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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
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 8, 2006
PRELACY SPONSORS 20TH ANNUAL
ST. GREGORY OF DATEV INSTITUTE SUMMER PROGRAM
NEW YORK, NY-"I have attended Datev for the past four summers and I must
confess that it was probably the highlight of each of those summers," said
Garineh Panosian, a 2006 graduate of the Datev Institute. That is just one
of many observations and personal testimonials that have come forth from
students who have attended the Datev Institute during the past 20 years.
This summer, seventy-one students (between ages 13 to 18) from thirteen
parishes, and ten clergymen, gathered at the St. Mary of Providence Center
in Elverson, Pennsylvania, July 2 to 9, for the 20th annual St. Gregory of
Datev Institute Armenian Christian Studies Program, under the directorship
of His Grace Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian, Vicar General of the Eastern
Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America.
In appreciation of the twenty years of Datev a celebration took place on
Saturday evening July 8, at the Holiday Inn, not far from the St. Mary of
Providence Center where the Datev Institute's summer program takes place
each year. Attending were current and former Datevatzis. (See details of
this event in separate accompanying story.)
Sponsored by the Armenian Religious Education Council (AREC) of the
Prelacy, the Datev Institute offers an opportunity for the youth to enrich
their Armenian Christian faith in a wholesome and nurturing environment.
Worship, Christian education and fellowship are the three main components of
the weeklong program, with daily Arevakal (Sunrise) and Husgoom
(Rest/Compline hour) services, six hours of interactive classes, panel
discussions and Bible studies, as well as recreational and communal
activities. In addition, this year a special workshop was conducted for
altar servers.
The Institute is a four-year program (one week each summer) for youth.
Those who complete the four-year program may return for postgraduate
classes. All five levels of study take place concurrently. The overall
curriculum exposes the participants to Armenian Christian essentials, from
Bible and creeds, sacraments and sacred chants, feasts and saints, communal
worship and personal prayer, and ways to live today in faithful obedience to
the mandate of the Gospel of Christ.
The program began on Sunday evening, July 2, with a prayer by His Grace
Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian, followed by orientation led by Deacon Shant
Kazanjian, director of AREC. After presenting the preliminaries, Dn. Shant
stressed that "Datev is not just another youth program; to be sure, it is a
youth program, but with gospel in it. The Gospel of Christ is the essential
ingredient that makes Datev what it is. This gospel, as proclaimed and
celebrated by the Armenian Apostolic Church throughout the centuries, has
shaped and formed our distinctive Armenian Christian character."
The Faculty
The roster of instructors this year included Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian,
V. Rev. Fr. Shahe Panossian, V. Rev. Fr. Daniel Garabedian, Rev. Fr. Khoren
Habeshian, Rev. Fr. Antranig Baljian, Rev. Fr. Nerses Manoogian, Rev. Fr.
Sarkis Aktavoukian, Dn. Shant Kazanjian, Dn. Nishan Baljian, Dn. Arsen
Mekaelian, and Ms. Jeanette Nazarian.
Guest lecturer, Rev. Fr. Paul Tarazi, Ph.D., Professor of Biblical
Studies and Biblical Languages at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological
Seminary, taught the upper level students a 4-hour mini course on the Letter
of James. Fr. Tarazi also held a three-hour session on the same letter with
the clergy-instructors of the Institute.
20th Anniversary
On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Datev Institute, a seminar
entitled, "Youth, Faith and Life" took place on Saturday, July 8, which
attracted over 25 Datevatzis. The seminar was led by Rev. Fr. Antranig
Baljian, pastor of St. Stephen Armenian Church, Watertown, Massachusetts,
and V. Rev. Fr. Paul Tarazi.
Hagop Kouyoumdjian served as the honorary chairman of the 20th
anniversary and chairman of the fund raising committee. Mr. Kouyoumdjian and
his wife, Ica, have been supporters of the Prelacy and especially Christian
education for more than two decades. His eagerness to help celebrate twenty
years of Datev provided the inspiration for others to follow and support the
future growth of this program for the youth.
The weeklong program came to a close on Sunday, July 9, with the
celebration of the Divine Liturgy at St. Gregory the Illuminator Church in
Philadelphia, officiated by the Prelate, His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan
Choloyan, followed by a farewell picnic, graciously provided by Mrs. Asdghig
Kazanjian, the owner of Armenian Delight in Broomall, Pennsylvania. In his
homily, which focused on prayer, His Eminence said, "Praying together is our
Christian obligation and goal. This for us is not negotiable, because it is
the teaching of the Scriptures. When we pray together, we gather in one
place as one body. That coming together in the name of Christ strengthens
our faith and builds us up as a community of faith. As a Datevatzi you have
learned these things, and it is your Armenian Christian duty to go back to
your parish and take an active role in the communal worship there in order
that you may continue to grow in your faith and contribute to the building
up of your parish community."
Ari Nalbandian, a 2006 graduate offered this inspiring personal
observation of Datev: "I have been attending the Datev Institute since my
first year in 2003, but it was not until my fourth year that I truly began
to understand its purpose. I now realize that it is more than just a "bible
camp" or a religious retreat. The one lecture that truly spoke to me was Der
Antranig's July 4th lecture about freedom. He explained the concepts of
servitude and freedom in a way that was revolutionary to me, and probably
all the datevatzis in that room. Servitude and obedience to God is true
freedom, the freedom from sin, which I am now trying to apply to my daily
life. Thank you Datev and Der Antranig for giving me a new Christian outlook
on my life."
And second year student, Arpi Shetilian, had this to say: "I love Datev
more than I could ever imagine. It's the greatest place to meet the best
people and to make great lifelong friends. Just in these past two years that
I attended Datev, it gave me a whole new perspective about God and
religion."
Words of Appreciation
A program of this scope is possible only through the collaborative
efforts of AREC and parishes, parents, volunteer workers, and a number of
organizations and individuals. The Institute thanks the instructors for
their labor of love and the parents for entrusting their children to the
Institute for a week of spiritual formation. The Institute would also like
to express its gratitude to the following for their invaluable services as
supervisors and counselors: Dn. Bedros Kalajian, Dn. Dr. Arsen Mekaelian,
Mrs. Lena Aslanian, Ms. Barbara Baljian, Ms. Mary Gulmezian, Mr. James
Haddad, Mr. Arek Hamalian, Ms. Taleen Kupelian, Mr. Nazareth Markarian, Mrs.
Martha Mekaelian, Ms. Martha Mekaelian, Jr., Mr. Mikhail Mekaelian, and Ms.
Jeanette Nazarian. Many thanks to those parishes that subsidized a portion
of the expenses by providing scholarships.
The Institute extends its appreciation to the Pashalian Family Education
Fund for the donation of $2,000. The Institute also thanks the Prelacy
Ladies Guild (PLG) and the National Association of Ladies' Guilds (NALG) for
their generous support.
Gregor Gregorian, a 2006 Datev graduate, categorized his experience with
these words, "Datev was an amazing experience for me. It helped me to
understand more about the Armenian Church and learn more about the services
and worships such as the Badarak. Another great aspect about Datev is that
it is strict about its educational program.. I have also learned how to
speak more Armenian which is good because I would eventually like to speak
and understand the language fluently. Overall, Datev is a great experience
for anyone who wants to learn more about the Armenian Church, history,
language, and make new or see old friends."
For more information about the Datev Institute, visit the Prelacy website
at www.armenianprelacy.org.
# # #
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
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 8, 2006
PRELACY SPONSORS 20TH ANNUAL
ST. GREGORY OF DATEV INSTITUTE SUMMER PROGRAM
NEW YORK, NY-"I have attended Datev for the past four summers and I must
confess that it was probably the highlight of each of those summers," said
Garineh Panosian, a 2006 graduate of the Datev Institute. That is just one
of many observations and personal testimonials that have come forth from
students who have attended the Datev Institute during the past 20 years.
This summer, seventy-one students (between ages 13 to 18) from thirteen
parishes, and ten clergymen, gathered at the St. Mary of Providence Center
in Elverson, Pennsylvania, July 2 to 9, for the 20th annual St. Gregory of
Datev Institute Armenian Christian Studies Program, under the directorship
of His Grace Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian, Vicar General of the Eastern
Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America.
In appreciation of the twenty years of Datev a celebration took place on
Saturday evening July 8, at the Holiday Inn, not far from the St. Mary of
Providence Center where the Datev Institute's summer program takes place
each year. Attending were current and former Datevatzis. (See details of
this event in separate accompanying story.)
Sponsored by the Armenian Religious Education Council (AREC) of the
Prelacy, the Datev Institute offers an opportunity for the youth to enrich
their Armenian Christian faith in a wholesome and nurturing environment.
Worship, Christian education and fellowship are the three main components of
the weeklong program, with daily Arevakal (Sunrise) and Husgoom
(Rest/Compline hour) services, six hours of interactive classes, panel
discussions and Bible studies, as well as recreational and communal
activities. In addition, this year a special workshop was conducted for
altar servers.
The Institute is a four-year program (one week each summer) for youth.
Those who complete the four-year program may return for postgraduate
classes. All five levels of study take place concurrently. The overall
curriculum exposes the participants to Armenian Christian essentials, from
Bible and creeds, sacraments and sacred chants, feasts and saints, communal
worship and personal prayer, and ways to live today in faithful obedience to
the mandate of the Gospel of Christ.
The program began on Sunday evening, July 2, with a prayer by His Grace
Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian, followed by orientation led by Deacon Shant
Kazanjian, director of AREC. After presenting the preliminaries, Dn. Shant
stressed that "Datev is not just another youth program; to be sure, it is a
youth program, but with gospel in it. The Gospel of Christ is the essential
ingredient that makes Datev what it is. This gospel, as proclaimed and
celebrated by the Armenian Apostolic Church throughout the centuries, has
shaped and formed our distinctive Armenian Christian character."
The Faculty
The roster of instructors this year included Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian,
V. Rev. Fr. Shahe Panossian, V. Rev. Fr. Daniel Garabedian, Rev. Fr. Khoren
Habeshian, Rev. Fr. Antranig Baljian, Rev. Fr. Nerses Manoogian, Rev. Fr.
Sarkis Aktavoukian, Dn. Shant Kazanjian, Dn. Nishan Baljian, Dn. Arsen
Mekaelian, and Ms. Jeanette Nazarian.
Guest lecturer, Rev. Fr. Paul Tarazi, Ph.D., Professor of Biblical
Studies and Biblical Languages at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological
Seminary, taught the upper level students a 4-hour mini course on the Letter
of James. Fr. Tarazi also held a three-hour session on the same letter with
the clergy-instructors of the Institute.
20th Anniversary
On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Datev Institute, a seminar
entitled, "Youth, Faith and Life" took place on Saturday, July 8, which
attracted over 25 Datevatzis. The seminar was led by Rev. Fr. Antranig
Baljian, pastor of St. Stephen Armenian Church, Watertown, Massachusetts,
and V. Rev. Fr. Paul Tarazi.
Hagop Kouyoumdjian served as the honorary chairman of the 20th
anniversary and chairman of the fund raising committee. Mr. Kouyoumdjian and
his wife, Ica, have been supporters of the Prelacy and especially Christian
education for more than two decades. His eagerness to help celebrate twenty
years of Datev provided the inspiration for others to follow and support the
future growth of this program for the youth.
The weeklong program came to a close on Sunday, July 9, with the
celebration of the Divine Liturgy at St. Gregory the Illuminator Church in
Philadelphia, officiated by the Prelate, His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan
Choloyan, followed by a farewell picnic, graciously provided by Mrs. Asdghig
Kazanjian, the owner of Armenian Delight in Broomall, Pennsylvania. In his
homily, which focused on prayer, His Eminence said, "Praying together is our
Christian obligation and goal. This for us is not negotiable, because it is
the teaching of the Scriptures. When we pray together, we gather in one
place as one body. That coming together in the name of Christ strengthens
our faith and builds us up as a community of faith. As a Datevatzi you have
learned these things, and it is your Armenian Christian duty to go back to
your parish and take an active role in the communal worship there in order
that you may continue to grow in your faith and contribute to the building
up of your parish community."
Ari Nalbandian, a 2006 graduate offered this inspiring personal
observation of Datev: "I have been attending the Datev Institute since my
first year in 2003, but it was not until my fourth year that I truly began
to understand its purpose. I now realize that it is more than just a "bible
camp" or a religious retreat. The one lecture that truly spoke to me was Der
Antranig's July 4th lecture about freedom. He explained the concepts of
servitude and freedom in a way that was revolutionary to me, and probably
all the datevatzis in that room. Servitude and obedience to God is true
freedom, the freedom from sin, which I am now trying to apply to my daily
life. Thank you Datev and Der Antranig for giving me a new Christian outlook
on my life."
And second year student, Arpi Shetilian, had this to say: "I love Datev
more than I could ever imagine. It's the greatest place to meet the best
people and to make great lifelong friends. Just in these past two years that
I attended Datev, it gave me a whole new perspective about God and
religion."
Words of Appreciation
A program of this scope is possible only through the collaborative
efforts of AREC and parishes, parents, volunteer workers, and a number of
organizations and individuals. The Institute thanks the instructors for
their labor of love and the parents for entrusting their children to the
Institute for a week of spiritual formation. The Institute would also like
to express its gratitude to the following for their invaluable services as
supervisors and counselors: Dn. Bedros Kalajian, Dn. Dr. Arsen Mekaelian,
Mrs. Lena Aslanian, Ms. Barbara Baljian, Ms. Mary Gulmezian, Mr. James
Haddad, Mr. Arek Hamalian, Ms. Taleen Kupelian, Mr. Nazareth Markarian, Mrs.
Martha Mekaelian, Ms. Martha Mekaelian, Jr., Mr. Mikhail Mekaelian, and Ms.
Jeanette Nazarian. Many thanks to those parishes that subsidized a portion
of the expenses by providing scholarships.
The Institute extends its appreciation to the Pashalian Family Education
Fund for the donation of $2,000. The Institute also thanks the Prelacy
Ladies Guild (PLG) and the National Association of Ladies' Guilds (NALG) for
their generous support.
Gregor Gregorian, a 2006 Datev graduate, categorized his experience with
these words, "Datev was an amazing experience for me. It helped me to
understand more about the Armenian Church and learn more about the services
and worships such as the Badarak. Another great aspect about Datev is that
it is strict about its educational program.. I have also learned how to
speak more Armenian which is good because I would eventually like to speak
and understand the language fluently. Overall, Datev is a great experience
for anyone who wants to learn more about the Armenian Church, history,
language, and make new or see old friends."
For more information about the Datev Institute, visit the Prelacy website
at www.armenianprelacy.org.
# # #