PRESS RELEASE
Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apost. Church of America and Canada
H.E. Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan
Prelate, Easter Prelacy and Canada
138 East 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
Tel: 212-689-7810
Fax: 212-689-7168
Web:
August 16, 2012
BLESSING OF THE GRAPES
Last Sunday, parishes throughout the Eastern Prelacy
commemorated the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God, and the
Blessing of the Grapes, a popular tradition often conducted outside in
the open fields. The Eastern Prelacy’s Vicar, Bishop Anoushavan,
celebrated the Divine Liturgy and the Blessing of the Grapes at
St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston, New York.
Bishop Anoushavan and Rev. Fr. Nareg Terterian during the Blessing of
the Grapes service at St. Sarkis Church in Douglaston, New York with
Deacon Bedros Kalajian and Archpriest Fr. Moushegh Der Kaloustian
assisting.
GRAPE BLESSING FOR RESIDENTS OF HOME IN FLUSHING
On Wednesday, August 15, Rev. Fr. Mesrob Lakissian, pastor of
St. Illuminator’s Cathedral, New York City, together with some
parishioners visited the Armenian Home for the Aged in Flushing, New
York. Der Mesrob conducted the Blessing of the Grapes ceremony for the
residents and staff
of the Home.
Der Hayr explained the significance of the centuries-old tradition of
the grape blessing before the ceremony. Afterward he greeted and
blessed
each of the residents individually and presented each a bag of the
blessed
grapes.
Der Mesrob visits the Home weekly, usually on Wednesdays, and he often
makes special visits to visit those who are ill at the Home or in the
hospital. His weekly visits have become welcome and anticipated events
for the residents.
Before departing Der Mesrob presented a gift of five hundred dollars
to the Home on behalf of St. Illuminator’s Cathedral.
Rev. Fr. Mesrob Lakissian offers blessed grapes to the residents of
the Home.
Der Hayr and parishioners with staff members of the Home for the Aged
in Flushing, New York.
BLESSING OF THE GRAPES IN NEW JERSEY
Rev. Fr. Hovnan Bozoian with deacons and altar servers at
Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield, New Jersey, during the Blessing of
the Grapes ceremony.
Later in the afternoon the Blessing of the Grapes ceremony was
repeated at
the annual church picnic sponsored by Sts. Vartanantz Church and the
Dro Gomideh, with more than 250 parishioners and friends in
attendance.
VICAR WILL TRAVEL TO TROY
Bishop Anoushavan will preside over the 8th day celebration of the
Assumption of the Holy Virgin Mary, at Holy Cross Church in Troy, New
York.
ANEC WILL SPONSOR SEMINAR THIS SATURDAY
The Armenian National Education Committee (ANEC) is sponsoring a
teachers’ seminar-workshop, `Train the Trainer: Armenian as a
Second Language for Newcomers.’ The seminar, which is under the
auspices of His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan, will take place at the
Prelacy offices in New York this Saturday, August 18, beginning at 10
am and continuing to 4:30 pm. For information:
[email protected] or 212-689-7231.
CENTENNIAL BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION
Last Sunday, Rev. Fr. Mesrob Lakissian, pastor of St. Illuminator’s
Cathedral in New York, along with family, friends, and parishioners
gathered at the Bucharest Restaurant in Sunnyside to celebrate the
100th birthday of Mr. Dickran Tavitian, a parishioner at the
Cathedral. The Centennal party was organized by Mr. Tavitian’s
children.
Born on July 31, 1912, in Bazarchiki, Bulgaria, Mr. Tavitian’s family
moved to Romania. In 1938 he married Hripsime Vanlian. They were
blessed with three children, Stepan, Arsineh, and Azniv, five
grandchildren, and four great grandchildren.
`Mr. Tavitian and his family have been one of the most dedicated
members of the Cathedral and the Armenian community since they came to
the United States from Romania many decades ago,’ said
Rev. Fr. Lakissian. Der Hayr warmly congratulated Mr. Tavitian on his
milestone birthday, expressed thanks for his dedication and support of
the Mother Church, and wished him continued good health.
Rev. Fr. Mesrob Lakissian presents Dickran Tavitian with a plaque and
a silver Dickran the Great pin in honor of his 100th birthday.
BIBLE READINGS
Bible readings for Sunday, August 19, First Sunday after the
Assumption of the Holy Mother of God, are, Proverbs 11:30-12:4;
Zechariah 2:10-13; 2 Corinthians 6:16-7:1; Luke 1:39-56.
In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the
hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted
Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in
her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed
with a loud cry, `Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the
fruit of
your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my
Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting,
the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed
that there would be
a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.’
And Mary said, `My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in
God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his
servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for
the Mighty One has done great things for me and holy is his name. His
mercy
is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown
strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of
their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and
lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and
sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel in
remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our
ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.’
And Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her
home. (Luke 1:39-56)
For a listing of the coming week’s Bible readings click here
().
SAINTS JOACHIM AND ANNA and THE OIL-BEARING WOMEN
On Tuesday, August 21, the Armenian Church commemorates Saints Joachim
and Anna, parents of Mary, the mother of Christ. Joachim, son of
Barpathir, was a descendant of David, to whom God had told that the
Savior of the
world would be born through his descendants. Anna was a descendant of
the tribe of Levi through her father, and the tribe of Judah through
her mother. Joachim and Anna were childless through years of marriage
and were reproached for their barrenness. Joachim fasted for forty
days in the desert and both of them prayed for a child, ultimately
placing their trust in God’s will, whatever it may be. An angel
appeared to each of them telling them they would be the parents of a
daughter, in spite of their advanced age. That child was Mary, the
blessed mother of Christ.
On the same day the Church remembers the oil-bearing women
(Myrophores). These are the eight women who are identified as the oil-
or myrrh-bearers in the four Gospels who had different roles during
Christ’s ministry, at the Cross, and the tomb on Easter morning. The
eight women are: Mary Magdalene, Mary (Theotokos), Joanna, Salome,
Mary (wife of Cleopas), Susanna, Mary of Bethany, and Martha of
Bethany.
ST. JEREMIAH THE PROPHET
On Thursday, August 23, the Armenian Church remembers Jeremiah, one
of the prophets of the Old Testament. His writings are collected in
the Old Testament book of Jeremiah and the Book of Lamentations is
attributed to him. God appointed Jeremiah to confront Judah and
Jerusalem for the worship
of idols and other violations of the covenant (described in the Book
of Deuteronomy). Jeremiah had the task of explaining the reason for
the impending disaster-the destruction by the Babylonian army and
captivity: =80=9CAn d when your people say, `Why has the Lord our God
done all these things to us?’ you shall say to them, `As you have
forsaken me and served foreign gods in your land, so you shall serve
foreigners in a land that is not yours.”
NEWS FROM THE CATHOLICOSATE
PILGRIMAGE IN BIKFAYA
His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Holy See of Cilicia, presided
over the annual day of pilgrimage to the Monastery of St. Mary the
Theotokos in Bikfaya, Lebanon, on the occasion of the Feast of the
Assumption and
the Blessing of the Grapes. This pilgrimage day has been observed in
Bikfaya faithfully since 1952. The beautiful mountain town of Bikfaya
is the summer home of the Catholicosate and the site of the Cilician
See’s Theological Seminary.
Pilgrims begin arriving on Saturday to pray, meditate and give
offerings. This year the Seminary organized conferences and meetings
to coincide with the pilgrimage and feast day.
On Sunday evening, His Holiness presided over the Divine Liturgy,
celebrated by Archbishop Souren Kataroyan in front of St. Mary’s
chapel.
The pilgrimage concluded on Monday with the Commemoration Liturgy for
the departed faithful, and an agape lunch, attended by the pilgrims,
His
Holiness, clergy, seminarians and the Women’s Committee.
THIS WEEK IN ARMENIAN HISTORY
Prepared by the Armenian National Education Committee (ANEC)
Birth of Shushanik Kurghinian (August 18, 1876)
Quite a neglected name in the literary canon, Shushanik Kurghinian was
one of the earliest figures of Armenian feminist literature. Shushanik
Popoljian was born in Alexandropol (today Gyumri) into a poor
family. She wrote in her autobiography, `Sometimes father would bring
his shoe-repair `workstation’ home, in order to save money, and I
would work for him demanding my wages, every single kopeck. Mother,
being raised in a traditional household, would reprove of my `ill
behavior toward my parent,’ blaming those harmful books for corrupting
me.’
She first studied at an all-girls school. In 1893, at the age of 17,
she organized the first female faction of the Social Democratic
Hnchakian
Party (founded in 1887). She was twenty-one when she married Arshak
Kurghinian, a businessman and a member of the socialist underground in
the Caucasus. She published her first poem in 1899 in the monthly
Taraz. Her activities against the Russian czar blacklisted her. In
1903 she escaped to Rostov-on-Don, in the northern Caucasus,
with her two children, while her husband stayed in
Alexandropol. Living in
utmost hardship and poverty, Shushanik Kurghinian immersed herself in
the Russian revolutionary milieu and some of her most powerfully
charged poetry
was written from1907-1909, during the years of her affiliation with
Rostov’s proletarian underground.
She managed to clandestinely publish her first collection of 43 poems,
Ringing of the Dawn, assisted by Alexander Miasnikian, the future
leader of the communist party in Soviet Armenia. Her second
forthcoming volume, however, was rejected by the censors and never
released. Her poetry brought
out the most silenced voices and raised such issues as the unjust
social conditions that forced poor women to lives of prostitution and
exploitation.
Kurghinian used poetry to promote feminist ideals, envisioning a
social revolution through women’s struggle for equal rights and
emancipation.
She continued to write and participate in social projects, but her
fragile health became an issue. She moved back to Alexandropol in
1921, a year after the sovietization of Armenia. She traveled to
Kharkov and Moscow
in 1925 for medical treatment, but returned home disappointed. After
the earthquake of Leninakan (the name of Alexandropol from 1924-1990)
in 1926, she settled in Yerevan. She died the next year at the age of
fifty-one.
During the Soviet era, Kurghinian’s poetry was used only for socialist
propaganda, thus undermining the artistic merit of this writer and
activist. Her feminist works were marginalized. As Victoria Rowe
writes
in A History of Armenian Women’s Writing, 1880-1922, `Soviet literary
criticism ignored the gender specific aspects of Kurghinian’s works
because they posited that socialist society would eliminate women’s
problems, and any specific addressing of women’s issues was condemned
as `bourgeois’.’ Her works have started to be seen under a new light
over the past few years.
()
FROM THE PRELACY BOOKSTORE
A New Publication:
Be Like a Bee
By Seta Simonian
Illustrated by Agata Badalyan
Presented in chapter-form with colorful, vivid illustrations, this
picture book gives an interesting story as well as scientific
information about bees through a narrative form. The author first
observed the world of beehives in Dilijan during a trip to Armenia. In
this story Merry Bee teaches readers about the characteristics and
work of bees through her own exploration of life as a bee in
Dilijan. Queen Bee teachers her daughter Merry Bee that through hard
work, goals can be accomplished. Merry Bee learns that
the traits of a bee
(hardworking, attentive, persistent, polite, intelligent, nice,
energetic,
sensible, and sincere) make happiness.
The songs included in the book are also recorded on a CD available for
purchase separately.
Be Like a Bee, 58 pages, softcover, $23.00, plus shipping & handling.
To order these or other items contact the bookstore by email at
[email protected] or by telephone at 212-689-7810.
()
PONTIFICAL VISIT COUNTDOWN
Beginning next week, Crossroads will highlight an aspect of the
upcoming Pontifical Visit of His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the
Holy See of Cilicia. His Holiness will arrive in New York on October 4
and will visit
the parishes of the Eastern Prelacy through October 31. We invite you
to visit the Prelacy web site where a lot of information about the
visit is available. We also invite you to be our friend on Facebook.
To get to our web site click here
().
To get to our Facebook page click here
().
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
August 18-The Armenian National Education Committee (ANEC) sponsors a
teachers’ seminar-workshop, `Train the Trainer: Armenian as a Second
Language for Newcomers,’ for ANEC-affiliated schools,
under the auspices of His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, at the
Armenian Prelacy headquarters, New York, from 10 am to 4:30 pm. For
information, email [email protected] or call (212) 689-7231.
August 19-Annual church picnic and Blessing of the Grapes,
St. Asdvadzadzin Church, Whitinsville, Massachusetts. Festivities
start at noon on
the church grounds; free parking and admission; shish kebab, losh
kebab, chicken kebab, khema and homemade desserts. Music by John
Berberian and Ensemble. For information: 508-234-3677.
September 9-Picnic-Festival sponsored by St. Gregory Church and
St. Michael Parish of North Andover, Massachusetts, 1 pm to 6
pm. Games and activities for the whole family. Armenian and American
music. Menu from St. Michael includes: hamburgers, hot dogs, pasta
salad, chips, popcorn, slush,
American pastries. Menu from St. Gregory includes: Shish, Losh,
Chicken Kebab and Lentil Kheyma dinners, Pilaf, Salad, Pita and
Armenian pastries. For information: 978-685-5038 (St. Gregory);
978-686-4050 (St. Michael).
September 16-St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston, New York, Annual Church
Picnic, on the church grounds, noon to 6 pm. Best kebabs, cold beer
and tan, watermelon, home-made sweets, special `Kid-Zone’ activities
for children. Also Armenian music and dancing, raffle with great
prizes. Takeout available all day. Admission free. For information
718-224-2275.
October 4-31-Pontifical Visit to the Eastern Prelacy by His Holiness
Aram I, Catholicos of the Holy See of Cilicia.
November 10-Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society of
New Jersey and Vanush Khanamiryan Dance Academy of New York, present
Inga
& Anush with performances by Hamazkayin Nayiri Dance Ensemble of New
Jersey, Hamazkayin Meghri Dance Ensemble of Pennsylvania, and Vanush
Khanamiryan
Dance Academy of New York and Connecticut. Felician College, 262 South
Main Street, Lodi, New Jersey, 5 pm. For reservations ($35 – $70) and
information: 201-739-9557, 201-684-1509, or
().
November 11-Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society of
Boston and Vanush Khanamiryan Dance Academy proudly present Inga &
Anush with performance by Erebouni Dance Ensemble of Hamazkayin
Boston. Shaw Auditorium, Watertown High School, Watertown,
Massachusetts, 5 pm. For reservations ($35 – $45) and information:
617-331-0426 or
().
November 18-St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston, New York, 50th anniversary
jubilee.
Web pages of the parishes can be accessed through the Prelacy’s web
site.
To ensure the timely arrival of Crossroads in your electronic mailbox,
add
[email protected] to your address book.
Items in Crossroads can be reproduced without permission. Please
credit Crossroads as the source.
Parishes of the Eastern Prelacy are invited to send information about
their major events to be included in the calendar. Send to:
[email protected]
http://www.armenianprelacy.org/
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