PRESS 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
June 30, 2005
ST. GREGORY OF DATEV SUMMER INSTITUTE
BEGINS THIS WEEKEND
Seventy-five students ranging from ages 13 to 18 will gather this
weekend at the St. Mary of Providence Center in Elverson, Pennsylvania, for
the 19th annual week-long St. Gregory of Datev Institute Armenian Christian
Studies Program, under the directorship of V. Rev. Fr. Anoushavan Tanielian,
Vicar General of the Eastern Prelacy.
For more information go to:
GARY SETIAN ANCIENT ARMENIAN COINS AWARDED
The Armenian National Education Committee (ANEC) annually awards ancient
Armenian coins to graduates of Armenian Schools who have excelled in
Armenian studies. The coins, courtesy of Mr. Gary Setian of Massachusetts,
depict Armenian royalty and are awarded to a select few students. This year
the coins were those of Levon I, King of Cilicia and were awarded to more
than 30 students.
For more information and list of students receiving the awards go to:
PRELATE AND VICAR ATTEND ORDINATION
Archbishop Oshagan and V. Rev. Fr. Anoushavan Tanielian attended the
Episcopal ordination of the Most Rev. Charles D. Balvo, Titular Archbishop
of Castello and Apostolic Nuncio to New Zealand, yesterday, June 29, at St.
Patrick’s Cathedral at the invitation of His Eminence Edward Cardinal Egan,
Bishop of New York.
ARCHBISHOP OSHAGAN MAINTAINS BUSY SCHEDULE
DURING THE JULY 4TH HOLIDAY
Archbishop Oshagan’s busy schedule will continue through the July 4th
weekend.
On Sunday, July 2 he will attend the Divine Liturgy at St. Gregory the
Illuminator Church in Philadelphia.
On Sunday evening he will attend the banquet in celebration of the
Olympic games organized by the HMEM in Philadephia. On Monday, July 4 he
will preside over the Olympic Parade and Closing Ceremonies.
On Sunday he will travel to Elverson, Pennsylvania, to visit the
“Datevatzis” who will be beginning their week-long studies at the annual
Datev Institute.
V. REV. FR. TANIEL GARABEDIAN RETURNS TO U.S. TODAY
V. Rev. Fr. Taniel Garabedian who was ordained a celibate priest last
year on June 6, 2004, will return to the United States today and join the
clergy serving the Eastern Prelacy. Father Taniel remained in Lebanon
following his ordination for additional training. He grew up in New Jersey
and is a graduate of the Sunday School of St. Vartanantz Church in
Ridgefield, and the St. Gregory of Datev Institute. Father Taniel will be an
instructor at the Datev Institute next week. Welcome home Father Taniel.
MESROB MASHTOTZ MEDAL PRESENTED TO EDWARD BOGHOSIAN
Last Saturday evening Archbishop Oshagan attended the 40th anniversary
celebration of the Armenian Reporter. On this occasion the Prelate presented
the founder and senior editor of the Reporter, Edward Boghosian, with the
Cilician See’s Mesrob Mashtotz Medal on behalf of His Holiness Aram I,
Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia. Archbishop Oshagan read the
Catholicos’ encyclical before presenting Mr. Boghosian with the coveted
medal.
URGENT APPEAL FROM REPRESENTATIVE
OF THE NAGORNO KARABAKH REPUBLIC
This week we received an urgent appeal from Vardan Barseghian, the
representative of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, asking for help for a
ten-year-old girl, Yana Mikhailian, from Karabakh in need of a bone marrow
transplant. The Hematology Institute in Yerevan working with the Armenian
Bone Marrow Registry located matching bone donors in Germany. The estimated
cost of the treatment is $100,000. Time is critical and Mr. Barseghian is
asking for financial support. Baroness Caroline Cox has already pledged
$12,000. The Eastern Prelacy is accepting donations which will be forwarded
to the fund. Please send your contributions to the Armenian Prelacy, 138 E.
39th Street, New York, NY 10016. Indicate “For Yana” in the memo area of
your check, payable to Armenian Apostolic Church of America.
JEWISH WEEKLY FEATURES MAJOR ARTICLE ON GENOCIDE
The Jewish Week, a weekly newspaper published in New York City,
published an article written by a staff writer, Steve Lipman, entitled “The
Hidden Holocaust,” about the Armenian Genocide. The article, published in
the April 22nd issue, describes how the Armenian Genocide receives little if
any support from the organized Jewish community. It describes how
“Realpolitik” has triumphed over ethical considerations. The article spans
nearly three full pages of the tabloid newspaper. Lipman notes: “The Turkish
Embassy in Washington, the Israeli Consulate here, and major Jewish
organizations contacted by The Jewish Week did not respond to requests for
comment on this issue.”
FEAST OF THE TRANSFIGURATION
This Sunday, July 3, the Armenian Church celebrates one of its five
Tabernacle Feast Days: Transfiguration (Aylakerputiun / Vartavar). The Feast
of Transfiguration is marked fourteen weeks after Easter. It commemorates an
episode in the New Testament recorded by four evangelists: Matthew, Mark,
Luke, and Peter.
The Transfiguration took place on the “Holy Mountain” (believed to be
Mt. Tabor) where Jesus had gone with Peter, James, and John to pray. As He
was praying, “His face shone like the sun and His garments became white as
light.” The Patriarch Moses and Prophet Elijah appeared at His side (Mt.
17:1-8). It was at this moment that His appearance was transfigured
revealing Himself as God to His disciples.
As in many other instances, an old pagan feast was combined with the new
Christian feast. In this case, the pagan feast of Vartavar, when Armenians
would decorate the temple of the Goddess Asdghig with roses, pigeons would
be released, and people would engage in water games. Asdghig was the goddess
of love, beauty and water. Vartavar is the name-day for those named:
Vartges, Vartavar, Vart, Alvart, Zevart, Lousvart, Nevart, Baidzar,
Vartanoush, Vartiter, Varvar, to mention a few.
In the Armenian tradition, the day after the five major feast days is
Memorial Day when traditionally the faithful go to cemeteries to venerate
their departed loved ones. Hence, this Monday, the day after
Transfiguration, is Memorial Day.
MONDAY IS INDEPENDENCE DAY
Monday, July 4, is Independence Day, marking the 229th anniversary of
the creation of the United States of America.
In his prayer for the nation, President Thomas Jefferson said on March
4, 1801: “Almighty God, Who has given us this good land for our heritage; We
humbly beseech Thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of
Thy favor and glad to do Thy will. Bless our land with honorable ministry,
sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and
confusion, from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Defend our
liberties, and fashion into one united people, the multitude brought hither
out of many kindreds and tongues..”
NEW ITEMS AT PRELACY BOOKSTORE
The Prelacy Bookstore receives new inventory on a regular basis. Here
are five recent offerings.
Item #YZA003: Madenakirk Hayots, (Armenian Classical Literature), Volume
III, Sixth Century. Hardcover, $32.00. Also available: Set of Volumes I, II,
III, $110.00.
Item #RLE001: Rescued Armenian Treasures from Cilicia, by Ludwig
Reichert. Hardcover. Text in English; color reproductions, 184 pages.
$120.00.
Item #CDE034: Kutahya Tiles and Pottery from the Armenian Cathedral of
St. James, Jerusalem, by John Carswell & C.J.F. Dowsett. Volumes I and II in
one binding. Color and black and white photographs, 206 pages. $60.00.
Item #DD012: Treasures: Songs and Dances from Armenia, Armenian Cultural
Collection. DVD, featuring Tatoul Altounian Song and Dance Ensemble and
State Dance Ensemble of Armenia. $20.00.
Item #DD008: I Hate Dogs! The Last Survivor and Back to Ararat, A
Forgotten Genocide. Both on one DVD. $25.00.
Much more is available. Visit the Prelacy web site:
REMEMBERING HIS HOLINESS KAREKIN I
Yesterday, June 29, marked the sixth anniversary of the passing of His
Holiness Karekin I. His Holiness is remembered for his visionary leadership
as Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy in the 1970s, his eighteen-year dedicated
pontificate as the Catholicos of Cilicia, and his all too short four-year
pontificate as Catholicos of All Armenians. Asdvatz Hokeen Lousavoreh.
THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
Thomas Jefferson, at the age of 33, wrote the first draft of the
Declaration of Independence as a member of a committee that included John
Adams and Benjamin Franklin. The Continental Congress made some changes in
the draft, but by and large, it remains primarily the work of Jefferson. It
was adopted on July 4, 1776. It was the most daring document produced to
date. It was unheard of and unthinkable that a fledgling, divided country
made up of thirteen separate colonies with, at best, a ragtag army, would
have the temerity to produce a damning document against the most powerful
country of the time demanding “certain unalienable rights, that among these
are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
At Crossroads our celebration of the Fourth of July each year includes a
reading of the entire Declaration of Independence. We end today’s edition of
Crossroads with the final paragraph of the Declaration, with capitals,
punctuation, and italics exactly as originally written:
“We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in
General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for
the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the
good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these
United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States;
that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that
all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and
ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they
have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish
Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may
of right do.-And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance
on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our
Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”
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