September 10, 2009
IN MEMORIAM: ARCHPRIEST FR. TORKOM HAGOPIAN
Funeral services for Archpriest Fr. Torkom Hagopian took place
yesterday, Wednesday, September 9, at St. Stephen’s Church, Watertown,
Massachusetts, the parish church he served for 33 years. The Extreme
Unction and graveside services were officiated by Bishop Anoushavan
Tanielian, Vicar General of the Prelacy, with the participation of the
clergy serving the Eastern Prelacy. The Prelate, Archbishop Oshagan
Choloyan, was enroute to New York from overseas, and was regretfully
unable to arrive in time for the services.
Photo: Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian officiates over the service.
Photo by Garo Lachinian
Der Torkom began his service to St. Stephen’s Church in August 1962.
Prior to this appointment he served the four communities of upstate
New York: St. John the Baptist Church of Syracuse; Holy Cross of Troy;
St. Hagop of Niagara Falls; and the community in Binghamton.
Since his retirement in 1995, Archpriest Torkom continued to serve as
an outreach priest visiting various Prelacy parishes to perform the
sacraments or preach. Up until recently, Der Hayr regularly attended
services every Sunday morning at St. Stephen’s. During his entire 50
years of service Der Hayr remained faithful to his conviction of
service to his church and nation.
May his memory be eternally blessed.
PRELATE WILL BE IN NORTH ANDOVER
The Prelate, Archbishop Oshagan, will preside over the Divine Liturgy
and deliver the sermon this Sunday, September 13, at St. Gregory
Church, North Andover, Massachusetts. Rev. Fr. Vazken Bekiarian will
celebrate the Liturgy.
PRELATE WILL PARTICIPATE IN SERVICE
Archbishop Oshagan has been invited by Archbishop Celestino Migliore,
Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, and The Most
Reverend Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, to participate in a
Prayer Service on the eve of the opening of the 64th session of the
United Nations General Assembly. The Prayer Service will take place
Monday, September 14 at the Church of the Holy Family in New York.
VICAR WILL ATTEND NEAR EAST FOUNDATION EVENT
The Vicar, Bishop Anoushavan, will attend a reception and special
exhibit of the historical archives of the Near East Foundation this
Saturday, September 12, at the Rockefeller Archive Center in Sleepy
Hollow, New York. The keynote speaker on this occasion is John
Marshall Evans, former United States Ambassador to Armenia.
VICAR WILL BE IN NEW JERSEY THIS SUNDAY
Bishop Anoushavan will celebrate the Divine Liturgy this Sunday,
September 13, at Sts. Vartanantz Church in Ridgefield, New Jersey, on
the occasion of the Exaltation of the Cross.
RE-OPENING OF ST. ILLUMINATOR’S CATHEDRAL
St. Illuminator’s Cathedral, 221 E. 27th Street, New York City, which
has been under renovation for more than a year, will have its opening
on the weekend of September 19 and 20.
On Saturday, September 19, at 7 pm, Archbishop Oshagan will officiate
over the re-consecration of the altar. The next day, Sunday, September
20, His Eminence will celebrate the Divine Liturgy beginning at 10:30
am, and deliver the Sermon. Madagh will be offered following the
Liturgy. The Cathedral’s pastor, Rev. Fr. Mesrob Lakissian will assist
His Eminence on this joyful occasion.
PRELATE OF GREECE VISITS PRELACY
Last week Bishop Khoren Doghramajian, Prelate of Greece, visited the
Prelacy offices in Manhattan where he met with Bishop Anoushavan,
Rev. Fr. Mesrob Lakissian, Pastor of St. Illuminator’s Cathedral, and
Prelacy staff members. Many of us had last seen Bishop Khoren in 1997
when he served as the staff bearer to Catholicos Aram I, during His
Holiness’s Pontifical visit to the United States.
REGIONAL CONFERENCES SCHEDULED IN SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER
Two regional conferences for pastors, boards of trustees, and NRA
delegates have been scheduled this fall by the Prelate and the
Executive Council.
The Mid-West regional conference will be hosted by St. Sarkis Church,
Dearborn, Michigan, on Saturday, September 26. The Mid-Atlantic
regional conference will be hosted by Sts. Vartanantz Church,
Ridgefield, New Jersey, on Saturday, October 10. The conferences that
took place last year proved to be helpful and the Executive Council is
looking forward to building on the work accomplished last year with
the participation of all of the parishes.
LINKED IN WEEKEND
The 2009 Prelacy LINKED IN weekend for young adults will take place
September 25-27, at the Holy Virgin Mary Spiritual Vineyard, Charlton,
Massachusetts, as part of the ongoing Year of the Youth activities.
Under the general theme of "Know Your Church," presentations will be
made by Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian, Archpriest Rev. Fr. Antranig
Baljian, Professor Michael Papazian, and Yeretzgin Margaret
Stepanian. The weekend gathering will also feature prayer services,
meditations, bible studies, and panel discussions.
For more information and registration form click here (
4882/goto: 9.htm
).
WCC CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEETS; NEW GENERAL SECRETARY ELECTED
The Norwegian theologian and pastor, Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit, was
elected to serve as the new General Secretary of the WCC Central
Committee, to succeed the outgoing secretary, Rev. Dr. Samuel Kobia.
The Central Committee met during August in Geneva. After plenary
sessions, members of the Central Committee met in committees. His
Grace Bishop Nareg Alemezian chaired the Policy Reference Committee;
Dr. Nora Bayrakdarian-Kabakian participated in the work of the Public
Issues Committee and presented the report on the Middle East to the
plenary.
During the farewell in honor of Rev. Dr. Samuel Kobia, Bishop Nareg
read a message from His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House
of Cilicia. Catholicos Aram was the Moderator of the WCC Central and
Executive Committee for two terms, from 1991 to 2006.
The Armenian Church has four members in the Central
Committee. Archbishop Vicken Aykazian and Ms. Paula Devedzian,
representing the Holy See of Etchmiadzin; and Bishop Nareg Alemezian
and Dr. Nora Bayrakdarian-Kabakian, representing the Holy See of
Cilicia.
75th ANNIVERSARY OF ST. GREGORY CHURCH (SPRINGFIELD/INDIAN ORCHARD)
WILL TAKE PLACE SEPTEMBER 27
St. Gregory Church of Springfield/Indian Orchard, Massachusetts, will
celebrate its 75th anniversary on Sunday, September 27, under the
auspices of the Prelate, His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan who will
celebrate the Divine Liturgy and deliver the sermon. The parish’s
pastor, Rev. Fr. Bedros Shetilian will assist at the altar.
Immediately after the Liturgy a luncheon will take place at the
Country Club of Wilbraham (Massachusetts), at which time the parish
will honor the church’s founders. Special performances will be offered
by humorist Dottie Bengoian, and the students of the St. Gregory
Sunday school. .
DAILY BIBLE READINGS
Bible readings for today, Thursday, September 10, are: 2 Corinthians
9:19-10:6; Mark 9:13-26.
"…But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever
they pleased, as it is written about him."
When they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them,
and some scribes arguing with them. When the whole crowd saw him, they
were immediately overcome with awe, and they ran forward to greet
him. He asked them, "What are y you arguing about with them?" Someone
from the crowd answered him, "Teacher, I brought you my son; he has a
spirit that makes him unable to speak; and whenever it seizes him, it
dashes him down; and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid;
and I asked your disciples to cast it out, but they could not do so."
He answered them, "You faithless generation, how much longer must I be
among you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him to me."
And they brought the boy to him. When the spirit saw him, immediately
it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about,
foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked the father, "How long has this been
happening g to him?" And he said, "From childhood. It has often cast
him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you are
able to do anything, have pity on us and help us." Jesus said to him,
"I*f you are able!–All things can be done for the one who believes."
Immediately the father of the child cried out, "I believe; help my
unbelief!" When Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he
rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "You spirit that keeps this
boy from speaking and hearing, I command you, come out of him, and
never enter him again!" After crying out and convulsing him terribly,
it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said,
"He is dead." (Mark 9:13-26)
For listing of the coming week’s Bible readings click here
( ).
EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS
This Sunday, September 13, the Armenian Church celebrates the Feast of
the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Khachverats), which is one of the
five Tabernacle (Daghavar) Feasts commemorated by the Armenian Church.
This holiday is a general celebration of the Cross and is commemorated
by all of Christendom. Most churches celebrate it on September 14; the
Armenian Church celebrates it on the Sunday closest to the 14th.
The Cross, once a means of death for criminals, gradually became the
dominant symbol of the Christian world and an object of reverence and
worship. There are four feasts of the Holy Cross in the Armenian
liturgical calendar, with the Exaltation being the most important. The
other three are: Apparition of the Cross; Holy Cross of Varak; and
Discovery of the Cross.
The ceremony for the exaltation begins with the decoration of the
Cross with sweet basil (rehan), symbolizing the "living cross." After
the Bible readings, the officiating priest lifts the Cross and makes
the sign of the Cross with it, and blesses the four corners of the
world (Andastan) and asks the Almighty to grant peace and prosperity
to the people of the world.
The Khachverats ceremony was prepared by Catholicos Sahag Dzoraporetsi
(677-703). He is also the composer of the hymn sung on this
occasion. As with other Tabernacle Feasts, the Exaltation of the Holy
Cross is preceded by a period of fasting (Monday to Friday), and
followed by a memorial day (Monday).
Name day commemorations this Sunday include: Khatchadour, Khatchig,
Khatcheres, Rehan, Khatchkhatoun, Khachouhi, Khachperouhi, Khosrov,
Khosrovanoush, Khosrovitoukhd.
GORKY RETROSPECTIVE AT PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM
The Philadelphia Museum of Art will present a major traveling
retrospective celebrating the extraordinary life and work of Arshile
Gorky (1904-1948). The first comprehensive survey of the work of this
artist in nearly three decades, Arshile Gorky: A Retrospective will
premier at the Museum on October 21 and continue there until January
10, 2010. The exhibition will then travel to the Tate Modern, London
(Spring 2010) and The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (Summer
2010).
This will be the first major museum exhibition to highlight the
artist’s Armenian heritage and examine the impact of Gorky’s
experience of the Armenian Genocide on his life and work. The
exhibition will be accompanied by a 400-page catalogue, published by
the Philadelphia Museum of Art in association with Yale University
Press. The catalogue will include essays by a group of noted art
historians and curators: Harry Cooper, Jody Patterson, Robert Storr,
Michael Taylor, and Kim Theriault.
Michael Taylor, the curator of the retrospective at the Philadelphia
Museum, stated: "Gorky was a pivotal figure in modern American Art who
has since come to be known as the quintessential artist’s artist. It
is our sincere belief that this landmark retrospective will secure
Gorky’s place alongside Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning as one
of the most daring, innovative, and influential American artists of
the 20th century."
Photo: Waterfall, 1942-43, oil on canvas, Tate Modern, London,
purchased with assistance from the Friends of the Tate Gallery
1971. Copyright 2009 Estate of Arshile Gorky / Artists Rights Society,
New York.
Photo: A view of the main entrance to the museum. Courtesy Philadelphia Museum of
Art.
REMEMBERING SEPTEMBER 11, 2001
Tomorrow, September 11, is the eighth anniversary of the terrorist
attacks in New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington, DC. We pause to
remember the thousands who perished and their families who continue to
mourn the violent loss of their loved ones. We give thanks for the
thousands who survived, exiting the World Trade Centers before the
unbelievable collapse of the twin towers that were so much a part of
the New York skyline. Let us also remember and pray for the many first
responders and workers at Ground Zero who today are seriously ill as a
result of their service.
NEW FROM THE BOOKSTORE…
Newly arrived: These beautiful framed reproductions of Armenian
manuscript miniatures are three dimensional in boxed frames measuring
10" x 7-1/2". $35.00 plus shipping and handling.
FOR INFORMATION CONTACT THE BOOKSTORE BY EMAIL AT
[email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) OR BY
TELEPHONE AT 212-689-7810.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
September 12–St. Gregory Church, Philadelphia; opening of Haigazian
Armenian School.
September 13–St. Gregory Church of Merrimack Valley, North Andover,
Massachusetts, annual picnic on newly renovated church grounds, 158 Main St., North Andover. Enjoy food, music. Fellowship. For details go to
church’s web site ( ( 82/goto: )) or call 978-685-5038.
September 13–St. Gregory Church, Philadelphia; opening of Sunday
School.
September 13–Annual picnic of St. Stephen’s Armenian Church of New
Britain and Hartford at the Quartette Club, 225 Wooster Street, New Britain, Connecticut, beginning at noon, rain or shine. Live music. Armenian
food. Free admission.
September 19-20–Re-consecration of the altar and the newly renovated
St. Illuminator’s Cathedral in New York City on Saturday. Episcopal Divine Liturgy and Madagh on Sunday.
September 20–St. Gregory Church, Philadelphia. Lobster Fest. For
information: 215-482-9200.
September 20–Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield, New Jersey, Sunday
school opening and registration. The Sunday school will host a fellowship for the entire parish following the Holy Badarak.
September 20–St. Sarkis Church (Douglaston, New York), annual picnic on
the church grounds, 38-65 234th Street, Douglaston, beginning at 1 pm immediately following church services and the blessing of the basil. Delicious
Armenian kebabs, sweets, etc., along with games, music, dancing, tavloo, basketball, volleyball, vendors and returning by popular
demand–"Kid-Z-One," with a host of activities for children. For information 718-224-2275.
September 21–St. Stephen’s (Watertown, MA) Armenian School/ACEC 14th
annual Golf Outing at Framingham Country Club. $170 includes golf, lunch, dinner, and contests. For information contact Astor at
781-326-5764.
September 26–Mid-West Regional Conference for Pastors, Boards of
Trustees, and NRA delegates at St. Sarkis Church, Dearborn, Michigan.
September 25-26-27–Prelacy Linked In, gathering of the youth. For
details click here ( 82/goto: htm ).
September 27–75th anniversary of St. Gregory Church, Indian Orchard,
Massachusetts, under auspices of Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan. Country Club of Wilbraham, 859 Stony Hill Road, Wilbraham, Massachusetts. Special
performances by Dottie Bengoian and the St. Gregory Sunday School children. For information: 413-596-9242.
September 28–St. Gregory Church, Philadelphia, Golf Outing at Talamore
Country Club, Ambler, Pennsylvania. For information: 215-482-9200.
September 28–Holy Trinity Church (Worcester, Massachusetts), 6th
annual Golf Outing, Sterling National Country Club, Sterling, MA. Golf, breakfast, dinner, and prizes, $130 per person. For information send email
to [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]), or telephone 508-872-9629.
October 1–Sts. Vartanantz Church (New Jersey), presents 7th annual
Golf Outing at River Vale Country Club, River Vale, New Jersey. $175 includes lunch, dinner, golf and contests. Come out and enjoy a great day and
support the church. For information contact Mark, 201-483-3200.
October 10–Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference for Pastors, Boards of
Trustees, and NRA delegates at Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield, New Jersey.
October 15-18–Soorp Khatch Church, Bethesda, Maryland, Food Festival
and Bazaar.
October 16-17–Annual Fall Fair Bazaar, St. Gregory Church, North
Andover, Massachusetts, Jaffarian Hall, 10 am to 8 pm.
October 17–National Association of Ladies Guilds (NALG) annual
conference at the Prelacy offices in New York City. Details will follow.
October 18–St. Gregory Church, Philadelphia, Intercommunal Cultural
Celebration at Holy Trinity Church, Cheltenham, PA.
November 1–St. Gregory Church, Philadelphia, Sunday School Halloween
Party.
November 6-7–St. Gregory Church, Philadelphia. Food
Festival.
November 7–Christmas Holiday Craft Fair, St. Gregory Church, North
Andover, Massachusetts, Jaffarian Hall, 10 am to 4 pm.
November 7 & 8–Sts. Vartanantz Church, Providence, Rhode Island,
largest Armenian Fest in New England. Saturday from 12 noon to 10 pm. Sunday 12 noon to 8 pm. Rhodes-on-the-Pawtucket, 60 Rhodes Place (off Broad
Street), Cranston, Rhode Island. Kebobs and kufta dinners, pastry, raffles and more. Performance by the Armenian school dance group. Live Armenian
music * dancing. For information, 401-831-6399.
November 14–Soorp Khatch Church, Bethesda, Maryland, 45th anniversary
celebration.
November 20, 21, 22–Sts. Vartanantz Church (Ridgefield, New Jersey)
Annual Bazaar and Food Festival. Saturday night dancing with "Onnik Dinkjian"; Sunday traditional kavourma dinner.
December 20–St. Gregory Church, Philadelphia. Sunday School Christmas
Pageant.
December 31–St. Gregory Church, Philadelphia, Seroonian Community
Center New Year’s Eve celebration.
December 31–Sts. Vartanantz Church (Ridgefield, New Jersey), New
Year’s Eve Dinner-Dance. Details to follow.
Web pages of the parishes can be accessed through the Prelacy’s web site.
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Parishes of the Eastern Prelacy are invited to send information about their major events to be
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