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Eastern Prelacy: Crossroads E-Newsletter - 09/15/2005

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  • Eastern Prelacy: Crossroads E-Newsletter - 09/15/2005

    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: http://www.armenianprelacy.org
    Contact: Iris Papazian

    September 15, 2005

    CATHOLICOS ARAM I IN GENEVA;
    WILL BEGIN VISIT TO NORTH AMERICA
    His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, is in
    Geneva where he is chairing the meetings of the World Council of Churches'
    secretariat, executive committee and several sub-committees. His Holiness is
    the Moderator of the Central and Executive Committees of the WCC.
    His Holiness will thereafter begin his visit to the Prelacies of North
    America. He will visit the Prelacy of Canada from September 29 to October 5;
    the Western Prelacy from October 5 to 19; and the Eastern Prelacy from
    October 19 to November 1.
    The primary purpose of the Catholicos' visit is to celebrate the 75th
    anniversary of the establishment of the Seminary at Antelias. In addition
    the communities are celebrating the 10th anniversary of His Holiness's
    election and consecration.
    Details about his visit to the Eastern Prelacy are on our web site
    (www.armenianprelacy.org). The site also contains historical information
    about the Seminary, as well as messages from His Holiness. New material is
    added to the site almost on a daily basis. We recommend that you visit the
    site on a regular basis. http://www.armenianprelacy.org/vehapar01.htm.

    MARKING THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNITED NATIONS
    In celebration of the 60th anniversary of the United Nations this week,
    world leaders have converged in New York to mark the occasion. Leaders of
    170 nations are in town, creating colossal traffic problems on the eastside
    of Manhattan, where the Prelacy offices are located.
    On Monday afternoon, September 12, Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, Prelate,
    and V. Rev. Fr. Anoushavan Tanielian, Vicar, attended a prayer service on
    the occasion of the UN's anniversary. The prayer service was hosted by Holy
    Trinity Church, across from the United Nations complex. Kofi Annan,
    Secretary-General of the United Nations, addressed the gathering, which was
    attended by world leaders, ambassadors, and leaders of various religious
    communities.

    RECEPTION FOR PRIME MINISTER OF ARMENIA
    Archbishop Oshagan and V. Rev. Fr. Anoushavan will attend a reception in
    honor of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, H. E. Andranik
    Margaryan and Mrs. Margaryan, tonight at Kavoukjian Hall in New York City.
    The reception is hosted by the Permanent Representative of Armenia to the
    United Nations, H.E. Armen Martirosyan.

    PRELATE WILL BE IN WORCESTER THIS WEEKEND
    Archbishop Oshagan will travel to Worcester, Massachusetts, where he
    will join the Holy Trinity parish in celebration of the 25th anniversary of
    the consecration of the Church. His Eminence will officiate the Divine
    Liturgy, deliver the Sermon and ordain three acolytes. A banquet following
    the Liturgy will honor the Godfathers of the Church.

    NATIONAL DAY OF REMEMBRANCE
    As we told you last week, President Bush has declared tomorrow, Friday,
    September 16, as a National Day of Remembrance for the disaster affecting
    the Gulf States. Donations are being accepted at the Prelacy for the victims
    of hurricane Katrina. Send your donations to the Prelacy, 138 E. 39th
    Street, New York, NY 10016. All parishes within the Eastern Prelacy have
    made special plate collections for the past two Sundays.
    Archbishop Oshagan has asked the parishes of the Eastern Prelacy to open
    their doors at 9 a.m. tomorrow for those who wish to offer private prayers
    or light a candle.

    ARMENIAN INDEPENDENCE DAY
    Next Wednesday, September 21, is the 14th anniversary of the current
    Republic of Armenia. Let us give thanks for the rebirth of the Armenian
    Republic and pray for the future growth and prosperity of the Republic under
    wise and visionary leadership. With our prayers let us add our wholehearted
    support.

    EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR IN ARMENIA
    Dr. Vazken Ghougassian, Executive Director of the Eastern Prelacy, is
    leaving for Armenia tonight where he will spend the next ten days conferring
    with the Prelacy's office staff in Armenia, as well visiting the sites of
    various charitable projects undertaken by the Prelacy.

    RECEIVING CROSSROADS REGULARLY
    Some of you have informed us that you do not receive Crossroads on a
    regular basis. Crossroads is sent to our email list every Thursday
    afternoon. We suggest that you add Crossroads to your address book and/or
    mark it as "not spam" so that you receive all future issues.

    AUTUMN IN OUR GARDEN
    Yes, we are approaching the official beginning of autumn. Our vegetable
    garden has experienced the worst planting and growing season in more than
    forty years. In the springtime our seedlings endured frost, intense heat,
    and violent rains leading into a summer of severe drought. However, the
    plants endured, flowered, bore fruit. And then came an assault from the
    animal world: groundhogs-a new experience for us. We first noticed that the
    herb garden was gone-totally-no sign of anything ever being within those
    borders. Then day-by-day everything else-squash, cucumbers, eggplants,
    peppers, okra, tomatoes-were attacked and annihilated. We read up on some
    natural ways of deterring these critters and found none. One reference
    suggested a fence that must start at least three feet underground! Another
    had a one-word solution: "Move!"
    But we live with hope and we will try again next year. The truth is that
    since our childhood we had the presence of vegetable gardens all around us.
    Every tiny little patch of land was cultivated by someone. I suppose it goes
    back to the "Victory Gardens" so prevalent during the Second World War, when
    there were large posters encouraging Americans to grow their own crop of
    food. The campaign for victory gardens came to an end with the war when food
    rationing was no longer necessary. But for many the habit continued-and
    continues-because it is good to be able to eat really fresh food for at
    least a few months out of the year. And for some of us gardening-especially
    for edible crops-is therapy, exercise, prayer and meditation, all rolled
    into one.

    FINALLY.
    In honor of the 60th anniversary of the United Nations, an institution
    that is certainly at the crossroads of its existence with many critics, we
    remember the words of Eleanor Roosevelt from a speech defending the UN
    delivered on July 23, 1952:
    "There have been sacrifices and discouragements, triumphs and set-backs.
    The United Nations is attempting to convert this last chance, carrying
    mankind's best hope, into an effective instrument that will enable our
    children and our children's children to maintain peace in their time. The
    path upon which we have set our course is not an easy one. The trail is
    often difficult to find. We must make our maps as we go along but we travel
    in good company with men and women of good-will in the free countries of the
    world.
    "Without the United Nations our country would walk alone, ruled by fear,
    instead of confidence and hope. To weaken or hamstring the United Nations
    now, through lack of faith and lack of vision, would be to condemn ourselves
    to endless struggle for survival in a jungle world.
    "In examining what the UN has done, and what it is striving to do, it
    must be remembered that peace, like freedom, is elusive, hard to come by,
    harder to keep. It cannot be put into a purse or a hip pocket and buttoned
    there to stay. To achieve peace we must recognize the historic truth that we
    can no longer live apart from the rest of the world. We must also recognize
    the fact that peace, like freedom, is not won once and for all. It is fought
    for daily, in many small acts, and is the result of many individual
    efforts."


    Calendar of Events
    September 18-Banquet to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the consecration
    of Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church, Worcester, Massachusetts, and
    honor the Church Godfathers. His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan will deliver
    the keynote address. For more information, 508-852-2414.

    September 25-35th anniversary of St. Gregory Armenian Church of North
    Andover, Massachusetts, presided over by His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan.
    For more information, 978-685-5038.

    September 26-Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church, Worcester,
    Massachusetts, will host its second annual golf tournament at the Raceway
    Golf Club in Thompson, Connecticut, to benefit the church's Capital Fund.
    For information: 508-872-9629.

    October 19-November 1-Visit of His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great
    House of Cilicia, to the Eastern Prelacy, commemorating the 75th anniversary
    of the establishment of the Cilician Seminary in Antelias, Lebanon.

    October 28-29-Mashtots Conference celebrating the 1600th anniversary of the
    founding of the Armenian alphabet, at Harvard University. Jointly sponsored
    by the Eastern Prelacy and Harvard University Mashtots Chair, Department of
    Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations.

    November 6-St. Stephen Armenian Apostolic Church of Hartford-New Britain,
    Connecticut, will celebrate its 80th anniversary. Archbishop Oshagan
    Choloyan will be the keynote speaker. The program will include a slide show
    presentation two non-Armenian Peace Corps volunteers who recently returned
    from serving in Armenia.

    November 11-13-Mini-Datev program for the Midwest parishes.

    December 31-New Years Eve dinner-dance, Sts. Vartanantz (NJ) and ARF Dro
    Gomideh, Parsippany Hilton. Information: 201-943-2950 or 201-945-0011.

    March 5-Sts. Vartanantz (NJ) 2006 membership meeting.

    March 17-19, 2006-Sunday School Teachers' Conference at the Wonderland
    Conference and Retreat Center in Sharon, MA.

    Parishes of the Eastern Prelacy are invited to send information about their
    major events to be included in the calendar. Send to:
    [email protected]

    Visit our website at www.armenianprelacy.org
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