November 7, 2014
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 TRAVELS TO ANTELIAS AND ETCHMIADZIN
On Monday, November 3, 2014, H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian,
Prelate, traveled to Antelias, Lebanon, to join the Bishops of the Holy See
of Cilicia Brotherhood for the upcoming Bishops’ Synod to be held in
Etchmiadzin next week.
The Synod will be presided over by H.H. Karekin II, Catholicos of
All Armenians, and H.H. Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia.
Items on the agenda include the canonization of victims of the Armenian
Genocide and various theological and ecclesiastical matters. The Prelate is
a member of the Canonization Committee. The previous Bishops’ Synod, the
first in six centuries, was held in the September 2013.
***
FRESNO COMMUNITY CELEBRATES 100TH ANNIVERSARY
OF THE CONSECRATION OF HOLY TRINITY CHURCH
The weekend of November 1, 2014 was a historic one for the Fresno
parish family as the community gathered to celebrate the centennial
anniversary of the consecration of Holy Trinity Church with Episcopal Divine
Liturgy and a gala banquet.
H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate, arrived in Fresno on
Saturday, November 1st to preside over the festivities. He was accompanied
by Rev. Fr. Boghos Tinkjian and Deacon Khatchig Shannakian. Executive
Council Chair Mr. Vahe Hovaguimian and members Mr. Vahrij Pilavjian and
Deacon Mark Shirin participated in the weekend’s events.
On Sunday, November 2nd, the Prelate celebrated Divine Liturgy and
delivered the sermon at Holy Trinity, assisted at the altar by Fr. Boghos,
parish pastor Rev. Fr. Vahan Gosdanian, and deacons.
Prior to the Prelate’s sermon, on behalf of the parish, Fr. Vahan
welcomed His Eminence and thanked him for joining the community on this
special occasion.
The Prelate first thanked God for the day and congratulated the
community, wishing for Holy Trinity Church to remain the heart of the
community for centuries more. He greeted the Executive Council members,
parish delegates, board members and all the dedicated servants, and also
Sunday School youth who were present. Noting that the previous day was All
Saints’ Day, His Eminence wished for the virtuous conduct and deeds of our
martyrs and holy fathers to inspire us all in our faith and service. The
Prelate then turned to the day’s reading from the Gospel of Luke, a lesson
on hearing and putting into practice the Word of God. He exhorted the
faithful to be like our saints and the champions of our faith who heard the
Word of God with their physical and spiritual ears, received it into the
depths of their hearts, and rooted Christ in their souls where their faith
matured and produced plentiful fruit that shaped our faith and nation.
Disciples of Christ are commissioned to share the good news of the
Gospel with others so that the Light and Truth of Christ can illuminate the
world, said the Prelate. Our saints did just this, he said, they positioned
the lamp of God’s Word at the core of their lives, allowed it to light their
path and the path of our nation, and through their faith and dedicated life
of service, showed us the true meaning of being Disciples of Christ. In
their ideal example, let us too proclaim His Word proudly and boldly,
especially to our children by focusing on their spiritual development and
instructing them to be receptive to His Word, so that it may sink deep into
their hearts and take root in their souls from a young age, and one day bear
fruit for His glory and for the splendor of our Church and nation.
Concluding his sermon, the Prelate prayed for God to bless the
memory of the Church founders who served with faith and devotion in the
example of our saints, and urged for their legacy to encourage the faithful
in their service with reinforced faith and commitment. During the requiem
service, prayers were offered for the souls of the founding generation and
all past pastors, delegates, board members and servants. At the conclusion
of the service, the Prelate was escorted in a procession to the site of the
Church cornerstone where a plaque indicates the construction of the Church
in 1914, a year before the Armenian Genocide. Thanksgiving prayers were
offered at the site. The service came to a close with Cilicia and the
Armenian national anthem.
BANQUET
The centennial gala banquet was held on Saturday evening at the hall
of the Fresno Convention Center, presided over by the Prelate and with the
participation of Executive Council members and over six hundred guests. The
evening began with welcoming remarks by Master of Ceremonies Ani
Hovannesian, followed by the American and Armenian national anthems, and the
invocation and blessing of tables by the Prelate. Centennial Committee
Co-Chairs Michelle Asadoorian and Leslee Minas shared memories of the
service of their parents and grandparents to Holy Trinity Church, signifying
the continuity of service from generation to generation.
During dinner, guests enjoyed musical entertainment by the Mazmanian
family from San Francisco and a video presentation of the Church history.
Artist Arev Petrosyan from Armenia presented the Church with a painting she
had created for the occasion. Guests also enjoyed the centennial
commemorative booklet published on this occasion.
On behalf of the Board of Trustees, Chairman Mr. Varoujan Der
Simonian thanked the Prelate and greeted the guests. His message focused on
the blessings and successes of the past one hundred years. Echoing the words
of His Holiness Aram I that “building a church is important, but becoming a
church is more important,” he commended the devotion of successive
generations since the founding of the Church, expressed thanks to all for
their enduring support and encouraged them to continue with the same
dedication.
Executive Council Chair Vahe Hovaguimian conveyed the Council’s
congratulations to the community. He noted that faith in our Resurrected
Christ and allegiance to our Armenian spirit has kept the Armenian Church
strong through the centuries, and called on the gathering to do their part
in keeping the Armenian Church strong.
Parish Pastor Rev. Fr. Vahan Gosdanian commended the dedicated
service and support of generation after generation to the continuation of
the Church, and thanked God for guiding them to the centennial celebration.
The Prelate was then invited to deliver the evening’s keynote
speech.
His Eminence greeted and congratulated the parish members on the
jubilant occasion, stating that as the first Armenian Church in the Western
United States, in the past they were an inspiration to other communities who
had a dream of having their own church, but they are still an example to our
parishes that look to them as proof that it is possible not only to maintain
but to flourish a church for over a century. The mission of maintaining a
church is an ongoing one, stressed the Prelate, as continuous work is needed
to draw in new faithful to the church and to ensure that our faith and
heritage is bequeathed from generation to generation to ensure the
perpetuation of our religious and ethnic identity. “This centennial
celebration today, and the forthcoming 114th anniversary of the
establishment of this parish, is a powerful demonstration of this
community’s faith and commitment to the liveliness of this church. The
foundation for Holy Trinity was set long ago, but the torch lit by the
founding generations at the start of the 20th century continues to burn
bright owing to the faithful service of successive generations. Now we must
do our best to guarantee that our successors keep the flame burning for
generations more, toward the bicentennial and beyond, through renewal and by
focusing on our youth,” said His Eminence, and went on to speak about the
importance of evolving with the times while remaining true to our roots and
of properly instructing our youth who we will trust to carry on our faith
and heritage.
The Prelate stressed that the duty of maintaining a Church is not
solely that of the leadership, it belongs to all, from the Pastor, to the
delegates, board members, to the parishioners, each of whom collectively
form the backbone of the Church. Thus, he noted that the day is a day of
celebration but also an opportunity to reaffirm their commitment to this
mission with renewed vigor, to keep Holy Trinity Church as strong as
possible for as long as possible. His Eminence concluded by praying for God
to safeguard the Church and all those who serve for its splendor.
The official program concluded with the benediction and Cilicia,
after which the evening continued with entertainment by Harout Pamboukjian.
***
PRELATE PARTICIPATES IN GROUNDBREAKING OF
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MONUMENT AT FRESNO STATE
By the invitation of the Armenian Genocide Centennial Committee of
Fresno, on Sunday, November 2, 2014, hundreds gathered at the courtyard of
Fresno State for the groundbreaking of the Armenian Genocide monument.
Guests included clergy, elected officials, university officials, community
leaders and members.
H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate, participated in the
ceremony. He was accompanied by Rev. Fr. Boghos Tinkjian and Rev. Fr. Vahan
Gosdanian. Executive Council Chair Mr. Vahe Hovaguimian and members were in
attendance, as well as Holy Trinity Church Board of Trustees members.
The program began with the flag ceremony by Homenetmen scouts,
followed by the American and Armenian national anthems by Keyan Armenian
Community School students. Remarks were delivered by dignitaries and elected
officials, Fresno State administrators, Armenian Genocide Centennial
Committee members, and Monument Committee members.
The groundbreaking was conducted by clergy, assisted by deacons and
choir members. Community representatives and Keyan School students together
brought forth the soil, collected from various regions in Armenia, for the
clergy to bless.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, the Prelate addressed the
gathering, first thanking God for the opportunity to participate in what he
referred to as a day of varied emotions. “We are filled with gratitude that
this region, home to Armenians for nearly one hundred and fifty years, will
finally have its own fitting tribute to the 1.5 million martyrs of the
Armenian Genocide. We are proud, of the hard work of the Armenian Genocide
Centennial Committee of the San Joaquin Valley and all those involved in
implementing and carrying out this historic project. And we are empowered;
empowered because this groundbreaking ceremony today sends a resounding
message to Turkey and to the world that yes, one hundred years have passed,
but the Armenian people will never forget, and we will not let the world
forget.”
His Eminence thanked Fresno State President Dr. Joseph Castro and
the administration for allotting the site on their campus, and thanked the
Committee members for their hard work in planning and implementing the
project through which we will keep the memory, sacrifices, and legacy of our
martyrs alive, he stated. “The groundbreaking of this monument here today
inspires us to keep educating and keep hoping, driven by the Genocide
Centennial motto ‘we remember and we demand,’ for the day will come that the
Armenian Genocide will be accepted as irrefutable fact by Turkey, by the
United States of America, and by all the peoples of the world,” concluded
the Prelate.
***
PRELATE VISITS NEW HONORARY CONSUL IN FRESNO
On the weekend of November 1, 2014, H.E. Archbishop Moushegh
Mardirossian, Prelate, was in Fresno to preside over the centennial
celebration of the consecration of Holy Trinity Church. Given that the
Prelate was unable to attend the official opening of the new Armenian
Consulate in Fresno, His Eminence took the opportunity to pay a
congratulatory visit to the newly appointed Honorary Consul, Mr. Berj
Apkarian. He was accompanied by Rev. Fr. Boghos Tinkjian and Rev. Fr. Vahan
Gosdanian.
Upon their arrival at the Consulate, the Prelate and clergy were
greeted by Mr. Apkarian, who gave them a tour of the offices and an overview
of the work carried out there. The Prelate commended the opening of an
Armenian Consulate in Fresno and congratulated Mr. Apkarian on his
appointment. He wished him success in his new duties and presented him with
the Prelacy memento.
Mr. Apkarian thanked His Eminence for the visit and for the
congratulatory letter he had send on the occasion of the official opening.
***
PRELATE DELIVERS INVOCATION AT
ANCA-WR ANNUAL BANQUET
On Sunday, November 2, 2014, the annual banquet of the Armenian
National Committee of America – Western Region was held at the Beverly
Hilton Hotel. The Prelate attended and conveyed his blessings and well
wishes to the ANCA family and to the evening’s honorees, who were; President
Bako Sahakyan, Near East Foundation, Mr. Vahe Karapetian, CA State Senator
Kevin de Leon, Mr. David Balabanian Esq., and ANCA grassroots volunteers.
In his invocation and message, the Prelate noted that on the eve of
the Armenian Genocide, it is imperative to intensify our efforts so that we
can attain long overdue recognition and justice. Thus he asked for the
Lord’s strength, wisdom, and guidance upon the leadership, staff and
volunteers of the ANCA so that they may lead the way to the fulfillment of
our ultimate goals and dreams. The Prelate commended all of the evening’s
honorees as advocates of truth, justice, and human rights, and paid special
tribute to the Near East Relief for their vital humanitarian support to the
survivors of the Armenian Genocide, and to the orphans especially.
Religious Council, Executive Council, and Ladies Auxiliary members
were among the guests in attendance.
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