May 14, 2009
NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY CONCLUDES
The Eastern Prelacys National Representative Assembly (NRA) convened
last week at All Saints Armenian Apostolic Church in Glenview,
Illinois. The clergy conference began on Wednesday May 6, and the full
Assembly started their proceedings on
Thursday, May 7 and continued to Saturday, May 9.
In his keynote address to the Assembly, the Prelate spoke about
several themes including last years anniversary celebrations, the
Diaspora situation of the Armenians beginning in the 11th century and
continuing to this day, the need to strengthen the Armenian identity
with national and Christian spirit, and the 2009 Year of the Youth
proclaimed by His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of
Cilicia.
To read Archbishop Oshagans address in Armenian click here
( 78/goto: oteArm.pdf).
To read Archbishop Oshagans address in English click here
( 79/goto: oteEng.pdf).
As an introduction to the Year of the Youth and the panel discussions
that took place later, presentations were made by Nayiri Baljian Bell
and Levon Barsoumian, both of whom organized and participated in the
successful Linked In conference for young adults that took place last
September. [Note: Another Linked In is scheduled for this September.]
Nayiri Baljian Bell, drawing on her four years of experience as a
college chaplain and on her masters studies in religious education,
presented three challenges and three opportunities with youth in the
current United States social and cultural context. She emphasized the
importance of understanding the nuanced needs and experiences of
people under the age of 40, highlighting in her presentation that
young people have a gamut of socio-developmental needs and have been
shaped differently by varying social/generational influences.
Levon Barsoumians presentation drew from his experiences at his church
as a parishioner, a trustee, and having experienced and evaluated
different Armenian churches within the Prelacy as well as non-prelacy
churches. His presentations focus was on the theme that improving the
spiritual health and developing community for the church has to be the
first and mandatory step to attracting youth to the church. The second
theme of the presentation was the need for the church to invest in
creating and nurturing youth groups.
To view Nayiri Baljian Bells presentation click here
( 80/goto: ian.pdf).
To read Levon Barsoumian presentation click here
( 82/goto: oumian.pdf).
Detailed information and photographs from the NRA are being put on the
Prelacys web page. Please check the site
(
( 2010728978/1840126/68651949/goto: anprelacy.org/))
early next week for a comprehensive report.
Photos:
A group photo of the 2009 National Representative Assembly;
Archbishop Oshagan and Bishop Anoushavan with
speakers Nayiri Baljian Bell and Levon Barsoumian.
CONDOLENCES EXTENDED TO STEPANIAN FAMILY
Archbishop Oshagan expressed his heartfelt sympathy to the extended
family of Paul Stepanian who died this week at the age of 39 after a
long illness.
Paul was the husband of Julie Stepanian, son of Steve and Esther
Stepanian, and nephew of Rev. Fr. Aram Stepanian, chairman of the
Prelacys Religious Council, and pastor of St. Asdvadzadzin Church in
Whitinsville, Massachusetts..
Archbishop Oshagan, a cousin of the deceased, expressed his personal
sorrow in a message and assured the bereaved survivors that the
comfort and guidance of our Lord in our hour of need sustains us.
LAUDATORY COMMENTS ABOUT FORUM NO. 2 CONTINUE
As reported earlier, the second of the Prelacys Quarterly Forum Series
took place on April 16. We continue to receive laudatory comments
about the presentation made by the students of the Youth Bible Studies
of Sts. Vartanantz Church, Providence, Rhode Island.
Remembering the Forgotten: The Untold Story of Clergymen Lost to the
Genocide, was presented by Yn.
Joanna Baghsarian and her students. Thirteen of the more than 5,000
clergymen, who were martyred during the Genocide and the Stalinist
purges, were focused in a moving memorial.
To read a press release about the event click here
( 83/goto: l).
To view a 7-minute clip from the presentation click here
( 84/goto: ).
YEAR OF THE YOUTH
His Holiness Aram I,
Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, has designated the year 2009
as the Year of The Youth.
To read His Holiness message in Armenian click here
( 47/goto: doc/Pontifical%20Messages/messages68.htm).
To read His Holiness message in English click here
( 86/goto: cal.pdf).
BIBLE STUDY PROGRAM CONTINUES
The final session of the current Bible studies program will take place
this evening, Thursday, May 14, at the Prelacy. The series, which
focused on Great Prayers of the Bible, studied a number of biblical
prayers that have been incorporated into the liturgical prayers and
services of the Armenian Church. Dn. Shant Kazanjian, director of the
Prelacys Armenian Religious Education Council (AREC), conducted the
Bible studies.
DATEV SUMMER PROGRAM
The 23rd annual St. Gregory of Datev Institute Summer Program, for
youth ages 13-18, is rapidly approaching. As in previous years it will
take place at the St. Mary of Providence Center in Elverson,
Pennsylvania, from June 28 to July 5, 2009, preceded by a weekend
retreat (optional) from June 26-28, 2009. The Program is sponsored by
the Armenian Religious Education Council (AREC).
For more information click here
( 88/goto:).
PLG MOTHERS DAY LUNCHEON
The Prelacy Ladies Guilds annual Mothers Day luncheon is going to take
place on Thursday, May 21, beginning at 12:30 pm. The luncheon is
being hosted by Rene and Linda Chirinian at their home in New Canaan,
Connecticut. A donation of seventy-five dollars per person will
benefit the charitable work of the PLG.
To make reservations and obtain directions to the Chirinian residence
please contact the Prelacy at
212-689-7810.
DAILY BIBLE READINGS
Bible readings for
today, Thursday, May 14 are: Luke 13:10-21; Acts 19:1-20; 1 John
2:24-25; John 8:21-30; Matthew 15:1-20; Mark 7:31-37.
Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, Why
do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not
wash their hands before they eat. He answered them, And why do you
break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God
said, Honor your father and your mother, and, whoever speaks evil of
father or mother must surely die. But you say that whoever tells
father or mother, Whatever support you might have had from me is given
to god, then that person need not honor the father. So, for the sake
of your tradition, you make void the word of God. You hypocrites!
Isaiah prophesied rightly about you when he said: This people honors
me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they
worship me teaching human precepts as doctrines.
Then he called the crowd to him and said to them, Listen and
understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person,
but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles. Then the disciples
approached and said to him, Do you know that the Pharisees took
offense when they heard what you said? He answered, Every plant that
my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone;
they are blind guides of the blind. And if one blind person guides
another, both will fall into a pit. But Peter said to him, Explain
this parable to us. Then he said, Are you also still without
understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth
enters the stomach, and goes out into the sewer? But what comes out of
the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. For out
of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication,
theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person, but to
eat with unwashed hands does not defile. Matthew 15:1-20
For listing of the coming weeks Bible readings click
here ().
FROM THE BOOKSTORE
The Great Loss of the Armenian Clergy during the Armenian
Genocide
By Bishop Papken Tcharian
Translated by Tamar Topjian
Der-Ohanessian
This soft cover book is based on the research of Bishop Papken
Tcharian for his
doctoral (vartabed) thesis. It was recently translated into English by
Tamar Topjian Der-Ohanessian. This volume provides extensive
biographical
information about 10 priests who were martyred during the
Genocide. Brief biographical information is provided for more than 950
Armenian martyred
clergymen. Bishop Papken is currently the Prelate of the Diocese of
New Julfa-Isfahan in Iran.
238 pages, soft cover, $10.00, plus shipping and
handling.
TO ORDER THIS OR OTHER BOOKS, OR FOR INFORMATION CONTACT THE BOOKSTORE
BY EMAIL AT [email protected]
(mailto:BOOKS@ARMENIANPR ELACY.ORG) OR BY TELEPHONE AT 212-689-7810.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
May 17The Ladies Guild of St. Stephens Armenian
Church of Hartford-New Britain, Connecticut, is sponsoring an Armenian
Tea Party. There will be a Tea Talk from Bigelow Tea Company, a tea
tasting,
and a tea luncheon. Immediately after church services in the church
hall.
May 21Hampartsoum Celebration, hosted by Young Adults
Bible Study Group, St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston, New York. Vespers
Service at 6:30 pm; Vijagakhagh and light dinner, 7 pm. $15
donation. All
welcome.
May 21Mothers Day Luncheon, sponsored by the Prelacy
Ladies Guild, 12:30 pm. The luncheon is being hosted by Rene and Linda
Chirinian at their home in New Canaan, Connecticut. A donation of $75
per
person will benefit the charitable work of the PLG. For reservations
call the Prelacy office, 212-689-7810.
May 23St. Asdvadzadzin Church, Whitinsville,
Massachusetts, 52nd annual banquet, presided by Archbishop Oshagan
Choloyan. On Sunday, May 24, the Prelate will celebrate the Divine
Liturgy and
deliver the sermon.
May 31St. Asdvadzadzin Church, Whitinsville,
Massachusetts, Special meeting for Parish building project.
June 20Rev. Fr. Nareg Terterian and the Young Adults
Bible Study Group of St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston, New York, invite
you to attend a Seminar on Marriage and Family from 10 am to 4
pm. Presentations
by Rev. Fr. Nareg Terterian and Professor Joann C. Heaney-Hunter from
St. Johns University. Group discussions on topics of interest for
young
Armenian couples and families. Lunch and refreshments will be
served. Registration fee: $25 per couple. Contact church office,
718-224-2275.
June 28Annual Madagh Picnic, St. Hagop Church (Racine),
at Johnson Park Picnic Grounds, 6200 Northwestern Ave., Racine,
Wisconsin, 10:30 to 7 pm.
June 29 July 5St. Gregory of Datev Summer
Institute, St. Mary of Providence Center, Elverson, Pennsylvania.
July 18Sts. Vartanantz Church, Providence, Rhode
Island, Ladies Guild/ARS Chapter present a Hye Summer Night 4 Dance at
The Annunciation Greek Church, Cranston, Rhode Island. For information
401-434-4467.
July 22Gathering of North American youth in Los
Angeles, organized by the Western Prelacy with the participation of
the Eastern and Canadian Prelacies.
August 2Sts. Vartanantz Church, Providence, Rhode
Island, Annual Picnic and Blessing of Madagh and Grapes at Camp
Haiastan, Franklin, Massachusetts, 12 noon to 6 pm, rain or
shine. Music by John
Berberian and Ensemble.
August 16Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield, New
Jersey, annual picnic and Blessing of the Grapes.
August 16St. Asdvadzadzin Church, Whitinsville,
Massachusetts, picnic and Blessing of the Grapes.
September 25-26-27Prelacy Linked-In. Gathering of the
youth. Details will follow.
Web pages of the parishes can be accessed through the Prelacys web
site.
To ensure the timely arrival of Crossroads in your electronic mailbox,
add [email protected] (mailto:[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]
(mailto:info@armenianprel acy.org)