Tajik minister to meet counterparts from CIS security bloc in Moscow

Asia-Plus news agency
10 Nov 04

Dushanbe, 10 November: Tajik Foreign Minister Talbak Nazarov will
leave for Moscow next Friday 12 November.

Nazarov is going to attend a scheduled meeting of the Council of
Foreign Ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO)
member states there, the Tajik Foreign Ministry’s press centre said.

“The agenda of the forthcoming session of the Council of Foreign
Ministers is not known yet,” the press centre said.

The CSTO includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia
and Tajikistan.

Azeri minister says Karabakh mediators should be active in peace talks

Ekspress, Baku
10 Nov 04

Text of Xazar Altay’s report by Azerbaijani newspaper Ekspress on 10
November headlined “Elmar Mammadyarov: ‘We are expecting a final say
from the Minsk Group co-chairs ‘”

“Baku is expecting a final say from the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs in
the Nagornyy Karabakh settlement. If the mediating countries [Russian,
France and the USA] do not want to miss an opportunity of maintaining
peace in the region, they should liven up their participation in
this process,” Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov told
Ekspress yesterday [9 November].

Commenting on the current situation in the [settlement] process,
the minister said that the co-chairs should correctly access the
situation and be more active in the talks.

Mammadyarov touched on Azerbaijan’s position and said that the issue
of territorial integrity should be respected in any case. He, however,
thinks that “the issues like the right to self-determination” may be
discussed in the future.

“The main thing is that there is a subject for the dialogue. The
settlement of the conflict is possible, if the sides want this. The
co-chairs should achieve that Armenia wishes this.”

GUL: “THE EU REPORT PROPOSING THE START OF ANKARA’S ACCESSION TALKS IS PARLIAMENT’S SUCCESS”

Aksam, Turkey
Nov 10 2004

Addressing Parliament’s Planning and Budget Commission yesterday,
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul hailed last month’s historic European
Commission progress report, which proposed beginning Ankara’s
European Union accession talks, as Parliament’s success. “As a
result of Parliament’s sterling performance, the commission proposed
beginning our accession talks,” said Gul, adding that efforts were
continuing to change unfavorable elements of the report. Touching
on the Cyprus issue, Gul stated that Turkey recognizing the Greek
Cypriot administration was out of the question. Also touching on
the Armenian issue, Gul said that Ankara favored good relations
with all countries, but that Armenia was currently occupying 20% of
Azerbaijan’s territory. Later, Gul said that the US’ Greater Middle
Eastern Initiative (GME) was a sensitive issue. He conceded that the
project might have secret aims, but added that if Turkey doesn’t take
part, then it could have unwanted results for Ankara. /Aksam/

US SHOULD URGE UN GA TO RETRACT DISCUSSION OF KARABAKH ISSUE,
CONGRESSIONAL ARMENIAN CAUCUS CONSIDERS

PanArmenian News
Nov 10 2004

WASHINGTON, 10.11.04. Congressional Armenian Caucus on Armenian
Issues Co-Chairs Joe Knollenberg and Frank Pallone, in a joint letter
to Secretary of State Colin Powell, said the United States should
renounce and secure the retraction of a UN General Assembly
resolution introduced last week by Baku, the Armenian Assembly of
America reported. Such move can only derail the peace process
spearheaded by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in
Europe (OSCE) and the Minsk Group co-chaired by the United States,
France and Russia, the letter says. It also mentions that `US
interests in the Caucasus are best served by the continuation of
dialogue on the outstanding issues related to Nagorno Karabakh within
the OSCE framework, not by fragmentation of this orderly process.` To
note, the Armenian Assembly this week commended Congressional Caucus
on Armenian Issues for urging the Bush Administration to prevent
Azerbaijan from manipulating the Nagorno Karabakh peace process
though `disruptive` actions at the United Nations.

Undercover, Australia
Nov 9 2004

Serj Tankian and Tom Morello Recruit Friends for Charity Album

Tom Morello (photo by Ros O’Gorman)
Related Content:
Buy CD: Audioslave Audioslave

By Paul Cashmere

System of a Down’s Serj Tankian and Audioslave’s Tom Morello have
gathered their friends together for Axis of Justice: Concert Series
Volume 1.

The line-up for the first CD and DVD includes Flea (Red Hot Chili
Peppers), Maynard James Keenan (A Perfect Circle) and Pete Yorn.

Chris Cornell and Maynard James Keenan cover Nick Lowe’s ‘What’s So
Funny About Peace, Love and Understanding’, there is an all-star jam
of U2’s ‘Where The Streets Have No Name’ and a cover of Dylan’s
‘Chimes of Freedom’.

CD Track Listing
“Where The Streets Have No Name” Flea, Brad Wilk , Tom Morello, Pete
Yorn, Tim Walker, Serj Tankian, Maynard James Keenan, Johnny Polonsky

“(What’s So Funny ’bout) Peace, Love, And Understanding” Chris
Cornell & Maynard James Keenan
“Alice In My Fantasies” Flea , Brad Wilk, Tom Morello, Pete Yorn ,
Serj Tankian Piano
Improvisation Serj Tankian
“Charades” Serj Tankian
“Until The End” The Nightwatchman “I Feel Good Again” Pete Yorn
“Get Up, Stand Up” Serj Tankian, Tom Morello, Wayne Kramer, Flea,
John Dolmayan.
“Union Song” The Nightwatchman (Free Jam) Flea, Brad Wilk, Serj
Tankian
“What’s Golden” Jurassic 5
“Freedom” Jurassic 5
“Speak On It” Knowledge and Serj Tankian (spoken word)
“Chimes Of Freedom” Tom Morello, Serj Tankian, Pete Yorn, Flea, Brad
Wilk
“Jeffrey Are You Listening?” Serj Tankian, Tom Morello, Brad Wilk,
Brian O’Conner

DVD Track Listing
“Airplane Skit” Ahmed Ahmed (Spoken Word)
“President Evil” Knowledge (Iraq Poem)
“Speak On It” Knowledge with Serj (Armenian Genocide poem)
“Until The End” The Nightwatchman
“The Road I Must Travel” The Nightwatchman with Serj Tankian, Pete
Yorn, Brad Wilk, Johnny Polonsky Piano Improvisation Serj Tankian
“Charades” Serj Tankian (Free Jam) Flea, Brad Wilk, Serj Tankian
“Chimes of Freedom” Tom Morello, Serj Tankian, Pete Yorn , Flea, Brad
Wilk
“Alice In My Fantasies” Flea, Brad Wilk, Tom Morello, Pete Yorn ,
Serj Tankian
“Where The Streets Have No Name” Flea, Brad Wilk, Tom Morello, Pete
Yorn, Serj Tankian, Maynard James Keenan, Johnny Polonsky

David Gray Writes Soundtrack

The next new music you hear from David Gray will be the soundtrack to
the new British movie ‘A Way of Life’.

Director Amma Asante listened constantly to Gray’s White Ladder album
while she was making the movie. She says it helped her overcome her
writers block. When she finished her script, she wrote to Gray and
asked him if he would be interested in writing the music for her
film. He agreed.

The movie is about a struggling teenage mother fighting for survival
in South Wales.

The movie has had previews at the Toronto and San Sebastian
International Film Festivals.

It will premiere in the UK on November 12.

SANA, Syrian Arab News Agency
Nov 9 2004

Archbishop / Fast Breaking Banquet

Aleppo, Nov.9 (SANA)

The Archbishop of the Armenian-Orthodox in Aleppo Shahan Sarkisian
held on Tuesday an Eftar ( fast breaking ) banquet celebrating the
Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

Governor of Aleppo Ossama Adi said that the banquet is an example of
the religious tolerance among Syrian citizens with all different
sects, adding that Syria is a home of the religious tolerance and
coexistence.

Mufti of Aleppo Dr. Ahmad Hassoun and the Archbishop Sarkisian also
stressed that Aleppo was and is still, throughout history, an example
of tolerance among all heavenly messages.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

La voz de galicia, España
Miercoles, 10 de Noviembre de 2004

La música alimenta el espíritu
El pulso de la Costa da Morte

Los alumnos de los colegios de Agualada y Coristanco asisten a los
conciertos del Trío Rusia que programó la Concejalía de Cultura en el
auditorio municipal

TASENDE
?a música es uno de los mejores alimentos para el espíritu, sobre
todo para los niños. En Coristanco lo saben y lo llevan a la
práctica. Así que ayer hubo un concierto para alumnos de secundaria
en la Casa da Cultura. Las interpretaciones corrieron a cargo de Hayk
Manukyán , Érik Vardanyán y Ludmila Orlova , que forman el Trío
Rusia. Hoy repiten actuación en el mismo lugar. Es una oportunidad
para que los chavales de los colegios de Agualada y Coristanco tomen
contacto con temas de Vivaldi y Mozart, entre otros. Uno de los
intérpretes del trío, Érik, sólo tiene 12 años. Nació en Armenia,
pero vive en A Coruña desde los dos. A los siete ya empezó a tocar el
violín. Todo un ejemplo para los chavales que asisten a los
conciertos.

?ue el valle de Traba (Laxe) produce buenas hortalizas no es ningún
secreto. Los ajos y las cebollas de estas tierras atlánticas tienen
fama y son muy cotizadas en la feria de Baio. Pero también da buenas
calabazas, como la que exhiben con orgullo en Mórdomo Carmen Mouzo
Moreira y Mercedes Rodríguez Mouzo . Se trata de un ejemplar de 63
kilos de peso y 71 centímetros de alto. Creció en su huerta y los
habrá tan grandes y pesados, pero el que lo tenga tendrá que
demostrarlo.

?l fútbol de la Tercera División Nacional tiene un importante
protagonismo en el programa La voz del deporte, que presenta en
RadioVoz Jorge Campos. Sobre todo, en la tertulia que participan los
entrenadores Manuel Varela Bardanca, Juan José Vila y el alcalde de
Cerceda, José García Liñares, un confeso seguidor del fútbol que se
juega en esta categoría. En este espacio se analizan los resultados
más significativos de la última jornada y se le presta especial
atención a los equipos de Bergantiños, Cerceda y A Laracha, los tres
conjuntos que defienden nuestras comarcas en la competición liguera.
También se cuentan los secretos de los fichajes y se observan con
lupa las decisiones arbitrales.

?os vecinos de la parroquia cabanesa de Riobó parecen estar muy
sensibilizados con la puesta en valor del patrimonio de su localidad.
Un nutrido grupo de vecinos, entre los que se encontraban abuelos y
nietos, acudieron el pasado domingo a la charla que impartió Ángel
Eiroa Pose, uno de los técnicos municipales. En la conferencia, que
tuvo lugar en el local social de A Mata, Eiroa ilustró sus
explicaciones con el apoyo de una serie de imágenes que suscitaron el
interés de los asistentes al acto. Los responsables del Departamento
de Cultura del Concello destacaron que el público se mostró muy
participativo en la experiencia, por lo que no dudan en calificarla
como un auténtico éxito. La actividad se enmarca dentro de las
acciones promovidas por el Ayuntamiento encaminadas a que todos los
cabaneses tengan acceso a información sobre la riqueza cultural y
etnográfica del municipio, así como fomentar un mayor conocimiento
del patrimonio histórico.

El próximo domingo se celebrará un acto similar en la parroquia de O
Esto. Los vecinos podrán acudir a una nueva sesión, en la que se
mostrará un vídeo sobre Cabana, un recital de poesías de María Baña y
habrá una interpretación de las leyendas de la parroquia. La
actividad comenzará a las seis de la tarde.

?llá se fueron el alcalde de Fisterra, José Manuel Traba Fernández ,
y el teniente de alcalde de Corcubión Ramón Pais Redonda , invitados
por Turgalicia. Forman parte de un grupo de diez representantes de
otros tantos ayuntamientos gallegos con el fin de que conozcan planes
de calidad para la actividad turística. Es de esperar que los ediles
tomen buena nota, porque calidad es lo que hace falta en la zona,
según se puso de manifiesto bien claro y de forma reiterada en las
Aulas da Costa da Morte celebradas recientemente en Carballo, Baio y Laxe.

–Boundary_(ID_qTkCNCtbUNp2iKyKp/UbQw)–

La Padania, Italia
mercoledì 10 novembre 2004

Il tabù del genocidio armeno: il negazionismo europeo teme di
infastidire Istanbul

UN MILIONE E MEZZO DI SCHELETRI NELL’ARMADIO DELLA STORIA TURCA

PIER LUIGI PELLEGRIN

Buon sangue non mente. Gli insulti rivolti dal leader turco Erdogan
alla Lega Nord (“gruppuscolo politico”), fanno il paio con il
comportamento assunto dai suoi avi nei confronti della minoranza
armena, poco meno di novanta anni fa, prima di passare dalle parole
ai fatti, perpetrando uno dei più sanguinari olocausti che la storia
ricordi. Le aggressioni partirono dall’allora partito di governo
“Ittihad ve Terraki” (Unione e Progresso), espressione
dell’ultranazionalismo dei Giovani Turchi, che non poteva tollerare
le istanze di indipendenza avanzate dal popolo armeno: il pensiero di
“Unione e Progresso” puntava infatti all’omogeneizzazione
panturchista in chiave etnica e religiosa.
Il popolo armeno, quindi, si presentava come ostacolo a questo
progetto in quanto non solo aveva aderito fin dal ‘300 alla religione
cristiana, ma aveva anche culturalmente assorbito i principi legati a
quel modello di stato di diritto che si stava affermando nei paesi
occidentali ed europei. Il razzismo turco fu quindi un pretesto per
perseguire quello che di fatto era un fine politico ed economico,
data anche la prosperità terriera e finanziaria degli armeni.
Con simili presupposti fu relativamente facile, per i Giovani Turchi,
progettare a tavolino l’eliminazione degli armeni, per poi
realizzarla con precisione scientifica e certosina. I turchi,
insomma, non avrebbero avuto nulla da imparare dai nazisti.
Il piano di sterminio, comunque, venne stilato in dieci punti. Nel
primo si stabilì di mettere fuori legge le associazioni armene,
arrestare gli armeni colpiti in passato dall’accusa di tradimento,
deportarli ed eliminarli. La follia non cambia negli altri nove
passaggi, nei quali si progetta espressamente di sterminare gli
uomini sotto i cinquant’anni, i preti e i maestri, oppure di
deportare le famiglie dei fuggiaschi e impedire ogni comunicazione
tra loro.
Ma i Giovani Turchi con la tranquillità delle belve feroci decisero
anche di mettere in atto operazioni di propaganda e di istigazione
alla violenza delle popolazioni musulmane, nonché di licenziare i
funzionari di stato armeni adducendo motivi di sicurezza, mentre allo
stesso modo venne deciso di sterminare tutti gli armeni presenti
nell’esercito.
Il dato più raggelante di questa pianificazione, però, consiste nella
fervida raccomandazione di cominciare simultaneamente le operazioni
in aree diverse, in modo che le vittime non possano organizzare alcun
piano di fuga o di difesa. Una strategia di caccia ineccepibile, se
nel ruolo delle prede non ci fossero stati un milione e mezzo di
esseri umani.
L’Olocausto perpetrato dai turchi ha anche una ricorrenza, il 25
aprile: in questa data, infatti, nel 1915 vennero deportati,
massacrati e imprigionati tutti gli armeni di Costantinopoli.
Successivamente, nell’agosto dello stesso anno, vennero confiscati i
beni di tutta la popolazione armena, mentre in novembre venne
dichiarata la “Jihad”, ovvero la guerra santa contro gli infedeli (e
gli armeni erano cristiani).
Probabilmente è questo il punto fondamentale per comprendere quale
sia stata l’autentica piattaforma di partenza per il genocidio
armeno, ovvero la matrice religiosa. Secondo l’opinione degli
storici, infatti, il nazionalismo dei Giovani Turchi non sarebbe da
solo bastato a compattare quel patchwork di popoli e nazioni che era
diventato l’ex impero ottomano. Nello sterminio giocò, quindi, un
ruolo fondamentale l’impasto teocratico che avviluppava la società
turca, scatenandola in modo sanguinario contro il nemico cristiano,
in questo caso gli armeni.
Non a caso il genocidio del 1915 aveva avuto i suoi predecessori nei
progrom del biennio compreso tra il 1895 e 1897, quando il sultano
Abdul Hamid II sterminò 300.000 armeni. Nel XXI secolo la storia non
ha ancora chiuso i suoi debiti con questo popolo, come dimostra
l’estrema titubanza con la quale viene affrontato il tema del
genocidio. Basti pensare alla malinconica fine fatta dalla mozione
presentata nel 1998 da Giancarlo Pagliarini per il riconoscimento
dell’Olocausto armeno, firmata da 165 parlamentari di diversi
partiti, ma lasciata a bagnomaria dalla burocrazia romana fino al
2001, quando l’allora presidente del Consiglio, Giuliano Amato, la
respinse considerandola poco adatta al periodo storico-politico.
Evidentemente la memoria di 1.500.000 morti passava in secondo piano
rispetto agli interessi dell’Ulivo e di Romano Prodi, che
dell’ingresso della Turchia è il principale (e forse unico) paladino
europeo (e i turchi di ammettere il genocidio armeno non vogliono
nemmeno sentirne parlare).
A distanza di tre anni il clima è cambiato di poco, visto il silenzio
che politica e cultura hanno riservato all’interessante convegno,
svoltosi nei giorni scorsi, dedicato dalla Fondazione Cini di Venezia
al rapporto Turchia-Armenia. Lo stesso professor Antonio Rigo,
direttore dell’istituto “Venezia e l’Europa”, che con la Fondazione
Cini ha organizzato tale convegno, ha ammesso che: «Fino a poco tempo
fa, soprattutto pensando a qualche altro paese, un incontro del
genere non sarebbe stato possibile nemmeno immaginarlo». Come dire
che nei palazzi di potere la parola di Istanbul conta molto, più
delle coscienze e dei rimorsi.

,1,1

–Boundary_(ID_whka5cWvrnV+O7AJZRVJjg)–

St. Jude: Faithful Servant and Friend of Jesus

Herald Columnist
From the issue of 11/11/04

By Fr. William P. Saunders

Why is St. Jude the Apostle the one to whom we pray in time of hopeless
causes?
– A reader in Annandale, VA

Before delving into the question at hand, let us first investigate what
we know about St. Jude. Unfortunately, sacred Scripture does not provide
many details about the life of St. Jude. Most importantly, he is listed
as one of the Twelve Apostles called by our Lord, Jesus: “At daybreak,
He called His disciples and selected twelve of them to be His apostles:
Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter, and Andrew, his brother, James
and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Matthew and Thomas, James son of
Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas
Iscariot, who turned traitor” (Lk 6:13-16; confer also Acts 1:13). In
both the Gospel of St. Matthew (10:2-4) and Mark (3:16-19), the name
“Judas” (i.e. Jude) does not appear in the list of the Apostles, but
rather the name “Thaddaeus”; some speculate that Thaddaeus was used to
distinguish Jude from the betrayer Judas Iscariot. (Please note, too,
that “Judas” is the Greek form for the English “Jude.”) Nevertheless,
both names, Jude and Thaddaeus, refer to the same person, and oftentimes
one will hear St. Jude Thaddaeus. Our liturgical tradition also reflects
this point: The Latin text of Eucharistic Prayer I in the Mass uses the
name Thaddaeus, while the English text uses the word Jude in the listing
of the Apostles.

Traditionally, St. Jude was the author of “The Epistle of Jude,” found
in the New Testament. Some scholars in recent times have disputed
whether the Apostle St. Jude was in fact the author Jude of this letter.
Rather than plunge into all of those arguments, let’s recount briefly
the traditional evidence supporting St. Jude as the author. The
Muratorian Fragment (c. AD 155) provides one of the earliest listings of
those writings that could be read at Mass because they were of apostolic
authorship and free of heresy or error. These works would later be
included in the canon of the New Testament. The Muratorian fragment
lists The Epistle of Jude as one of those accepted writings, thereby
attesting to the authorship of the Apostle St. Jude.

However to accept this point stirs up another question: Why then does
the author of the epistle identify himself as the “brother of James”
(Jud 1), referring to the Apostle St. James the Lesser? In the listing
of the Twelve Apostles cited above, Jude is identified as “the son of
James,” and St. James the Lesser is identified as “the son of Alphaeus.”
The problem lies in the translation from the Greek text of the Gospel
into English. Returning to the original Greek text of the Gospel of St.
Luke, one does not find the word son either in reference to “James son
of Alphaeus” or “Judas son of James”; rather, the literal translation
would be “James of Alphaeus,” and “Judas of James.” (The same is true of
the Latin Vulgate text.) So what are the actual relationships?

The “James” referred to in the Letter of Jude is St. James the Lesser
(not the brother of St. John), who was a cousin of Jesus (Mt 13:55,
noting brother used as an all-encompassing term for any male blood
relation). Since in the listing of the Apostles in the Gospels of St.
Matthew and Mark, the name Thaddaeus follows immediately that of “James,
of Alphaeus,” the traditional conclusion is that Thaddaeus and James are
related. Thaddaeus, remember, is the other name for St. Jude. Therefore,
the author of the epistle is the same Jude who is the brother of James
the Lesser. For good reason then, the Douay Rheims Bible correctly
translated the listing in Luke 6:13-16 as follows: “James, the son of
Alphaeus, and Simon who is called Zelotes, and Jude, the brother of
James.” Another reason St. Jude identified himself as “the brother of
James” at the beginning of his epistle may be because the Apostle St.
James the Lesser was the well-known Bishop of Jerusalem; therefore, the
relationship attests to the apostolic authorship of the epistle and
dispels any confusion with Judas Iscariot.

Now that the reader probably knows more than he ever wanted to about why
St. Jude is the Apostle, the brother of St. James the Lesser, the cousin
of Jesus, and the author of the New Testament Epistle of Jude, we can
continue with answering the question.

St. Jude does have one recorded spoken verse in the Gospel of St. John.
At the Last Supper, he asked Jesus, “Lord, why is it that you will
reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” (Jn 14:22). Our Lord then
spoke of how anyone who loves Him will be true to His word, in turn His
Heavenly Father will love him, and together they will send the Holy Spirit.

The Epistle of Jude is similar to the Second Epistle of Peter. Some
scholars date the letter to about AD 70. St. Jude encourages the
community to “fight hard for the faith,” and warns against false
teachers. He challenges the early faithful: “Grow strong in your holy
faith through prayer in the Holy Spirit. Persevere in God’s love, and
welcome the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ which leads to life eternal.
Correct those are confused; the others you must rescue, snatching them
from the fire” (20-22).

Tradition says that after the resurrection, St. Jude Thaddaeus retrieved
our Lord’s burial cloth, which many believe to be the Shroud of Turin.
He eventually brought it to Edessa in present day Turkey. From there, he
traveled into the area of Armenia. The Armenian Rite traces its origins
to St. Jude Thaddaeus.

St. Jude then preached the gospel in Mesopotamia where he was joined by
St. Simon. From there, they did missionary work in Persia, where they
suffered martyrdom. St. Jude was beaten to death with a club; St. Simon
was sawed into pieces. Their feast day is Oct. 28.

So why is St. Jude Thaddaeus the patron saint of desperate causes? The
traditional reason is rather simple: When one hears the name Judas
(Latin and Greek) or even Jude (English), one immediately thinks of
Judas Iscariot who betrayed our Lord. Therefore, a person had to be
desperate to invoke his name. Being so seldom invoked and reverenced,
St. Jude is ready and waiting to hear the prayers of those who call upon
him. Ironically, he is probably the Apostle who is invoked the most in
prayer, and the most memorialized in churches with statues or other
artwork.

A prayer distributed by the National Shrine of St. Jude in Chicago reads
as follows:

“Most holy Apostle, St. Jude, faithful servant and friend of Jesus, the
Church honors and invokes you universally, as the patron of hopeless
cases, of things almost despaired of. Pray for me, I am so helpless and
alone. Make us I implore you, of that particular privilege given to you,
to bring visible and speedy help where help is almost despaired of. Come
to my assistance in this great need that I may receive the consolation
and help of Heaven in all my necessities, tribulation, and sufferings,
particularly (state request) and that I may praise God with you and all
the elect forever. I promise, O blessed St. Jude, to be ever mindful of
this great favor, to always honor you as my special and powerful patron,
and to gratefully encourage devotion to you. Amen.”

Fr. Saunders is pastor of Our Lady of Hope Parish in Potomac Falls and a
professor of catechetics and theology at Notre Dame Graduate School in
Alexandria.

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Coordinator of Information Services
Tel: (212) 686-0710 Ext. 60; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:

November 10, 2004
___________________

THREE NORTH AMERICAN DIOCESES SEND REPRESENTATIVES TO MEETING ORGANIZED
BY ACYOA

They came from every corner of the continent, and it quickly became
apparent that these young Armenians had a lot in common, and together
could take advantage of a number of opportunities.

>>From October 1 to 3, 2004, delegates from each of the three North
American dioceses of the Armenian Church — the Diocese of the Armenian
Church of America (Eastern), the Western Diocese, and the Canadian
Diocese — met at the Eastern Diocese’s Ararat Center to discuss common
concerns and challenges related to youth involvement in the church.

“This meeting was an opportunity to unify the youth organizations of our
dioceses,” said Mathew Ash, the youth director for the Western Diocese.
“For the first time I felt as though we were all striving for the same
goals. I feel as though we have a great deal more to discuss. I pray
that we’ll be able to capitalize on this event.”

SHARED OPPORTUNITIES

Each diocese sent four representatives to the meeting. They explored
the possibility of a joint event that would assemble even more young
people from the three dioceses. They also investigated the feasibility
of sponsoring a joint pilgrimage to Armenia and drafted a document to
present to the respective primates and diocesan councils on ways to
involve youth in the life of the church.

The weekend was organized by the Central Council of the Armenian Church
Youth Organization of America (ACYOA) of the Diocese of the Armenian
Church of America (Eastern).

“This meeting was something we have wanted to do for several years. By
creating a network of communication, the ACYOA, ACYO-WD (Armenian Church
Youth Organization — Western Diocese), and ACYOC (Armenian Church Youth
Organization of Canada) will be able to work together to strengthen each
of our organizations and fulfill our common mission, bringing the youth
of the Armenian Church closer to God,” said Eastern Diocese
representative Maria Derderian, a member of the ACYOA Central Council.

The weekend was more than talking; it included matins and vespers
services and a presentation on discipleship by Fr. Stepanos Doudoukjian,
pastor of the St. Peter Church of Watervliet, NY. That Sunday, the
young participants traveled to Watervliet to attend a Divine Liturgy and
brunch at St. Peter Church. During brunch, a representative from each
of the three Dioceses spoke with the parish gathering about their
respective service programs in Armenia.

“It’s inspiring to see so many dedicated, young members of the Armenian
Church,” Fr. Doudoukjian said. “I pray they will be disciples of the
Lord and witness their faith to others.”

PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

After three days of discussion, brainstorming, and sharing past
experiences and future hopes, the group came up with a few goals for the
combined youth of the three dioceses to focus on.

Delegates plan to organize an annual Pan-North American Youth Retreat
for the next three years during late September or early October. They
hope between 75 and 100 young people can attend the sessions, which will
be hosted by the three dioceses on a rotating schedule.

Another proposal they agreed on is to organize a Pan-Armenian youth
gathering in Armenia for 2008.

The group also agreed to more coordination in regard to their respective
service programs in Armenia. ACYOA organizes the Armenia Service
Program (ASP), through which young people work as camp counselors in
Armenia. The ACYO-WD this year inaugurated its Church Youth Mission to
Armenia, which allows participants to spend a month working as an intern
in Armenia.

The group decided to jointly promote the various opportunities for young
people to serve the Armenian homeland. Also, the various trips will be
scheduled so they overlap, allowing participants from each program to
mingle with those of the others.

“It was a pleasure meeting friends from all across North America and
getting their perspectives on the goings on of their respective
Dioceses. Hopefully we can build a brighter and stronger future for
generations to come,” said Talar Chichmanian, a representative of the
ACYOC, which is just getting established.

Attending the meeting as representatives of the Diocese of the Armenian
Church of America (Eastern) were: Maria Derderian, ACYOA Central Council
public relations coordinator and member of the Sts. Sahag and Mesrob
Church, Wynnewood, PA; Dn. Diran Jebejian, ACYOA Central Council vice
chair and member of the St. Leon Church, Fair Lawn, NJ; Saro Kalayjian,
former ACYOA Central Council chair and member of the St. Mary Church,
Washington, D.C.; and Karen Khatchadourian, ACYOA Central Council
programming coordinator and member of the St. Thomas Church, Tenafly,
NJ.

Attending the session as representatives of the Diocese of the Armenian
Church of Canada were: Talar Chichmanian, parishioner at the St. Gregory
Cathedral, Montreal, Quebec; Armen DiMaria, ACYOC member from the Holy
Cross Church, Laval, Quebec; David Kaprielian, ACYOC member from the
Holy Cross Church, Laval, Quebec; and Shogher Menengichian, ACYOC member
from the Holy Trinity Church, Toronto, Ontario.

Attending the session as representatives of the Western Diocese of the
Armenian Church of America were: Hovig Artinian, ACYO-WD Central Council
chair and member of St. Paul Church, Fresno, CA; Matthew Ash, Diocesan
youth director and member of the St. James Church, Los Angeles, CA;
Abraham Chilingaryan, ACYO-WD Central Council advisor and member of the
St. John Church, Hollywood, CA; and Ryan Tellalian, ACYO-WD Central
Council secretary and member of the St. Mary Church, Yettem, CA.

Helping organize and leading discussions during the weekend were Fr.
Stepanos Doudoukjian, pastor of the St. Peter Church of Watervliet, NY;
Nancy Basmajian, ACYOA executive secretary; and Jason Demerjian, the
Eastern Diocese’s College Ministry facilitator.

— 11/10/04

E-mail photos available on request. Photos also viewable in the News
and Events section of the Eastern Diocese’s website,

PHOTO CAPTION (1): Representatives from the three Armenian Church
dioceses of North America discuss shared opportunities and challenges
during a weekend retreat at the Eastern Diocese’s Ararat Center in
upstate New York on October 1 through 3, 2004.

PHOTO CAPTION (2): Fr. Stepanos Doudoukjian, pastor of the St. Peter
Church of Watervliet, NY, leads a discussion on discipleship and
stewardship during a gathering of young Armenian Church leaders from
throughout North America.

PHOTO CAPTION (3): Four representatives from each Armenian Church
diocese in North America gather at the St. Peter Church of Watervliet,
NY, on October 3, 2004, after a weekend of discussions and sharing of
ideas at the Ararat Center in upstate New York.

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