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KAZANJIANS GIVE PILGRIMAGE PRESENTATIONS IN FLORIDA
Armenian Weekly
March 20, 2012
Edward and Mary Ann Kazanjian of Belmont, Mass., this month continued
to bring their "Journey to Historic Armenia: There IsSomething There"
multi-media presentation to Armenians throughout the country with
two stops in Florida.
Der Hovnan Demirjian, Mary Ann Kazanjian, Yeretsgin Anna, and Ed
Kazanjian On March 1, at the Vineyards Country Club in Naples, Fla.,
and with the sponsorship of the Armenian American Cultural Society of
Southwest Florida, 70 members and guests enjoyed the presentation of
the Kazanjian's first pilgrimage in 2009. Several "snowbirds from
Massachusetts" were in attendance, including Paul and Priscilla
DerAnanian (who traveled with the Kazanjians in 2009), Vartkes and
Elissa Karaian, and Jack and Audrey Pilibosian. Greg Najarian from
the Bronx, N.Y., was thrilled not only with the pictures of Chungush,
his grandfather's village, but of the promise to receive a copy of a
booklet on Chungush from the Kazanjians on their return home. Virginia
Melidosian, originally from Detroit, whose ancestors came from Keghi,
presented Mary Ann Kazanjian with a small gift, saying, "I give gifts
to roses that I meet, who touch my life, which you did today with
your pictures of Keghi and our family's village of Darvan."
A week later, on March 7, the Kazanjians repeated the program at St.
Hagop Armenian Apostolic Church in Pinellas Park, Fla. Der Hovnan
Demerjian, the priest at St. Hagop, is the son of Kenneth and Karen
Demerjian of Waltham, Mass., who grew up at St. James in Watertown
with the Kazanjians. Der Hovnan, his lovely Yeretsgin Anna, and
35 enthusiastic parishioners enjoyed the presentation and asked
many questions during the coffee hour that followed. St. Hagop
was constructed only five years ago. At the base of the palm
trees that line the front driveway are plaques that list not only
the parishioners' ancestors' names but their Armenian villages,
including Palu, Yozgat, Govdun, Dickranagerd, and Kharpert-villages
that became even more meaningful to the attendees as they saw the
images on the screen.
Parishioner Chuck Begian approached the Kazanjians to report that his
great grandfather was the priest at the Armenian church in Govdun,
which was shown in the presentation. The Kazanjians provided him
with the name and e-mail of one of their fellow pilgrims, Harutiune
Keossian from California, whose ancestors were also from Govdun.
"We gain so much from the feedback we get at these presentations and
look forward to continuing to share our collective experience with
those who are eager to learn more of their ancestral homelands and
villages," said Mary Ann Kazanjian.
A presentation of their second pilgrimage in May 2010 has only been
given once, in November 2010 at the Armenian Library and Museum
of America (ALMA) in Watertown, Mass. Arrangements to repeat this
second program are being finalized for September 2012, and will be
sponsored by the Women's Guild at the Sahag Mesrob Armenian Church
in Providence, R.I., and the Knights of Vartan at the Memorial Hall
Library in Andover, Mass.
For more information and details as they become available, visit
www.HyeTravelers.com.
Or contact the Kazanjians about a presentation for your organization
or community by e-mailing [email protected].
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Armenian Weekly
March 20, 2012
Edward and Mary Ann Kazanjian of Belmont, Mass., this month continued
to bring their "Journey to Historic Armenia: There IsSomething There"
multi-media presentation to Armenians throughout the country with
two stops in Florida.
Der Hovnan Demirjian, Mary Ann Kazanjian, Yeretsgin Anna, and Ed
Kazanjian On March 1, at the Vineyards Country Club in Naples, Fla.,
and with the sponsorship of the Armenian American Cultural Society of
Southwest Florida, 70 members and guests enjoyed the presentation of
the Kazanjian's first pilgrimage in 2009. Several "snowbirds from
Massachusetts" were in attendance, including Paul and Priscilla
DerAnanian (who traveled with the Kazanjians in 2009), Vartkes and
Elissa Karaian, and Jack and Audrey Pilibosian. Greg Najarian from
the Bronx, N.Y., was thrilled not only with the pictures of Chungush,
his grandfather's village, but of the promise to receive a copy of a
booklet on Chungush from the Kazanjians on their return home. Virginia
Melidosian, originally from Detroit, whose ancestors came from Keghi,
presented Mary Ann Kazanjian with a small gift, saying, "I give gifts
to roses that I meet, who touch my life, which you did today with
your pictures of Keghi and our family's village of Darvan."
A week later, on March 7, the Kazanjians repeated the program at St.
Hagop Armenian Apostolic Church in Pinellas Park, Fla. Der Hovnan
Demerjian, the priest at St. Hagop, is the son of Kenneth and Karen
Demerjian of Waltham, Mass., who grew up at St. James in Watertown
with the Kazanjians. Der Hovnan, his lovely Yeretsgin Anna, and
35 enthusiastic parishioners enjoyed the presentation and asked
many questions during the coffee hour that followed. St. Hagop
was constructed only five years ago. At the base of the palm
trees that line the front driveway are plaques that list not only
the parishioners' ancestors' names but their Armenian villages,
including Palu, Yozgat, Govdun, Dickranagerd, and Kharpert-villages
that became even more meaningful to the attendees as they saw the
images on the screen.
Parishioner Chuck Begian approached the Kazanjians to report that his
great grandfather was the priest at the Armenian church in Govdun,
which was shown in the presentation. The Kazanjians provided him
with the name and e-mail of one of their fellow pilgrims, Harutiune
Keossian from California, whose ancestors were also from Govdun.
"We gain so much from the feedback we get at these presentations and
look forward to continuing to share our collective experience with
those who are eager to learn more of their ancestral homelands and
villages," said Mary Ann Kazanjian.
A presentation of their second pilgrimage in May 2010 has only been
given once, in November 2010 at the Armenian Library and Museum
of America (ALMA) in Watertown, Mass. Arrangements to repeat this
second program are being finalized for September 2012, and will be
sponsored by the Women's Guild at the Sahag Mesrob Armenian Church
in Providence, R.I., and the Knights of Vartan at the Memorial Hall
Library in Andover, Mass.
For more information and details as they become available, visit
www.HyeTravelers.com.
Or contact the Kazanjians about a presentation for your organization
or community by e-mailing [email protected].
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress