February 28, 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 TO PRESIDE OVER DIVINE LITURGY AT
ST. MARY’S CHURCH ON THE EVE OF GREAT LENT
Sunday, March 2nd, 2014 is the Eve of Great Lent, or “Poon
Paregentan”.
On this day, H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate, will
preside over Divine Liturgy and deliver the sermon at St. Mary’s Church in
Glendale.
***
GREAT LENT SUNRISE AND VESPER SERVICES
Monday, March 3rd is the start of Great Lent.
During the Lenten period, Sunrise and Vesper services take place in
Prelacy Churches on Wednesday morning and Friday evenings respectively.
Keeping with tradition, on Wednesday, March 5th, the Prelate will
preside over the first Sunrise service of the Lent season at Holy Martyrs
Church in Encino and will deliver his message. Ferrahian School students
who will be in attendance. The service begins at 10:00 a.m.
Following the service, the Prelate will attend the annual Great Lent
luncheon organized by the local ARS “Anahid” Chapter at “Dikranian” Hall,
during which His Eminence will convey his blessings and message.
***
WESTERN PRELACY VARTANANTS CELEBRATION AT
ST. SARKIS CHURCH IN PASADENA
On Thursday, February 27, 2014, the legacy of the Vartanants saints
was honored at St. Sarkis Church in Pasadena with Divine Liturgy presided
over by H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate, and with the
participation of Prelacy clergy members.
Rev. Fr. Boghos Tinkjian celebrated Divine Liturgy and delivered the
sermon with the theme, “Father, those who sacrificed their bodies for You,
became crucified for Your Son, Jesus Christ,” from the words of the
Vartanants hymn. Fr. Boghos briefly went over the historical account of the
battle from 451, stating that the heroes of Vartanants gave up their
physical bodies for their faith in God, to receive spiritual crowns through
their moral victory. Fr. Boghos urged the faithful to honor the memory and
sacrifice of the Vartanants saints by following in their example and
inspiration and defending our faith and identity from assimilation and
secularism. Far away from our ancestral homelands, our church, preserved
for centuries by the blood of St. Vartan, became a second homeland for us;
in return, we must all become Vartans for our church, as the guardians of
our faith, identity, and values, he concluded.
Prior to the sermon, hymns dedicated to Vartanants were sung by the
clergy, and Divine Liturgy concluded with the signing of nationalistic songs
specific to this feast.
After the service, the clergy were hosted to a reception by the
parish Board of Trustees and Ladies Guild. Host parish pastor Rev. Fr.
Boghos Baltayan welcomed the Prelate and his fellow clergymen. The Prelate
commended the clergy as well as the parish pastor, Board members, and Ladies
Guild.
***
PRELACY CLERGY CELEBRATE THE
FEAST OF ST. GHEVONTIANTS
On Tuesday, February 25, 2014, all Prelacy clergy members gathered
at Forty Martyrs Church in Orange County to collectively celebrate the Feast
of St. Ghevontiants.
The Prelate presided over all the day’s services and events.
The day began with morning service. At the end of the service the
Prelate delivered the spiritual meditation on 1 Peter 3:8-13.
Clergy then headed to Ghazarian Hall to convene the annual
Ghevontiants clergy conference.
In the afternoon clergy members gathered at Gugasian Hall for a
Vartanants program presented by Ari Guiragos Minassian School students, at
the conclusion on which the Prelate addressed the students.
The clergy conference reconvened with a lecture by Rev. Fr. Karekin
Bedourian on “Practical ministry in a pastor’s daily life”, followed by a
lecture by Archpriest Fr. Vicken Vassilian on “Renewal of clergymen’s vow
through self-improvement”.
The conference concluded with the reading and discussion of the
“Year of the Elder” Pontifical message.
In the evening, Divine Liturgy was celebrated by Archbishop Yeprem
Tabakian, who also delivered the sermon.
The celebration came to a close with a reception at Gugasian Hall.
In his address to the guests, the Prelate first introduced the
clergy members and commended their service and devotion. He recalled the
clergy who recently joined our Prelacy and also specifically remember the
two recent pastors of Forty Martyrs Church, Archpriest Fathers Hrant
Yeretzian and Nareg Pehlivanian, thanking them for their service on behalf
of the community. His Eminence commended the parish pastor, Board of
Trustees, and Ladies Guild for their dedicated service, and presented them
all with mementos. The Prelate also commended the day’s conference as
organized, successful, and productive, and called on the parishes to
exercise prudence and self-evaluation and improvement so that they fulfill
their mission in a more organized and efficient manner.
The day’s St. Ghevontiants celebration came to a close with the
Prelate’s benediction.
***
PRELATE PRESIDES OVER DIVINE LITURGY AT HOLY CROSS CATHEDRAL IN MONTEBELLO
– REQUIEM FOR A.R.S. MEMBERS, LT. GURGEN MARGARYAN, AND SUMGAIT MASSACRE
VICTIMS
On Sunday, February 23rd, 2014, H.E. Archbishop Moushegh
Mardirossian, Prelate, presided over Divine Liturgy and delivered the sermon
at Holy Cross Cathedral in Montebello.
By the ordinance of the Prelate and in coordination with the
Armenian Relief Society Regional Executive, requiem was held in all Prelacy
Churches for departed ARS members and benefactors. Requiem was also offered
for the soul of Lt. Gurgen Margaryan on the 10th anniversary of his murder,
and for the victims of the Sumgait, Baku, and Maragha massacres.
The Prelate first greeted the faithful, among them Sunday School
students. At the start of his sermon His Eminence reflected on the day’s
somber occasions. The Prelate spoke of the ARS as one of the most vital and
beloved organizations in the life of the Armenian people and praised the
organization’s social, educational, health, welfare, and cultural mission
across over two dozen countries around the world. “Today we remember
departed ARS servants and benefactors who through their service and support
contributed to the fulfillment of this organization’s mission. We remember
also Lt. Gurgen Margaryan, who was brutally murdered just for being
Armenian, and the innocent victims of the Sumgait, Baku, Maragha, and other
massacres, who were also targeted simply because of their ethnicity. May
God grant peace to their souls and may their memory remain ever-blessed”.
The Prelate then turned to the day’s reading from John 7:37-52 in
which Jesus says, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who
believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers
of living water”. Reflecting on the message of the passage, His Eminence
stated that centuries later Jesus is and will always remain the source of
true water, nourishing our souls and quenching a spiritual thirst that
cannot be satisfied by anyone or anything else.
His Eminence then spoke of the Ghevontiants and Vartanants feasts
the Armenian Church would be observing in the week ahead honoring the
indestructible faith, courage, dedication, patriotism, and sacrifice of our
heroes in the name of God and our nation, to preserve our Armenian identity
and religious freedom.
At the conclusion of Divine Liturgy, the Prelate presided over the
requiem service during which he noted the recent passing of benefactor
Eleanor Dickranian and offered a prayer for the repose of her soul. The
Prelate also contacted the benefactor’s daughter, Laurel Karabian, to
personally express condolences to her and family members on behalf of the
Prelacy.
***
PRELATE WELCOMES GOGUIKIAN FOUNDATION
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
On Wednesday, February 26, 2014, H.E. Archbishop Moushegh
Mardirossian, Prelate, welcomed the visit of Goguikian Foundation Executive
Director Mrs. Soheila Hayek, who is currently in the U.S. to promote the
Foundation’s mission.
Ms. Hayek reported that the Goguikian Foundation is a non-profit,
apolitical foundation established in 2008 in Lebanon by Michel Goguikian,
son of the late ambassador Jean Goguikian, with a mission to encourage young
Lebanese Armenians to participate in the public sector by offering
scholarships, financial aid, and classes. Lebanese citizens continue to
face daily struggles such as water shortages, electricity outages, and
general poverty, said Ms. Hayek, and so the Goguikian Foundation aims to
improve the daily lives and overall standard of living of Lebanese citizens
by encouraging the youth to enter the public sector and bring about positive
changes for the country.
The Prelate welcomed Ms. Hayek and conveyed his well wishes to Mr.
Goguikian, who was unable to participate in the visit. Acknowledging that
youth involvement is vital to a nation’s future, His Eminence commended the
Foundation’s endeavors and wished them success in their important mission.
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