Untitled DocumentPRESS 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
DECEMBER 6, 2007
PRELATE ISSUES ANNUAL CHRISTMAS MESSAGE
During this Advent period leading to the celebration of the
birth of our Lord Jesus Christ on January 6, His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan
issued his annual Christmas Message to the Faithful.
Concentrating on the theme of "Peace and Righteousness," the
Prelate’s message is filled with biblical symbolism and a call for wordly
peace that comes through justice and righteousness and the peace of Christ
which is established by the tranquility in our inner self which comes only
through Christ.
To read the Prelate’s Christmas message in Armenian click
geArm.pdf.
To read the Prelate’s Christmas message in English click
PREL ATE WILL VISIT GRANITE CITY COMMUNITY
THIS WEEKEND; JOIN IN ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
Archbishop Oshagan will travel to Granite City, Illinois, this
weekend to join with the parishioners of St. Gregory the Illuminator Church
in celebration of the church’s anniversary. The original church on Maple
Street was consecrated in 1954; the present edifice was consecrated on
October 12, 1997, by His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of
Cilicia. Archbishop Oshagan will celebrate the Divine Liturgy and deliver
the sermon on Sunday.
PRELATE ATTENDS SERVICE AND LUNCHEON
FOR POLICE AND FIRE FIGHTERS
Archbishop Oshagan attended a special Thanksgiving and Christmas
luncheon yesterday, December 5, at St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston, New York,
in honor of the members of the local New York City police and fire
departments (111th precinct). This annual event hosted by the church is
attended by parishioners, especially many senior citizens. The day began
with a worship service led by the Prelate and Rev. Fr. Nareg Terterian,
pastor of St. Sarkis. A luncheon followed the service with delicious food
and great fellowship.
BLESSING OF MURON IN 2008
The Catholicosate of the Holy See of Cilicia announced that His
Holiness Catholicos Aram I will consecrate the Holy Muron (Holy Oil) next
year on June 7, 2008. The Holy Muron, symbol of the grace of the Holy
Spirit, is traditionally blessed every seven years. Only the Catholicos can
consecrate the oil which is then distributed to the various dioceses for
distribution to the parishes. The oil consists of 48 different herbs,
flowers, and oils which are combined in a special vessel and mixed with some
of the old Muron, creating an unbroken chain with the past.
The Muron Blessing is expected to attract a large number of
pilgrims from various parts of the world. More details will be forthcoming.
INTERNATIONAL YOUTH GATHERING IN AUGUST 2008
An International Gathering of Youth is being organized by the
Holy See of Cilicia. His Holiness Aram I is inviting the youth, 18 years and
older, to attend this gathering which will include a one-week pilgrimage to
Der Zor. Details will follow.
MIDDLE EAST COUNCIL OF CHURCHES MEETS IN CYPRUS
The 9th General Assembly of the Middle East Council of Churches
(MECC), convened in Cyprus from November 27 to 30. During the concluding
session elections of Presidents, the General Secretary and the members of
the Executive Committee took place. Catholicos Aram I was elected President
on behalf of the Oriental Orthodox Churches. The other presidents are:
Patriarch of Jerusalem His Holiness Teopilos III (Orthodox); Archbishop
Boulos Matar (Roman Catholic); and Rev. Safouad Bayadi (Protestant). Bishop
Kegham Khatcherian (Primate of the Diocese of Lebanon) was elected as a
member of the Executive Committee. Dr. Gerges Saleh (Coptic Orthodox Church)
was reelected to continue his service as General Secretary.
Dr. Saleh visited His Holiness in Antelias on December 4.
Accompanying the General Secretary was the director of the MECC’s "Life and
Service" unit, Mrs. Seta Khedeshian. His Holiness presented his thoughts and
expectations to the General Secretary, stressing the importance of reform
and review.
CATHOLICOSATE IS FOUNDING MEMBER OF REGIONAL
COMMITTEE OF "RELIGIONS FOR PEACE"
The founding meeting of the Middle East Committee of the
international organization, Religions for Peace, convened in Alexandria,
Egypt, on December 3. As an honorary president of the organization,
Catholicos Aram I was invited to attend the meeting. Bishop Nareg Alemezian,
Ecumenical Officer of the Catholicosate, represented the Holy See of
Cilicia. He conveyed the greetings of the Catholicos to the participants.
The General Secretary of Religions for Peace, Dr. William Vendli, presented
a report which proposed to set-up a committee in the Middle East. Bishop
Nareg was elected a member of the founding committee.
PRELATE PRESIDES OVER 43RD ANNIVERSARY OF
SOORP KHATCH CHURCH IN MARYLAND
Last weekend, Archbishop Oshagan, traveled to Bethesda, Maryland, to join
the parishioners of Soorp Khatch Church in celebration of the parish’s 43rd
anniversary. His Eminence celebrated the Divine Liturgy, assisted by the
parish’s priest, Rev. Fr. Sarkis Aktavoukian. After the Liturgy, His
Eminence was surrounded by Rev. Fr. Sarkis, the altar servers, and the
members of the choir for a photo opportunity.
THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT; FEAST OF CONCEPTION OF VIRGIN MARY;
PAREGENTAN OF FAST OF SOORP HAGOP
This Sunday, December 9, is the third Sunday of Advent. It is
also the commemoration of the conception of the Holy Virgin Mary by her
parents Joachim and Anna. This is one of eight feast days devoted to the
Virgin Mary in the liturgical calendar of the Armenian Church. This
commemoration always falls on December 9. This major festival is part of the
Church’s preparation for Christmas. The faithful rejoice in the event by
which Mary is conceived in fulfillment of the prayers of her parents.
Sunday is also the Eve (Paregentan) of the Fast of Soorp Hagop
(St. James), Bishop of Nisibis. The five-day fast (Monday to Friday) leads
to the Feast of Soorp Hagop, next Saturday, December 15.
DAILY BIBLE READINGS
Bible readings for today, December 6, are: Proverbs 21:15-25;
Isaiah 19:19-21; Hebrews 11:32-40; Matthew 10:37-42.
And what more should I say? For time would fail me to tell of
Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets-who
through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises,
shut the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the
sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign
armies to flight. Women received their dead by resurrection. Others were
tortured, refusing to accept release, in order to obtain a better
resurrection. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and
imprisonment. They were stoned to death, they were sawn in two, they were
killed by the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute,
persecuted, tormented-of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in
deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. Yet all these,
though they were commended for their faith, did not receive what was
promised, since God had provided something better so that they would not,
apart from us, be made perfect. (Hebrews 11:32-40)
For listing of the entire week’s Bible readings click
.
IN CELEBRATION OF THE YEAR OF THE ARMENIAN LANGUAGE.
To read the message of His Holiness in Armenian click
.
To read the message of His Holiness in English click
His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia,
has designated 2007 as the Year of the Armenian Language. In celebration of
this year-long tribute, each week we will offer an interesting tidbit about
the Armenian language and literature:
"Mashtots and Sahak could not have embarked on their mission of spreading
literacy throughout Armenia without the knowledge, agreement, and support of
King Vramshapuh and the nobility. Sahak and Mashtots asked him to provide
young people so that they would be given proper instruction with the new
alphabet. Vramshapuh immediately complied with their request and ordered
youth to be gathered for experimentation and instruction. He supported the
literacy movement and made provisions for the establishment of schools all
over his realm. This meant that the schools, the pupils, and the teachers
were all funded by the royal court.
"At first, young pupils were sent to the royal city of
Vagharshapat from various parts of Armenia. Some of these pupils were
illiterate and had to be given elementary education, while others,
presumably already in the service of the church, seem to have been older and
with some educational background. The latter merely needed to get acquainted
with the application of the newly invented alphabet to their native idiom.
As soon as these older pupils became literate in Armenian, they were sent to
the different regions of Armenia in order to instruct others. This task also
must have required the support of the king and the nobility, since early
fifth-century society in Armenia was not as mobile as society is in our
days."
>From The Origins of the Armenian Alphabet and Literature, by Fr. Krikor
Maksoudian, 2006, St. Vartan Press, New York.
NEW ITEMS AT THE BOOKSTORE
The Prelacy Bookstore has many books suitable for children of
all ages. The latest is a hardcover book entitled Mamedzeen Daghere,
(Grandmama’s Lyrics), compiled and beautifully illustrated by Sose
Khedeshian Berberian. The price is $22, plus shipping and handling.
Also new at the Bookstore is a music CD called Tu Urish Es (You
are Different), with a selection of songs by Karno. The young singer who has
already attracted many fans dedicates his debut album to "all those who are
in love." The price of the CD is $15, plus shipping and handling.
To order these or any other items, or for more information
contact the Bookstore by email at [email protected] or by phone at
212-689-7810.
DUAL ANNIVERSARIES TOMORROW
Tomorrow, December 7, is the 19th anniversary of the earthquake
in northern Armenia, and the 66th anniversary of the Japanese attack on
Pearl Harbor which brought the United States into World War II.
ADL NEW ENGLAND DIRECTOR RESIGNS
The New England regional director of the Anti-Defamation League
(ADL), Andrew Tarsy, has resigned. Mr. Tarsy announced his resignation on
Tuesday, December 4, in what the Boston Globe described as "the culmination
of a months-long dispute with the national organization over its failure to
fully acknowledge the Armenian genocide of 1915."
Mr. Tarsy would not elaborate on his departure, the Globe
reported, except to say that it was "a professional judgment based on
knowing when it’s your time." His supporters said it was the result of his
rift with the national director of the ADL, Abraham Foxman, over the
Armenian issue.
Crossroads readers will remember that Mr. Tarsy was fired in
August after he publicly criticized the ADL’s refusal to use the term
genocide to describe the massacres of Armenians. There was such an outcry of
protests that Mr. Tarsy was reinstated and the ADL released a statement
saying the killings were "tantamount to genocide," but the national ADL
stood by its refusal to endorse the congressional resolution on the Armenian
Genocide.
According to the Boston Globe, Steve Grossman, a former member
of the ADL’s regional board, said that Mr. Tarsy "realized that he would
have to make too many compromises that he was not prepared to make. I think
he leaves with his integrity intact, with his head held high."
WORDS TO REMEMBER..
"What is a great man who has made his mark upon history? Every
time, if we think far enough, he is a man who has looked through the
confusion of the moment and has seen the moral issue involved; he is a man
who has refused to have his sense of justice distorted; he has listened to
his conscience until conscience becomes a trumpet call to like-minded men,
so that they gather about him and together, with mutual purpose and mutual
aid, they make a new period in history."
Jane Addams, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
October 16 to December 18-"From Jesus’ meals with sinners to the Lord’s
Supper," a five part Bible study at the Armenian Prelacy will begin on
October 16 and continue on the first and third Tuesday of the month, from
7:15 to 8:45 pm. Conducted by Dn. Shant Kazanjian, director of the Armenian
Religious Education Council (AREC). For information and registration, please
send e-mail to [email protected] or call 212-689-4481.
December 9-St. Stephen’s Church, Watertown, Massachusetts, 50th anniversary
dinner dance, Marriott Hotel, Burlington. For information, (617) 924-7562.
December 9-Family Christmas Concert sponsored by St. Illuminator’s
Cathedral, featuring Maggie Tune (from California) and Gaghant Baba, 4:30
pm, at IS5 High School, 50-40 Jacobus Street, Elmhurst, New York. For
information contact cathedral office, 212-689-5880.
December 9-Town Hall style meeting in Jaffarian Hall of St. Gregory the
Illuminator Church of Merrimack Valley, North Andover, Massachusetts.
Immediately following Divine Liturgy.
December 9-Christmas Boutique Sale, ARS Mayr Chapter of New York, at St.
Sarkis Church, Pagoumian Hall, 38-65 234th Street, Douglaston, New York. For
information 718-961-9550.
December 16-St. Gregory Church (North Andover, Massachusetts), Children’s
Christmas Pageant and Party following the Divine Liturgy. Luncheon buffet.
December 23-St. Stephen’s Day Celebration, Watertown, Massachusetts. The
Golden Jubilee celebration will come to a close with a commemoration of the
church’s patron saint, the first deacon and martyr, St. Stephen.
December 31-New Year’s Eve Dinner Dance, Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield,
New Jersey, and ARF Dro Gomideh, The Sheraton Meadowlands, E. Rutherford,
New Jersey. For information 201-943-2950.
February 24, 2008-Annual Membership meeting, St. Gregory Church (North
Andover, Massachusetts).
March 2, 2008-Musical Armenia, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York
City, featuring Aleksandr Nazaryan on viola and Karen Tchougourian on piano.
June 7, 2008-Blessing of Holy Muron in Antelias, Lebanon. Details will
follow.
June 27 to July 6-St. Gregory of Datev Institute, Summer Christian Studies
Program for youth ages 13-18 at St. Mary of Providence Center in Elverson,
Pennsylvania, organized by the Armenian Religious Education Council. For
more information click
August 15-17, 2008-International Gathering of Youth and Pilgrimage to Der
Zor, organized by the Catholicosate of Cilicia. Details will follow.
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
http://www.armenianprelacy.org/2008ChristmasMessa
http://www.armenianprelacy.org/120307a.htm.
http://www.armenianprelacy.org/dbr2007.htm#120607
http://www.armenianprelacy.org/2007Encyclical.pdf
http://www.armenianprelacy.org/021407a.htm.
http://www.armenianprelacy.org/datev.htm.