 8 pm in
Pashalian Hall, followed by questions and answers, a light Lenten meal, and
Fellowship.
MUSICAL ARMENIA
The 2007 Musical Armenia concert will take place Sunday, March 25, 2 pm,
at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York City. Tickets are $25.
Featured artists are bass Serge Barseghyan (accompanied by Evan Solomon)
and the Ararat Trio, comprised of Patil Harboyan, piano; Van Armenian,
violin; and Hrant Parsamian, cello.
Serge Barseghyan has appeared as a soloist in the United States and
Europe, including New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Barcelona, and Valencia.
Patil Harboyan was awarded first prize at the Margo Babikian Piano
Competition in Lebanon and the Armenian Allied Arts Association Competition
in Los Angeles. Van Armenian has served as concertmaster of the Pacific
Music Festival Orchestra in Japan and of the Colorado-based National
Repertory Orchestra. Hrant Parsamian was awarded highest prizes at the
Houston Symphony Ima Hogg Young Artist Competition and the Olga Koussevitzky
Competition.
The Musical Armenia concerts have been presented since 1982. Its goal is
to showcase the talents of young Armenian artists. If you would like to
purchase tickets and/or become a sponsor of this year’s Musical Armenia
concert please contact the Prelacy at 212-689-7810 or by e-mail to
[email protected].
2007 DATEV INSTITUTE SUMMER PROGRAM
The 21st annual St. Gregory of Datev Institute Christian summer studies
program will take place July 1 to 8 in Elverson, Pennsylvania.
SUNDAY OF THE EXPULSION
We are now in Great Lent (Medz Bahk) and the Church has taken on a
mournful and penitential manifestation. The altar is closed, symbolic of the
expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. Holy Communion is not
offered during the Divine Liturgy. It is a period of reflection in our
spiritual journey toward Easter.
Each of the Sundays during Lent has a theme. This Sunday, the second
Sunday of Lent, is the Sunday of the Expulsion (Artaksman Kiraki). The
message for the Sunday of the Expulsion continues with the theme of last
week’s Paregentan Sunday, namely Adam and Eve’s fall and banishment from
Paradise because of their disobedience. "Of the fruit of the tree of
knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of
it you shall die." (Genesis 2:17)
With their expulsion from Paradise, humankind was thus condemned to
experience death, pain and sorrow. The hymns sung on the first two Sundays
of Lent remind us of the expulsion, and give sinners the good tidings that
they may render themselves worthy through repentance.
U.S. AMBASSADOR VISITS HIS HOLINESS
The Ambassador of the United States to Lebanon, Mr. Jeffrey Feltman, met
with His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, last
week. Participating in the meeting was Dr. Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley, the
U.S. State Department’s director for Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. For
nearly two hours, His Holiness and his visitors discussed the situation in
Lebanon with all its aspects and the possibilities of ending the continuing
conflict. The Catholicos expressed concern at the continuation of the
conflict, saying that Lebanon is on the path to self-destruction with the
politicians unfortunately not realizing the consequences of the dangerous
situation. Analyzing the current deadlock, the Pontiff said that in his view
an initiative by Saudi Arabia, in cooperation with some regional powers, is
the only serious alternative that can bring an effective and permanent
resolution of the current conflict. This initiative, the Pontiff said,
should aim to bring together the political and community leaders of Lebanon
and engage them in comprehensive and in-depth discussion on all major
problems facing Lebanon, and reach agreement.
40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ORDINATION OF
ARCHBISHOP OSHAGAN CHOLOYAN
The 40th anniversary of the ordination of our Prelate, Archbishop
Oshagan Choloyan, will take place in three different regions as follows:
May 5-In the New England area in Providence, Rhode Island.
May 12-In the Mid-Atlantic area in Teaneck, New Jersey.
May 18-In the Mid-West in Dearborn, Michigan, during the National
Representative Assembly.
Watch for details.
IN CELEBRATION OF THE YEAR OF THE ARMENIAN LANGUAGE.
"Armenian history is the story of a nation’s constant struggle against
its neighbors and other foreign powers to safeguard its physical existence
and its spiritual convictions. The struggle has been punctuated not only
with humiliating defeats, but also with great triumphs. The greatest of
these was the invention of the Armenian alphabet and the ensuing flourishing
of Armenian literature, which revealed the perseverance, wisdom, and
national character of the Armenian people. Their struggles have instilled in
Armenians a certain ability to grapple with difficulties, to overcome
geographic handicaps, and to excel in the activities they undertake,
intellectual and otherwise. The intrinsic meaning of their literature, then,
is a reflection of their ceaseless strivings for survival and
accomplishment."
The Heritage of Armenian Literature, Volume I (Wayne State University Press)
The Encyclical issued by His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great
House of Cilicia, proclaiming 2007 as the Year of the Armenian Language is
on the Prelacy’s web page
SPEAKING OF LITERATURE.
Most major print and television news outlets reported this week about
the auction of a number of first edition copies of the works of John
Steinbeck last weekend. The collection sold for more than $200,000. What
most of the news reports did not say was that five of the titles-including
the most valuable,
Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck’s epic 1939 novel of migrant workers during the
Depression era-were purchased by a Jim Dourgarian, a Bay Area antiquarian
bookseller who specializes in Steinbeck’s work.
John Steinbeck (1902-1968) received the Pulitzer Prize for Grapes of
Wrath, and in 1962 was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. A large part
of the success of Grapes of Wrath is that it is a good story, a slice of
American history. As one critic noted, "You can read about the lives of
migrant workers in history books, but if you read it in Steinbeck’s version,
you live and breathe it."
DAILY BIBLE READINGS
Bible readings for today, February 22, is Romans 6:3-14.
"Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus
were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism
into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the
Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united
with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a
resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him so
that the sinful body might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved
to sin. For he who has died is freed from sin. But if we have died with
Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. For we know that Christ
being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has
dominion over him. The death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the
life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to
sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your
mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. Do not yield your members to
sin as instruments of wickedness, but yield yourselves to God as men who
have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments
of righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not
under law but under grace." Romans 6:3-14.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
February 21 to March 28-2007 Prelacy Lenten Program, to be held at St.
Illuminator’s Cathedral, New York City, Wednesday evenings during Great
Lent. Lenten service at 7:30 pm; Lecture and Q/A at 8 pm; Lenten meal and
fellowship at 8:45 pm. Theme: Seven Vices and Seven Virtues.
February 25-Membership meeting, St. Gregory Church, Granite City, Illinois.
February 25-First membership meeting, St. Asdvadzadzin Armenian Church,
Whitinsville, Massachusetts.
March 4-Second membership meeting, St. Asdvadzadzin Church, Whitinsville,
Massachusetts.
March 4-Membership meeting, St. Gregory Church, North Andover,
Massachusetts.
March 4-Membership meeting, St. Asdvadzadzin Church, Whitinsville,
Massachusetts.
March 4-Membership meeting, Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield, New Jersey.
March 18-Membership meeting, St. Illuminator Cathedral, New York City.
March 18-Membership meeting, St. Stephen Church, New Britain, Connecticut.
March 25-Musical Armenia 2007, Weill Recital Hall, Carnegie Hall, 2 pm.
Sponsored by Prelacy Ladies Guild. Featured performers are: vocalist Serge
Barseghyan (bass); and Ararat Trio (Van Armenian, violin; Paul Harboyan,
piano; Hrant Parsamian, cello).
April 1-Ladies Guild Annual Palm Sunday Bake Sale, St. Stephen’s Church,
Watertown, Massachusetts.
April 14-Ladies Guild Comedy Night featuring Mel Gibson, Meze and dessert
will be served, St. Stephen’s Church, Watertown, Massachusetts. For
information, 617-924-7562.
May 5-40th anniversary of ordination of Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan in the
New England area will take place in Providence, Rhode Island.
May 6-30th anniversary of St. Illuminator’s Armenian Day School, Terrace on
the Park, Corona, New York, at 5 pm.
May 7-Prelacy Ladies Guild Mothers’ Day Luncheon, St. Regis Hotel, New York
City.
May 12-40th anniversary of ordination of Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan in Mid
Atlantic area will take place at the Marriott at Glenpointe, Teaneck, New
Jersey.
May 12-Soorp Asdvadzadzin Church, Whitinsville, 50th anniversary concert
featuring Onnik Dinkjian and John Berberian.
May 18-40th anniversary of ordination of Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan in
Midwest will take place at the National Representative Assembly.
May 20-"Hello Ellis Island" and Reception, St. Stephen’s Church Hall,
Watertown, Massachusetts. $20 per person. Information, 617-924-7562.
July 1-8-St. Gregory of Datev Institute, 21st annual summer Christian
studies program for junior and senior high school students, at St. Mary of
Providence Center in Elverson, Pennsylvania.
August 7-Soorp Asdvadzadzin Church, Whitinsville, Massachusetts, annual golf
tournament at Blackstone Country Club.
August 19-Soorp Asdvadzadzin Church, Whitinsville, Massachusetts, annual
church picnic.
September 29-Soorp Asdvadzadzin Church, Whitinsville, Massachusetts, 50th
anniversary banquet at Pleasant Valley.
December 1-Soorp Asdvadzadzin Church, Whitinsville, Massachusetts, annual
church bazaar.
December 9-St. Stephen’s Church, Watertown, Massachusetts, 50th anniversary
celebration. For information, (617) 924-7562.
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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
