PATRIARCH GIVEN A CHANCE TO REACH OUT TO U.S. YOUTH
By Johna. Gavin, McClatchy Newspapers
Bismarck Tribune, North Dakota
Nov 15 2007
FAIR LAWN, N.J. – As His Holiness Karekin II entered the hall at
St. Leon Armenian Church on Saturday – the last leg of his visit to
the eastern United States – 3-year-old Arto Steparnian of Greenwich,
Conn., accidentally walked into his path.
The spiritual leader of Armenian Christians, along with an entourage
of archbishops and other clergy, led Arto by the hand to the front
of the service, attended by about 500 people.
The event was part of a 30-day visit within the Diocese of the
Eastern United States, in which Karekin has met with Armenian clergy,
educators, government leaders and church members in small communities.
However, he has emphasized meeting youth groups in an effort to push
the Old World denomination into relevance with the young.
"The youth is that entity of life that bears strength, as with all
society," Karekin said through an interpreter. "The church places
great importance on education. Our churches have youth organizations
and religious classes for young boys and girls. … We also have a
college ministry."
Since being elected supreme patriarch for most of the world’s 8
million Armenians, Karekin, 56, has used his youthful energy and
evangelizing to demonstrate how a church with ancient rituals and
customs can become involved in today’s issues.
Earlier this month, while in New Orleans, he worked with Habitat
for Humanity to help repaint a home that was destroyed by Hurricane
Katrina.
That good will and concern for the less fortunate has rubbed off
on many youths, including Jeremy Badach, 16, of Wyckoff, N.J., who
took two weeks off this summer with a church group to help repair a
dilapidated home in Khor Virap, Armenia.
"It wasn’t a sacrifice," said Jeremy, who helped a family install
plumbing and electricity in a shell of a home that had been
abandoned. "I wanted to go. I wanted to help someone out."
At Saturday’s youth event, in which the service was conducted in
Armenian, young people took part from churches and schools in New
Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and New York.
"It was a great experience, because I was never exposed to Armenian
culture," said Armine Arushanova, 22, of Brooklyn, N.Y., who emigrated
to the United States three years ago from Uzbekistan.
Arushanova, who grew up in the former Soviet state, where Islam now
prevails, said she never had the chance to learn Armenian religious
rituals.
She was part of a youth dance team from a mission that teaches
religion, history, language and dance.
During the two-hour event, Karekin was entertained by dances and
songs, and gave participants a chance to reflect on their religious
heritage. The service ended with the church leader giving each
young person a cross and official photograph of himself and the Holy
Etchmiadzin, the church’s headquarters in Vagharshapat, Armenia. Then
they ate pizza.
Armenians trace their church to the Year 301, when Armenia became the
first country to adopt Christianity as its national religion. The
country has had a turbulent history – including mass killings by
the Ottoman Turks during what’s often called the Armenian genocide,
from 1915 to 1923.
The U.S. House of Representatives, responding to Turkish protests,
recently delayed action on a resolution that would formally describe
the Turkish persecution of Armenians as genocide. Turkey is a NATO
ally and a critical transit point for U.S. supplies heading to Iraq.
Karekin, who grew up under Soviet religious restrictions, supports
the resolution.
"We believe that this is the only way – through recognition and
condemnation – that we can prevent similar crimes and the taking
of life," he said. "The decision on the resolution is a spiritual
consolation. It’s consolation for our people because each family
had victims."
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