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PRESS RELEASE
Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apost. Church of America and Canada
H.E. Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan
Prelate, Easter Prelacy and Canada
138 East 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
Tel: 212-689-7810
Fax: 212-689-7168
Web: http://www.armenianprelacy.org/
TENTH ANNIVERSARY REQUIEM SERVICE FOR ARCHBISHOP MESROB ASHJIAN THIS
SUNDAY
Archbishop Oshagan will celebrate the Divine Liturgy and deliver the
Sermon this Sunday, December 8, at St. Illuminator's Cathedral in New
York City. Following the Liturgy His Eminence will officiate over the
Solemn Requiem Service in remembrance of Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian,
Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy of the United States and Canada from
1978 to 1998. Archbishop Mesrob passed away ten years ago, on December
2, 2003, during a visit to the United States.
A Baptismal Font dedicated to the loving memory of the late Prelate
will be blessed. The Font is a gift from the Ashjian, Seropian,
Yessaian, and Papazian families.
Our generation has been chosen to be part of one of the most
difficult, but also most exciting, eras in Armenian history. More than
ever we need the vision to recognize and act on the responsibilities
that have been placed on our shoulders. If we recognize and act on our
responsibilities, if we live our faith, then I believe that the future
of the Armenian nation is bright.
Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian `A Message for the New Year' (1996)
IN MEMORIAM DIRAMAYR BULBUL BARSAMIAN
Last Tuesday, November 26, His Grace Bishop Anoushavan,
Rev. Fr. Hovnan Bozoian, and Rev. Fr. Mesrob Lakissian attended the
funeral service for Diramayr Bulbul Barsamian, mother of His Eminence
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Armenian Church of America
(Eastern). The funeral service took place at St. Leon Church in Fair
Lawn, New Jersey. May her memory be ever blessed.
VICAR'S SCHEDULE
Tomorrow evening, December 6, Bishop Anoushavan will attend a concert
of religious music performed by the Shnorhali Chorale, at Holy Martyrs
Armenian Church in Bayside, New York
On Saturday, December 7, he will attend a banquet organized by the
Erebuni Chapter of the Armenian Relief Society to honor the Mother of
the Year, at St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston, New York.
On Sunday, December 8, the Vicar will attend the Divine Liturgy,
Requiem Service, and Dedication of the new Baptismal Font in memory of
Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian, of blessed memory, at St. Illuminator's
Cathedral in New York City.
Bishop Anoushavan visited with parishioners of Holy Trinity Church,
Worcester, Massachusetts, on Saturday, November 23, and joined with
them in supporting the parish's annual Food Festival. The Vicar is
seen here with parishioners and Archpriest Fr. Vazken Bekiarian and
V. Rev. Fr. Sahag Yemishyan.
Rev. Fr. Mesrob Lakissian with Dr. Svetlana Amirkhanian, President and
Founder of Direct Help for Armenian People.
REV. FR. MESROB REPRESENTS PRELATE AT CONCERT
Rev. Fr. Mesrob Lakissian, pastor of St. Illuminator's Cathedral in
New York City, represented Archbishop Oshagan at the 5th Annual
Armenian Youth Talent (AYT) Concert at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital
Hall last Sunday. The event, organized by Direct Help for Armenian
People,' was dedicated to the 110th anniversary of the birth of
composer Aram Khachaturian and the 5th anniversary of the AYT.
LEBANESE INDEPENDENCE DAY
Last Friday Bishop Anoushavan, Vicar, and Chris Parnagian, Esq.,
member of the Prelacy's Executive Council, attended a celebration
marking the 70th anniversary of Lebanese independence. Lebanon became
an independent state on November 22, 1943, when it was released from
the French Mandate.
Bishop Anoushavan and Chris Parnagian with the Lebanese Consul General
Majdi Ramadan (center) at the celebration of Lebanese Independence
Day, November 22, in New York City.
CATHOLICOI ZAREH AND KHOREN REMEMBERED
Last Sunday Bishop Anoushavan celebrated the Divine Liturgy and
delivered the sermon at St. Stephen's Church in Watertown,
Massachusetts. Following the Liturgy, His Grace offered the special
presentation he has prepared commemorating the 50th anniversary of the
passing of Catholicos Zareh I and the 30th anniversary of the passing
of Catholicos Khoren I. His Grace has been invited to make this
presentation by a number of parishes.
Bishop Anoushavan with Archpriest Fr. Antranig Baljian (right), pastor
of St. Stephen's Church, and Archpriest Fr. Vazken Bekiarian, with
altar servers and choir following the celebration of the Divine
Liturgy.
The clergy with members of the St. Stephen Chorus who performed during
the program that followed the Liturgy.
GRANITE CITY PARISH MARKS 59TH ANNIVERSARY
Bishop Anoushavan celebrated the Divine Liturgy and delivered the
sermon at St. Gregory Church in Granite City, Illinois, and joined the
parish in marking the 59th anniversary of the church. The Board of
Trustees recognized the deacons, altar servers, and choir members for
their dedicated service, especially during this period when the parish
is without a permanent pastor. The Board also recognized Mr. Benjamin
Mkrtychyan for his paintings in the church. In appreciation of his
work, a special booklet, `The Sacred Artwork of Benjamin Mkrtychyan'
was printed and distributed. The book was prepared by Rev. Fr. Stephan
Baljian before his recent transfer to North Andover. The Board
expressed thanks to Der Stephan for his work that resulted in a
beautiful booklet. A portion of the proceeds from the anniversary
event is being donated to the Fund for Syrian Armenian Relief.
Bishop Anoushavan with parishioners of St. Gregory Church in Granite
City, Illinois. Four members of the `90-plus Club' are seated in the
front row near the Vicar.
The Vicar with Janet Haroian, chairman of the Board of Trustees, and
Benjamin Mkrtychyan who was recognized for his dedication to the
church and sharing his talent and art with the church family.
15th ANNIVERSARY OF THEATRICAL GROUP
Rev. Fr. Mesrob and Yn. Ojeen Lakissian, attended the Tekeyan Cultural
Association's Mher Megerdchian Theatrical Group's 15th anniversary by
special invitation. The event took place on Sunday, November 24, at
St. Thomas Church in Tenafly, New Jersey. Der Mesrob offered the
opening prayer. The artistic program included a performance by
St. Illuminator Cathedral's `Huyser' Ensemble.
BIBLE READINGS
Bible readings for Sunday, December 8, Third Sunday of Advent, (Eve of
the Fast of St. James (Hagop) are: Isaiah 37:14-38; 2 Thessalonians
1:1-12; Luke 14:12-24.
To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ.
We must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters, as is
right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of
everyone of you for one another is increasing. Therefore we ourselves
boast of you among the churches of God for your steadfastness and
faith during all your persecutions and the afflictions that you are
enduring.
This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, and is intended to
make you worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also
suffering. For it is indeed just of God to repay with affliction those
who afflict you, and to give relief to the afflicted as well as to us,
when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in
flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on
those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will suffer
the punishment of eternal destruction, separated from the presence of
the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes to be
glorified by his saints and to be marveled at on that day among all
who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. To this
end we always pray for you, asking that our God will make you worthy
of his call and will fulfill by his power every good resolve and work
of faith, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you,
and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus
Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:1-12)
For a listing of the coming week's Bible readings click here
(http://e2.ma/click/kkizd/4f4cee/0gmo6).
FEAST OF THE CONCEPTION OF THE HOLY VIRGIN MARY
Monday, December 9, is the Feast of the Conception of the Holy Virgin
Mary. This is one of the eight feast days devoted to the Holy Virgin
Mary in the Armenian Church's Liturgical Calendar. This feast is
always on December 9, and is part of the Church's preparation for
Christmas. The faithful rejoice in the event that celebrates Mary's
conception in fulfillment of the prayers of her parents and nurtured
to become the mother of the Messiah. Bible readings for the Feast of
the Conception are: Song of Songs 6:3-8; Malachi 3:1-2; Galatians
3:24-29; Luke 1:39-56.
EVE OF THE FAST OF ST. JAMES
This Sunday, December 8, is the eve (paregentan) of the Fast of
St. James (Hagop) of Nisibus. This five-day fast, Monday to Friday,
leads us to the Feast of St. James, which is next Saturday, December
14. Traditionally the entire fifty day period of Advent was a period
of fasting, similar to Great Lent. In modern times, three week-long
fasts are observed during Advent, namely, Fast of Advent (Hisnagats
Bahk), Fast of St. James (Sourp Hagopeh Bahk), and the Fast of the
Nativity (Dznuntyan Bahk).
ST. NICHOLAS, THE WONDERWORKER
This Saturday, December 7, the Armenian Church remembers St. Nicholas
the Wonderworker, a fourth century Bishop of Myra, Lycia in Asia Minor
(modern-day Turkey). He was a defender of orthodoxy and because of
many miracles attributed to his intercession he is called `the
wonderworker.' He was a secret gift-giver and is believed to be the
model for Santa Claus.
THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT
This Sunday, December 8, is the third Sunday of Advent. Advent is a
season of waiting for the coming of Christ that gives us reason to
live in hope regardless of the many challenges and vicissitudes facing
us. John the Baptist is the greatest Advent figure (read Matthew,
Chapter 3 and Luke, Chapter 3).
Advent is a good time to think of the needs of others, near and
far. Sometimes just a telephone call or a visit can boost the spirits
of a friend, neighbor or relative. During Advent we always like to
remind you of the need for sponsors for children in Armenia and
Artsakh. There are countless appeals especially at this time of the
year and this year the plight of the Syrian Armenian community is
prominent. We are fortunate to live in a country of bountiful
blessings. Even in current sluggish economic times, we have everything
we need. And as the admonition rooted in the Gospels, tells us,
=80=9CTo those whom much is given, much is expected.' In that spirit,
during this season of Advent we ask you read the next two items and
search your heart for the true meaning of Christmas.
NEEDED: SPONSORS FOR ORPHANS
During the last two decades, one of the most pervasive tragedies felt
by Armenia as a consequence of natural disaster and war was the
emergence of a large orphan population. The 1988 earthquake, the war
in the defense and liberation of Artsakh, resulted in an orphan crisis
on a scale that was unprecedented since the 1915 Genocide. The
continuing economic hardship that has faced the vast majority of
Armenian families in Armenia and Artsakh has compounded the problem.
More than 20 years ago the Eastern Prelacy began its Orphan
Sponsorship Program. In the early years the orphans were all children
of soldiers who died or were seriously wounded. Later the program was
expanded to include any needy child in Armenia or Artsakh who had lost
one or both parents.
We currently have a list of children waiting for sponsors. Once a
child is accepted he or she remains in the program until age 18. The
annual donation is $225 per child. Sponsors are provided with names,
addresses, and other pertinent information about their sponsored child
and are encouraged to maintain communications.
During this joyous season when we celebrate the birth of our Lord,
what better gift could there be than helping a child? Please consider
becoming a sponsor. You can do it online through the Prelacy's web
page (www.armenianprelacy.org). Go to `Departments' and then to
=80=9CArmenia Projects.' Or if you prefer to talk to a real person,
contact the Prelacy at 212-689-7810 and ask for Sophie.
HELP FOR SYRIAN ARMENIANS
Financial help for our Syrian Armenian community is needed more than
ever. Do not be fooled by the fact that news reports are no longer on
the front page. As winter descends on the area, the suffering of the
people grows more desperate. Fighting continues, as do
kidnappings. The situation is particularly dire for the Christian
communities. Mortar shells have fallen in the courtyard of Armenian
schools, killing children. The Armenian Catholic Church has been
heavily damaged. Homes have been destroyed. Food and water are in
short supply. Please give as generously as possible. As it has been
said, what is being asked is not charity, it is humanity.
PLEASE DO NOT FORGET OUR ONGOING RELIEF EFFORTS FOR THE ARMENIAN
COMMUNITY IN SYRIA WHERE CONDITIONS ARE BECOMING INCREASINGLY MORE
DIFFICULT. THE NEED IS REAL. THE NEED IS GREAT.
DONATIONS TO THE FUND FOR SYRIAN ARMENIAN RELIEF CAN BE MADE ON LINE.
TO DONATE NOW CLICK HERE (http://e2.ma/click/kkizd/4f4cee/g9mo6) AND
SELECT SYRIAN ARMENIAN RELIEF IN THE MENU.
The Fund for Syrian Armenian Relief is a joint effort of: Armenian
Apostolic Church of America (Eastern Prelacy); Armenian Catholic
Eparchy; Armenian Evangelical Union of North America; Armenian Relief
Society (Eastern USA, Inc.); Armenian Revolutionary Federation.
Thank you for your help.
SUNDAY SCHOOL STUDENTS AT ST. GREGORY IN PHILADELPHIA DEMONSTRATE THE
REAL MEANING OF THE HOLIDAYS
Sunday school staff and students at St. Gregory the Illuminator Church
in Philadelphia, demonstrated the true meaning of Thanksgiving and
Christmas when on Sunday, November 24th they presented to The
Salvation Army a check for more than $1,500 to help feed the hungry on
Thanksgiving. Major Robert W. Dixon and Major Hester E. Dixon were on
hand to accept the check with immense thanks.
The students take part every year collecting non-perishable food to
donate, but this year they decided to do even more. They asked the
Board of Trustees if they could pass an extra collection plate for
five Sundays specifically for this charitable project.
An acknowledgement letter from the Salvation Army noted: `This letter
represents hundreds of hugs and kisses sent on behalf of the 700 plus
families who will enjoy a delicious Thanksgiving dinner this year
because of your support. The $1558.00 dollars that was raised and the
food that was collected will put a great big dent in the cost for
those dinners. AWESOME! Thank you for this offering of love, as well
as the prayer support that helps to sustain us as we continue to spend
and be spent for the sake of the kingdom of God in Jesus Name!'
Congratulations to the students, teachers, staff, and parishioners who
supported this effort.
Sunday school students and their teachers with Archpriest Fr. Nerses
Manoogian and representatives of the Salvation Army who accepted the
monetary and food donations raised by the initiative of the students.
NEWS FROM THE CATHOLICOSATE
ELEVATIONS TO RANK OF VARTABED
V. Rev. Fr. Housig Mardirossian and V. Rev. Fr. Magar Ashkarian were
elevated to the rank of Vartabed (doctor) last weekend at the
Catholicosate of Cilicia in Antelias, Lebanon. The two celibate
clergymen were elevated after successfully presenting and defending
their theses to His Holiness Aram I and members of the brotherhood.
In his thesis V. Rev. Fr. Housig analyzed the correspondence of
Catholicos Sahag II during the years of 1914 to 1936, from the
Genocide and the exile of the Catholicosate of Cilicia from Sis to its
resettlement in Antelias, Lebanon. In his thesis V. Rev. Fr. Magar
studied the Armenian patristic writings on the `Ever Virginity of the
Theotokos.'
His Holiness granted them the degree of Vartabed and recommended that
they rewrite their theses for publication in a style accessible to lay
readers.
During the Liturgy on Sunday, December 1, at the Cathedral of
St. Gregory the Illuminator, the celebrant Archbishop Sebouh
Sarkissian, Prelate of Tehran, blessed the new Vartabeds and explained
the new responsibilities and expectations that accompany the title.
CATHOLICOS ARAM AND PATRIARCH JOHN X MEET
His Holiness Aram I and His Holiness John X Yazigi, the Patriarch of
Antioch and All The East, met last night, December 4, at Balamand
Monastery, near Tripoli, Lebanon.
The two church leaders conferred on topics of mutual interest
concerning the situation in the Middle East, and especially the
situation in Syria and the efforts to bring about peace and begin the
process of reconstruction and reconciliation. They pledged to keep in
close contact both on a personal and communal level. Accompanying
Catholicos Aram were His Eminence Archbishop Shahe Panossian, Prelate
of Lebanon, and His Grace Bishop Norair Ashekian.
Patriarch John X was born in Latakia, Syria. He was elected Patriarch
of Antioch in December 2012 after the death of Patriarch Ignatius IV.
THIS WEEK IN ARMENIAN HISTORY(Prepared by the Armenian National
Education Committee[ANEC])
Birth of Hagop Oshagan (December 9, 1883)
When Hagop Oshagan, one of the foremost Armenian writers of the
twentieth century, passed away at the age of 65, he left many
thousands of pages of published works in newspapers and many more that
were unpublished. In Beirut alone, 33 volumes of published or
previously unpublished works bearing his name were published after his
death, between 1958 and 2013.
He was born Hagop Kufejian in the village of Sölöz, near Brusa, in
Asia Minor. He was a dropout from school and an autodidact, who read
voraciously the classics of the nineteenth century, including
Dostoyevsky, his inspiration for his novels. He published his first
story in 1902, but his literary career started after 1909 in
Constantinople. By 1914 he was already known by his literary criticism
and his short stories. He became, along with Gostan Zarian, Kegham
Parseghian, Taniel Varoujan, and Aharon, the founder of the
short-lived monthly Mehyan, with the hope of starting a literary
movement among Western Armenians that was cut short by the genocide.
He was on the Turkish list of targeted intellectuals, but he managed
to escape persecution and arrest, and lived in hiding in
Constantinople until early 1918, when he surreptitiously crossed the
border into Bulgaria, where he married Araksi Astarjian. They would
have three children, Vahe, Anahid, and Garo, of which the first two
would be writers. (Vahe Oshagan would become one of the leading
intellectuals of the Diaspora in the second half of the twentieth
century.) They returned to Constantinople after the
Armistice. Kufejian started to use the name Hagop Oshagan around 1920
in the newspaper Jagadamard. He became a teacher and continued his
literary production. In 1922 he published another short-lived journal,
together with Zarian, Vahan Tekeyan, Shahan Berberian, and Kegham
Kavafian, but the new attempt at a literary revival was cut short by
the retreat of the Allied forces from Constantinople and the victory
of the Kemalist movement in Turkey. He left the city, as many other
Armenian intellectuals and much of the community did, and moved back
to Bulgaria. After 1924, Oshagan worked as a teacher, first in Cairo,
then in Nicosia, at the Melkonian Educational Institute, and finally,
after 1934, at the Seminary of Jerusalem. He forged his reputation as
a charismatic literature teacher, and a demanding literary critic.
Oshagan published two collections of short writings in the early
1920s, but then he focused on his novels. His literary life was
defined by the Catastrophe (he practically coined the term Aghed to
name the event that had swept over Western Armenian culture in 1915),
as he shifted into the literary reconstruction of the lost world. His
magnum opus, Mnatsortats (The Remnants), a three-volume novel
published in 1932-1934, depicted the life of a Western Armenian family
and the complicated Turkish-Armenian relationship on the eve of the
Catastrophe. However, he was unable to write a projected final volume
where he intended to represent the deportation itself. The first
volume of this novel has just been translated into English by
G. M. Goshgarian.
He also wrote the `novel of Western Armenian literature,' Panorama of
Western Armenian Literature, a monograph that encompassed the period
1850-1915 in ten volumes, of which only the first was published at the
time of his death, and the last nine were published in the next
quarter of a century.
Hagop Oshagan passed away in Aleppo on February 17, 1948, on the eve
of a planned visit to the killing fields of Der Zor. He was buried at
the Armenian Cemetery of the city, in an imposing funeral attended by
some 20,000 people.
Previous entries in `This Week in Armenian History' are on the
Prelacy's web site (www.armenianprelacy.org).
THE ARMENIAN LANGUAGE CORNER (Prepared by the Armenian National
Education Committee[ANEC])
How Do You Call Him?
You call someone. This means that you tell someone to come to your
side, you give an invitation to someone, or you name someone.
These three meanings of the English word call are all covered by its
Armenian equivalent Õ¯Õ¡Õ¶Õ¹Õ¥Õ¬ (ganchel).
There is a fourth meaning, very common in English American usage, as a
synonym of `to telephone.' Thus, if we mean to say `I called my
brother' in Armenian, we should simply say `ÔµÕ½ Õ¥Õ²Õ¢Õ¡ÕµÖ=80Õ½
Õ¯Õ¡Õ¶Õ¹Õ¥Ö=81Õ«' (Yes yeghpayrs ganchetsi) and end of the story.
It sounds perfectly right: English call, Armenian ganchel. But it is
perfectly... wrong.
Why? The English word is the shortened version of `to call over the
phone,' but we do not have this expression in Armenian: we do not say
Õ°Õ¥Õ¼Õ¡Õ±Õ¡ÕµÕ¶Õ¸Õ¾ Õ¯Õ¡Õ¶Õ¹Õ¥Õ¬ (herratzaynov ganchel), but
... Õ°Õ¥Õ¼Õ¡Õ±Õ¡ÕµÕ¶Õ¥Õ¬ (herratzaynel `to telephone/to phone'). This
being the case, we are not allowed to shorten an inexistent expression
in Armenian (herratzaynov ganchel) and turn it into... ganchel.
You will find yourself before amusing, and confusing, situations. For
instance, someone might say in reference to a friend who has been
missing for a long time:
`Ô¹Õ«Ö=82Õ¨ Õ£Õ¿Õ«Ö=80 Õ¸Ö=82 Õ¯Õ¡Õ¶Õ¹Õ§, Õ-Ö=85Õ½Õ«Õ¶Ö=84' (Tivuh
kdir oo gancheh, khosink, `Find the number and call him to talk')
How would you understand this gancheh? Would you phone him to talk or
. . . invite him to come to talk? If your interlocutor had said
Õ°Õ¥Õ¼Õ¡Õ±Õ¡ÕµÕ¶Õ§ (heratzayneh) instead of gancheh, there would be no
confusion.
Some people may think that this mistaken usage is only common in
Armenian American speech, but, in fact, the same fourth meaning exists
in other languages (French appeler, Spanish llamar, for
instance). Therefore, you may find ganchel inaccurately used in many
other corners of the Diaspora. Don't think that because someone knows
Armenian better than you, that then he necessarily speaks better than
you.
Previous entries in `The Armenian Language Corner' are on the
Prelacy's web site (www.armenianprelacy.org).
NEW ON THE WEB PAGE (www.armenianprelacy.org)
CELEBRATING THE YEAR OF THE MOTHER OF THE ARMENIAN FAMILY
Click here (http://e2.ma/click/kkizd/4f4cee/w1no6) for press release.
View the photo gallery on Facebook
(http://e2.ma/click/kkizd/4f4cee/cuoo6) or Google+
(http://e2.ma/click/kkizd/4f4cee/smpo6). Click here for booklet
(http://e2.ma/click/kkizd/4f4cee/8eqo6).
SPECIAL EXHIBITION AT ST. ILLUMINATOR'S CATHEDRAL OPENS DECEMBER 15
`Lost and Found: The Pinajian Discovery.' Click here
(http://e2.ma/click/kkizd/4f4cee/o7qo6).
25th ANNIVERSARY OF EARTHQUAKE
This Saturday, December 7, is the 25th anniversary of the earthquake
that devastated parts of northern Armenia on December 7, 1988. It does
not seem possible that twenty-five years have passed since that day
when Armenia was in the international headlines for months.
Let us remember and pray for the more than 25,000 souls lost, the
thousands injured, and the thousands more who still live in turmoil.
The photo on rthe left of Marineh Nuroyan and her children became the
symbol of the 1988 earthquake. The photo on the right is Marineh with
her grandchildren today.
Was the message of the earthquake merely to evoke the benevolent
offerings of a sympathetic world, or was the true message to the
Armenians themselves? The world offered charity to a small and foreign
people in a faraway corner of the globe. For the Armenians the message
should be to offer charity, Christian charity, to each other. Perhaps
the message is, `Begin, at long last, to behave like one nation, to
come together to provide each other with the help, comfort, refuge,
and solace that a divided people so sorely needs after centuries and
centuries of tragedy after tragedy.' Perhaps the message was one
directed to the Armenians themselves. This time the Armenians cannot
ask, `Where were you, God?' He was in Armenia.
Excerpt from an editorial/commentary entitled `Where Were You God?'
OUTREACH, January 1989
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
October 24 to December 19-St. Paul's Letter to the Romans, an 8-week
Bible study program beginning Thursday, October 24, and continuing on
Thursdays up to December 19 (no session on Thanksgiving, November
28). Sessions will be presented by Dn. Shant Kazanjian, Executive
Director of the Armenian Religious Education Council (AREC). Sessions
will take place at St. Illuminator's Cathedral, 221 East 27th Street,
New York City, 7:15-8:00 pm, Presentation; 8:00-8:45 pm, Q/A &
Discussion. Registration is required. Register at
www.armenianprelacy.org or contact the Prelacy 212-689-7810, or the
Cathedral at 212-689-5880.
December 6-Anniversary celebration by Lowell `Aharonian' Gomideh, 6:30
pm, St. Gregory Church, North Andover, Massachusetts; dinner and
program honoring 50-year members Steve Dulgarian and Joe Dagdigian;
remembering the 25th anniversary of the earthquake in Armenia; soloist
Nina Hovsepian, accompanied by Mary Barooshian. Donation: $20 adults;
$10 students.
December 7-Annual Church Bazaar of St. Asdvadzadzin Church,
Whitinsville, Massachusetts, will take place at Christian Reform
Church, 25 Cross Street, Whitinsville. For information: 508-234-3677.
December 7-Annual Holiday Bake Sale, St. Paul Church, 645 S. Lewis
Avenue, Waukegan, Illinois, 9 am to 3 pm. Enjoy authentic Armenian &
American pastries and plan to stay for lunch at St. Paul Café. For
information or pre-orders, 847-244-4573.
December 7-ARS New York Erebouni chapter presents dinner & dancing
honoring the Mother of the Armenian Family, St. Sarkis Church, Main
Hall, 38-65 234th Street, Douglaston, New York, 8 pm. Featuring Steve
Karageozian and his Band. Full mezze and dinner. Donation $60 adults;
$20 children age 5 to 12; under age 5 free. For tickets and
reservations: Nayda, 516-739-0805 or Vicky 516-365-0971.
December 7-St. Hagop Church, 4100 Newman Road, Racine, Wisconsin,
Annual Holiday Food Fair, 11 am to 4 pm. Come and enjoy Armenian food
prepared by the parishioners including pilaf, hummus, cheese puffs,
katah, choreg, sari bourma, khurabia, pulled beef sandwiches, plus
many other delicious Armenian delicacies. For information contact
Denise Lansing 261-672-9265.
December 8-Requiem Service marking the 10th anniversary of the passing
of His Eminence Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian, at St. Illuminator's
Cathedral, 221 East 27th Street, New York City. His Eminence
Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan will celebrate the Divine Liturgy, deliver
the sermon, and preside over the Requiem Service.
December 8-Luncheon Fundraiser to benefit the Armenian community in
Syria hosted by the ARS New York Mayr Chapter, 2 pm at Almayass
Restaurant, 24 E. 21st Street, New York City. Donation: $75; children
under 12, $25. Includes full lunch, wine, and soft drinks. All
proceeds will benefit Syrian-Armenian relief efforts. Seating is
limited. For reservations: Anais (718-392-6982) or Houri
(917-690-3060).
December 12 to 22-`Lost and Found: The Pinajian Discovery,' a special
exhibition from the extraordinary discovery of paintings by Arthur
Pinajian that were rescued and preserved will take place at
St. Illuminator's Cathedral, 221 East 27th Street, New York City. The
limited run exhibition of 25 paintings will feature the artist's
lyrical landscapes and mid-century abstractions. An afternoon
reception hosted by St. Illuminator's Cathedral and Archbishop Oshagan
Choloyan will take place on Sunday, December 15, from 1 to 4 pm. Art
historian Peter Hastings Falk will discuss the discovery and the art.
December 15-Simply Christmas Concert, St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston,
New York.
January 5, 2014-St. Sarkis Church, Dearborn, Michigan, Christmas Eve
Concert following the Jerakalouyts Badarak. Concert features
Farmington Community Chorus. Reception follows.
January 6, 2014-Ladies Guild of St. Sarkis Church, Dearborn, Michigan,
presents Annual Christmas Luncheon and Program in Lillian Arakelian
Fellowship Hall.
February 1, 2014-Valentine's Day Dinner Dance, St. Sarkis Church,
Douglaston, New York.
February 2, 2014-St. Sarkis Men's Club, Dearborn, Michigan, presents
Super Bowl Party, at Lillian Arakelian Hall.
February 9, 2014-St. Sarkis Church, Dearborn, Michigan, Book
Presentation by Deacon Shant Kazanjian following the Divine Liturgy at
Lillian Arakelian Hall.
February 24-26, 2014-Annual Clergy Ghevontiantz Gathering hosted by
Holy Cross Church, 255 Spring Avenue, Troy, New York.
March 1, 2014-St. Sarkis Sunday School, Dearborn, Michigan, Poon
Paregentan Costume Party for everyone, at Lillian Arakelian Hall.
March 26, 2014-St. Sarkis Ladies Guild, Dearborn, Michigan, Mid-Lenten
Luncheon following the Lenten morning service, Lillian Arakelian Hall.
March 28, 2014-Musical Armenia Concert presented by Eastern Prelacy
and Prelacy Ladies Guild, at Carnegie Hall, Weill Recital Hall, 8 pm.
May 13-17, 2014-Clergy Conference and National Representative Assembly
of the Eastern Prelacy, hosted by St. Sarkis Church, Dearborn,
Michigan.
June 1, 2014-Ladies Guild Annual Brunch, St. Sarkis Church,
Douglaston, New York.
June 1, 2014-St. Sarkis Church, Dearborn, Michigan, Toronto Children's
Choir concert in the church sanctuary.
Web pages of the parishes can be accessed through the Prelacy's web
site.
To ensure the timely arrival of Crossroads in your electronic mailbox,
add [email protected] to your address book.
Items in Crossroads can be reproduced without permission. Please
credit Crossroads as the source.
Parishes of the Eastern Prelacy are invited to send information about
their major events to be included in the calendar. Send to:
[email protected]
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apost. Church of America and Canada
H.E. Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan
Prelate, Easter Prelacy and Canada
138 East 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
Tel: 212-689-7810
Fax: 212-689-7168
Web: http://www.armenianprelacy.org/
TENTH ANNIVERSARY REQUIEM SERVICE FOR ARCHBISHOP MESROB ASHJIAN THIS
SUNDAY
Archbishop Oshagan will celebrate the Divine Liturgy and deliver the
Sermon this Sunday, December 8, at St. Illuminator's Cathedral in New
York City. Following the Liturgy His Eminence will officiate over the
Solemn Requiem Service in remembrance of Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian,
Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy of the United States and Canada from
1978 to 1998. Archbishop Mesrob passed away ten years ago, on December
2, 2003, during a visit to the United States.
A Baptismal Font dedicated to the loving memory of the late Prelate
will be blessed. The Font is a gift from the Ashjian, Seropian,
Yessaian, and Papazian families.
Our generation has been chosen to be part of one of the most
difficult, but also most exciting, eras in Armenian history. More than
ever we need the vision to recognize and act on the responsibilities
that have been placed on our shoulders. If we recognize and act on our
responsibilities, if we live our faith, then I believe that the future
of the Armenian nation is bright.
Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian `A Message for the New Year' (1996)
IN MEMORIAM DIRAMAYR BULBUL BARSAMIAN
Last Tuesday, November 26, His Grace Bishop Anoushavan,
Rev. Fr. Hovnan Bozoian, and Rev. Fr. Mesrob Lakissian attended the
funeral service for Diramayr Bulbul Barsamian, mother of His Eminence
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Armenian Church of America
(Eastern). The funeral service took place at St. Leon Church in Fair
Lawn, New Jersey. May her memory be ever blessed.
VICAR'S SCHEDULE
Tomorrow evening, December 6, Bishop Anoushavan will attend a concert
of religious music performed by the Shnorhali Chorale, at Holy Martyrs
Armenian Church in Bayside, New York
On Saturday, December 7, he will attend a banquet organized by the
Erebuni Chapter of the Armenian Relief Society to honor the Mother of
the Year, at St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston, New York.
On Sunday, December 8, the Vicar will attend the Divine Liturgy,
Requiem Service, and Dedication of the new Baptismal Font in memory of
Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian, of blessed memory, at St. Illuminator's
Cathedral in New York City.
Bishop Anoushavan visited with parishioners of Holy Trinity Church,
Worcester, Massachusetts, on Saturday, November 23, and joined with
them in supporting the parish's annual Food Festival. The Vicar is
seen here with parishioners and Archpriest Fr. Vazken Bekiarian and
V. Rev. Fr. Sahag Yemishyan.
Rev. Fr. Mesrob Lakissian with Dr. Svetlana Amirkhanian, President and
Founder of Direct Help for Armenian People.
REV. FR. MESROB REPRESENTS PRELATE AT CONCERT
Rev. Fr. Mesrob Lakissian, pastor of St. Illuminator's Cathedral in
New York City, represented Archbishop Oshagan at the 5th Annual
Armenian Youth Talent (AYT) Concert at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital
Hall last Sunday. The event, organized by Direct Help for Armenian
People,' was dedicated to the 110th anniversary of the birth of
composer Aram Khachaturian and the 5th anniversary of the AYT.
LEBANESE INDEPENDENCE DAY
Last Friday Bishop Anoushavan, Vicar, and Chris Parnagian, Esq.,
member of the Prelacy's Executive Council, attended a celebration
marking the 70th anniversary of Lebanese independence. Lebanon became
an independent state on November 22, 1943, when it was released from
the French Mandate.
Bishop Anoushavan and Chris Parnagian with the Lebanese Consul General
Majdi Ramadan (center) at the celebration of Lebanese Independence
Day, November 22, in New York City.
CATHOLICOI ZAREH AND KHOREN REMEMBERED
Last Sunday Bishop Anoushavan celebrated the Divine Liturgy and
delivered the sermon at St. Stephen's Church in Watertown,
Massachusetts. Following the Liturgy, His Grace offered the special
presentation he has prepared commemorating the 50th anniversary of the
passing of Catholicos Zareh I and the 30th anniversary of the passing
of Catholicos Khoren I. His Grace has been invited to make this
presentation by a number of parishes.
Bishop Anoushavan with Archpriest Fr. Antranig Baljian (right), pastor
of St. Stephen's Church, and Archpriest Fr. Vazken Bekiarian, with
altar servers and choir following the celebration of the Divine
Liturgy.
The clergy with members of the St. Stephen Chorus who performed during
the program that followed the Liturgy.
GRANITE CITY PARISH MARKS 59TH ANNIVERSARY
Bishop Anoushavan celebrated the Divine Liturgy and delivered the
sermon at St. Gregory Church in Granite City, Illinois, and joined the
parish in marking the 59th anniversary of the church. The Board of
Trustees recognized the deacons, altar servers, and choir members for
their dedicated service, especially during this period when the parish
is without a permanent pastor. The Board also recognized Mr. Benjamin
Mkrtychyan for his paintings in the church. In appreciation of his
work, a special booklet, `The Sacred Artwork of Benjamin Mkrtychyan'
was printed and distributed. The book was prepared by Rev. Fr. Stephan
Baljian before his recent transfer to North Andover. The Board
expressed thanks to Der Stephan for his work that resulted in a
beautiful booklet. A portion of the proceeds from the anniversary
event is being donated to the Fund for Syrian Armenian Relief.
Bishop Anoushavan with parishioners of St. Gregory Church in Granite
City, Illinois. Four members of the `90-plus Club' are seated in the
front row near the Vicar.
The Vicar with Janet Haroian, chairman of the Board of Trustees, and
Benjamin Mkrtychyan who was recognized for his dedication to the
church and sharing his talent and art with the church family.
15th ANNIVERSARY OF THEATRICAL GROUP
Rev. Fr. Mesrob and Yn. Ojeen Lakissian, attended the Tekeyan Cultural
Association's Mher Megerdchian Theatrical Group's 15th anniversary by
special invitation. The event took place on Sunday, November 24, at
St. Thomas Church in Tenafly, New Jersey. Der Mesrob offered the
opening prayer. The artistic program included a performance by
St. Illuminator Cathedral's `Huyser' Ensemble.
BIBLE READINGS
Bible readings for Sunday, December 8, Third Sunday of Advent, (Eve of
the Fast of St. James (Hagop) are: Isaiah 37:14-38; 2 Thessalonians
1:1-12; Luke 14:12-24.
To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ.
We must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters, as is
right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of
everyone of you for one another is increasing. Therefore we ourselves
boast of you among the churches of God for your steadfastness and
faith during all your persecutions and the afflictions that you are
enduring.
This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, and is intended to
make you worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also
suffering. For it is indeed just of God to repay with affliction those
who afflict you, and to give relief to the afflicted as well as to us,
when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in
flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on
those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will suffer
the punishment of eternal destruction, separated from the presence of
the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes to be
glorified by his saints and to be marveled at on that day among all
who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. To this
end we always pray for you, asking that our God will make you worthy
of his call and will fulfill by his power every good resolve and work
of faith, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you,
and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus
Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:1-12)
For a listing of the coming week's Bible readings click here
(http://e2.ma/click/kkizd/4f4cee/0gmo6).
FEAST OF THE CONCEPTION OF THE HOLY VIRGIN MARY
Monday, December 9, is the Feast of the Conception of the Holy Virgin
Mary. This is one of the eight feast days devoted to the Holy Virgin
Mary in the Armenian Church's Liturgical Calendar. This feast is
always on December 9, and is part of the Church's preparation for
Christmas. The faithful rejoice in the event that celebrates Mary's
conception in fulfillment of the prayers of her parents and nurtured
to become the mother of the Messiah. Bible readings for the Feast of
the Conception are: Song of Songs 6:3-8; Malachi 3:1-2; Galatians
3:24-29; Luke 1:39-56.
EVE OF THE FAST OF ST. JAMES
This Sunday, December 8, is the eve (paregentan) of the Fast of
St. James (Hagop) of Nisibus. This five-day fast, Monday to Friday,
leads us to the Feast of St. James, which is next Saturday, December
14. Traditionally the entire fifty day period of Advent was a period
of fasting, similar to Great Lent. In modern times, three week-long
fasts are observed during Advent, namely, Fast of Advent (Hisnagats
Bahk), Fast of St. James (Sourp Hagopeh Bahk), and the Fast of the
Nativity (Dznuntyan Bahk).
ST. NICHOLAS, THE WONDERWORKER
This Saturday, December 7, the Armenian Church remembers St. Nicholas
the Wonderworker, a fourth century Bishop of Myra, Lycia in Asia Minor
(modern-day Turkey). He was a defender of orthodoxy and because of
many miracles attributed to his intercession he is called `the
wonderworker.' He was a secret gift-giver and is believed to be the
model for Santa Claus.
THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT
This Sunday, December 8, is the third Sunday of Advent. Advent is a
season of waiting for the coming of Christ that gives us reason to
live in hope regardless of the many challenges and vicissitudes facing
us. John the Baptist is the greatest Advent figure (read Matthew,
Chapter 3 and Luke, Chapter 3).
Advent is a good time to think of the needs of others, near and
far. Sometimes just a telephone call or a visit can boost the spirits
of a friend, neighbor or relative. During Advent we always like to
remind you of the need for sponsors for children in Armenia and
Artsakh. There are countless appeals especially at this time of the
year and this year the plight of the Syrian Armenian community is
prominent. We are fortunate to live in a country of bountiful
blessings. Even in current sluggish economic times, we have everything
we need. And as the admonition rooted in the Gospels, tells us,
=80=9CTo those whom much is given, much is expected.' In that spirit,
during this season of Advent we ask you read the next two items and
search your heart for the true meaning of Christmas.
NEEDED: SPONSORS FOR ORPHANS
During the last two decades, one of the most pervasive tragedies felt
by Armenia as a consequence of natural disaster and war was the
emergence of a large orphan population. The 1988 earthquake, the war
in the defense and liberation of Artsakh, resulted in an orphan crisis
on a scale that was unprecedented since the 1915 Genocide. The
continuing economic hardship that has faced the vast majority of
Armenian families in Armenia and Artsakh has compounded the problem.
More than 20 years ago the Eastern Prelacy began its Orphan
Sponsorship Program. In the early years the orphans were all children
of soldiers who died or were seriously wounded. Later the program was
expanded to include any needy child in Armenia or Artsakh who had lost
one or both parents.
We currently have a list of children waiting for sponsors. Once a
child is accepted he or she remains in the program until age 18. The
annual donation is $225 per child. Sponsors are provided with names,
addresses, and other pertinent information about their sponsored child
and are encouraged to maintain communications.
During this joyous season when we celebrate the birth of our Lord,
what better gift could there be than helping a child? Please consider
becoming a sponsor. You can do it online through the Prelacy's web
page (www.armenianprelacy.org). Go to `Departments' and then to
=80=9CArmenia Projects.' Or if you prefer to talk to a real person,
contact the Prelacy at 212-689-7810 and ask for Sophie.
HELP FOR SYRIAN ARMENIANS
Financial help for our Syrian Armenian community is needed more than
ever. Do not be fooled by the fact that news reports are no longer on
the front page. As winter descends on the area, the suffering of the
people grows more desperate. Fighting continues, as do
kidnappings. The situation is particularly dire for the Christian
communities. Mortar shells have fallen in the courtyard of Armenian
schools, killing children. The Armenian Catholic Church has been
heavily damaged. Homes have been destroyed. Food and water are in
short supply. Please give as generously as possible. As it has been
said, what is being asked is not charity, it is humanity.
PLEASE DO NOT FORGET OUR ONGOING RELIEF EFFORTS FOR THE ARMENIAN
COMMUNITY IN SYRIA WHERE CONDITIONS ARE BECOMING INCREASINGLY MORE
DIFFICULT. THE NEED IS REAL. THE NEED IS GREAT.
DONATIONS TO THE FUND FOR SYRIAN ARMENIAN RELIEF CAN BE MADE ON LINE.
TO DONATE NOW CLICK HERE (http://e2.ma/click/kkizd/4f4cee/g9mo6) AND
SELECT SYRIAN ARMENIAN RELIEF IN THE MENU.
The Fund for Syrian Armenian Relief is a joint effort of: Armenian
Apostolic Church of America (Eastern Prelacy); Armenian Catholic
Eparchy; Armenian Evangelical Union of North America; Armenian Relief
Society (Eastern USA, Inc.); Armenian Revolutionary Federation.
Thank you for your help.
SUNDAY SCHOOL STUDENTS AT ST. GREGORY IN PHILADELPHIA DEMONSTRATE THE
REAL MEANING OF THE HOLIDAYS
Sunday school staff and students at St. Gregory the Illuminator Church
in Philadelphia, demonstrated the true meaning of Thanksgiving and
Christmas when on Sunday, November 24th they presented to The
Salvation Army a check for more than $1,500 to help feed the hungry on
Thanksgiving. Major Robert W. Dixon and Major Hester E. Dixon were on
hand to accept the check with immense thanks.
The students take part every year collecting non-perishable food to
donate, but this year they decided to do even more. They asked the
Board of Trustees if they could pass an extra collection plate for
five Sundays specifically for this charitable project.
An acknowledgement letter from the Salvation Army noted: `This letter
represents hundreds of hugs and kisses sent on behalf of the 700 plus
families who will enjoy a delicious Thanksgiving dinner this year
because of your support. The $1558.00 dollars that was raised and the
food that was collected will put a great big dent in the cost for
those dinners. AWESOME! Thank you for this offering of love, as well
as the prayer support that helps to sustain us as we continue to spend
and be spent for the sake of the kingdom of God in Jesus Name!'
Congratulations to the students, teachers, staff, and parishioners who
supported this effort.
Sunday school students and their teachers with Archpriest Fr. Nerses
Manoogian and representatives of the Salvation Army who accepted the
monetary and food donations raised by the initiative of the students.
NEWS FROM THE CATHOLICOSATE
ELEVATIONS TO RANK OF VARTABED
V. Rev. Fr. Housig Mardirossian and V. Rev. Fr. Magar Ashkarian were
elevated to the rank of Vartabed (doctor) last weekend at the
Catholicosate of Cilicia in Antelias, Lebanon. The two celibate
clergymen were elevated after successfully presenting and defending
their theses to His Holiness Aram I and members of the brotherhood.
In his thesis V. Rev. Fr. Housig analyzed the correspondence of
Catholicos Sahag II during the years of 1914 to 1936, from the
Genocide and the exile of the Catholicosate of Cilicia from Sis to its
resettlement in Antelias, Lebanon. In his thesis V. Rev. Fr. Magar
studied the Armenian patristic writings on the `Ever Virginity of the
Theotokos.'
His Holiness granted them the degree of Vartabed and recommended that
they rewrite their theses for publication in a style accessible to lay
readers.
During the Liturgy on Sunday, December 1, at the Cathedral of
St. Gregory the Illuminator, the celebrant Archbishop Sebouh
Sarkissian, Prelate of Tehran, blessed the new Vartabeds and explained
the new responsibilities and expectations that accompany the title.
CATHOLICOS ARAM AND PATRIARCH JOHN X MEET
His Holiness Aram I and His Holiness John X Yazigi, the Patriarch of
Antioch and All The East, met last night, December 4, at Balamand
Monastery, near Tripoli, Lebanon.
The two church leaders conferred on topics of mutual interest
concerning the situation in the Middle East, and especially the
situation in Syria and the efforts to bring about peace and begin the
process of reconstruction and reconciliation. They pledged to keep in
close contact both on a personal and communal level. Accompanying
Catholicos Aram were His Eminence Archbishop Shahe Panossian, Prelate
of Lebanon, and His Grace Bishop Norair Ashekian.
Patriarch John X was born in Latakia, Syria. He was elected Patriarch
of Antioch in December 2012 after the death of Patriarch Ignatius IV.
THIS WEEK IN ARMENIAN HISTORY(Prepared by the Armenian National
Education Committee[ANEC])
Birth of Hagop Oshagan (December 9, 1883)
When Hagop Oshagan, one of the foremost Armenian writers of the
twentieth century, passed away at the age of 65, he left many
thousands of pages of published works in newspapers and many more that
were unpublished. In Beirut alone, 33 volumes of published or
previously unpublished works bearing his name were published after his
death, between 1958 and 2013.
He was born Hagop Kufejian in the village of Sölöz, near Brusa, in
Asia Minor. He was a dropout from school and an autodidact, who read
voraciously the classics of the nineteenth century, including
Dostoyevsky, his inspiration for his novels. He published his first
story in 1902, but his literary career started after 1909 in
Constantinople. By 1914 he was already known by his literary criticism
and his short stories. He became, along with Gostan Zarian, Kegham
Parseghian, Taniel Varoujan, and Aharon, the founder of the
short-lived monthly Mehyan, with the hope of starting a literary
movement among Western Armenians that was cut short by the genocide.
He was on the Turkish list of targeted intellectuals, but he managed
to escape persecution and arrest, and lived in hiding in
Constantinople until early 1918, when he surreptitiously crossed the
border into Bulgaria, where he married Araksi Astarjian. They would
have three children, Vahe, Anahid, and Garo, of which the first two
would be writers. (Vahe Oshagan would become one of the leading
intellectuals of the Diaspora in the second half of the twentieth
century.) They returned to Constantinople after the
Armistice. Kufejian started to use the name Hagop Oshagan around 1920
in the newspaper Jagadamard. He became a teacher and continued his
literary production. In 1922 he published another short-lived journal,
together with Zarian, Vahan Tekeyan, Shahan Berberian, and Kegham
Kavafian, but the new attempt at a literary revival was cut short by
the retreat of the Allied forces from Constantinople and the victory
of the Kemalist movement in Turkey. He left the city, as many other
Armenian intellectuals and much of the community did, and moved back
to Bulgaria. After 1924, Oshagan worked as a teacher, first in Cairo,
then in Nicosia, at the Melkonian Educational Institute, and finally,
after 1934, at the Seminary of Jerusalem. He forged his reputation as
a charismatic literature teacher, and a demanding literary critic.
Oshagan published two collections of short writings in the early
1920s, but then he focused on his novels. His literary life was
defined by the Catastrophe (he practically coined the term Aghed to
name the event that had swept over Western Armenian culture in 1915),
as he shifted into the literary reconstruction of the lost world. His
magnum opus, Mnatsortats (The Remnants), a three-volume novel
published in 1932-1934, depicted the life of a Western Armenian family
and the complicated Turkish-Armenian relationship on the eve of the
Catastrophe. However, he was unable to write a projected final volume
where he intended to represent the deportation itself. The first
volume of this novel has just been translated into English by
G. M. Goshgarian.
He also wrote the `novel of Western Armenian literature,' Panorama of
Western Armenian Literature, a monograph that encompassed the period
1850-1915 in ten volumes, of which only the first was published at the
time of his death, and the last nine were published in the next
quarter of a century.
Hagop Oshagan passed away in Aleppo on February 17, 1948, on the eve
of a planned visit to the killing fields of Der Zor. He was buried at
the Armenian Cemetery of the city, in an imposing funeral attended by
some 20,000 people.
Previous entries in `This Week in Armenian History' are on the
Prelacy's web site (www.armenianprelacy.org).
THE ARMENIAN LANGUAGE CORNER (Prepared by the Armenian National
Education Committee[ANEC])
How Do You Call Him?
You call someone. This means that you tell someone to come to your
side, you give an invitation to someone, or you name someone.
These three meanings of the English word call are all covered by its
Armenian equivalent Õ¯Õ¡Õ¶Õ¹Õ¥Õ¬ (ganchel).
There is a fourth meaning, very common in English American usage, as a
synonym of `to telephone.' Thus, if we mean to say `I called my
brother' in Armenian, we should simply say `ÔµÕ½ Õ¥Õ²Õ¢Õ¡ÕµÖ=80Õ½
Õ¯Õ¡Õ¶Õ¹Õ¥Ö=81Õ«' (Yes yeghpayrs ganchetsi) and end of the story.
It sounds perfectly right: English call, Armenian ganchel. But it is
perfectly... wrong.
Why? The English word is the shortened version of `to call over the
phone,' but we do not have this expression in Armenian: we do not say
Õ°Õ¥Õ¼Õ¡Õ±Õ¡ÕµÕ¶Õ¸Õ¾ Õ¯Õ¡Õ¶Õ¹Õ¥Õ¬ (herratzaynov ganchel), but
... Õ°Õ¥Õ¼Õ¡Õ±Õ¡ÕµÕ¶Õ¥Õ¬ (herratzaynel `to telephone/to phone'). This
being the case, we are not allowed to shorten an inexistent expression
in Armenian (herratzaynov ganchel) and turn it into... ganchel.
You will find yourself before amusing, and confusing, situations. For
instance, someone might say in reference to a friend who has been
missing for a long time:
`Ô¹Õ«Ö=82Õ¨ Õ£Õ¿Õ«Ö=80 Õ¸Ö=82 Õ¯Õ¡Õ¶Õ¹Õ§, Õ-Ö=85Õ½Õ«Õ¶Ö=84' (Tivuh
kdir oo gancheh, khosink, `Find the number and call him to talk')
How would you understand this gancheh? Would you phone him to talk or
. . . invite him to come to talk? If your interlocutor had said
Õ°Õ¥Õ¼Õ¡Õ±Õ¡ÕµÕ¶Õ§ (heratzayneh) instead of gancheh, there would be no
confusion.
Some people may think that this mistaken usage is only common in
Armenian American speech, but, in fact, the same fourth meaning exists
in other languages (French appeler, Spanish llamar, for
instance). Therefore, you may find ganchel inaccurately used in many
other corners of the Diaspora. Don't think that because someone knows
Armenian better than you, that then he necessarily speaks better than
you.
Previous entries in `The Armenian Language Corner' are on the
Prelacy's web site (www.armenianprelacy.org).
NEW ON THE WEB PAGE (www.armenianprelacy.org)
CELEBRATING THE YEAR OF THE MOTHER OF THE ARMENIAN FAMILY
Click here (http://e2.ma/click/kkizd/4f4cee/w1no6) for press release.
View the photo gallery on Facebook
(http://e2.ma/click/kkizd/4f4cee/cuoo6) or Google+
(http://e2.ma/click/kkizd/4f4cee/smpo6). Click here for booklet
(http://e2.ma/click/kkizd/4f4cee/8eqo6).
SPECIAL EXHIBITION AT ST. ILLUMINATOR'S CATHEDRAL OPENS DECEMBER 15
`Lost and Found: The Pinajian Discovery.' Click here
(http://e2.ma/click/kkizd/4f4cee/o7qo6).
25th ANNIVERSARY OF EARTHQUAKE
This Saturday, December 7, is the 25th anniversary of the earthquake
that devastated parts of northern Armenia on December 7, 1988. It does
not seem possible that twenty-five years have passed since that day
when Armenia was in the international headlines for months.
Let us remember and pray for the more than 25,000 souls lost, the
thousands injured, and the thousands more who still live in turmoil.
The photo on rthe left of Marineh Nuroyan and her children became the
symbol of the 1988 earthquake. The photo on the right is Marineh with
her grandchildren today.
Was the message of the earthquake merely to evoke the benevolent
offerings of a sympathetic world, or was the true message to the
Armenians themselves? The world offered charity to a small and foreign
people in a faraway corner of the globe. For the Armenians the message
should be to offer charity, Christian charity, to each other. Perhaps
the message is, `Begin, at long last, to behave like one nation, to
come together to provide each other with the help, comfort, refuge,
and solace that a divided people so sorely needs after centuries and
centuries of tragedy after tragedy.' Perhaps the message was one
directed to the Armenians themselves. This time the Armenians cannot
ask, `Where were you, God?' He was in Armenia.
Excerpt from an editorial/commentary entitled `Where Were You God?'
OUTREACH, January 1989
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
October 24 to December 19-St. Paul's Letter to the Romans, an 8-week
Bible study program beginning Thursday, October 24, and continuing on
Thursdays up to December 19 (no session on Thanksgiving, November
28). Sessions will be presented by Dn. Shant Kazanjian, Executive
Director of the Armenian Religious Education Council (AREC). Sessions
will take place at St. Illuminator's Cathedral, 221 East 27th Street,
New York City, 7:15-8:00 pm, Presentation; 8:00-8:45 pm, Q/A &
Discussion. Registration is required. Register at
www.armenianprelacy.org or contact the Prelacy 212-689-7810, or the
Cathedral at 212-689-5880.
December 6-Anniversary celebration by Lowell `Aharonian' Gomideh, 6:30
pm, St. Gregory Church, North Andover, Massachusetts; dinner and
program honoring 50-year members Steve Dulgarian and Joe Dagdigian;
remembering the 25th anniversary of the earthquake in Armenia; soloist
Nina Hovsepian, accompanied by Mary Barooshian. Donation: $20 adults;
$10 students.
December 7-Annual Church Bazaar of St. Asdvadzadzin Church,
Whitinsville, Massachusetts, will take place at Christian Reform
Church, 25 Cross Street, Whitinsville. For information: 508-234-3677.
December 7-Annual Holiday Bake Sale, St. Paul Church, 645 S. Lewis
Avenue, Waukegan, Illinois, 9 am to 3 pm. Enjoy authentic Armenian &
American pastries and plan to stay for lunch at St. Paul Café. For
information or pre-orders, 847-244-4573.
December 7-ARS New York Erebouni chapter presents dinner & dancing
honoring the Mother of the Armenian Family, St. Sarkis Church, Main
Hall, 38-65 234th Street, Douglaston, New York, 8 pm. Featuring Steve
Karageozian and his Band. Full mezze and dinner. Donation $60 adults;
$20 children age 5 to 12; under age 5 free. For tickets and
reservations: Nayda, 516-739-0805 or Vicky 516-365-0971.
December 7-St. Hagop Church, 4100 Newman Road, Racine, Wisconsin,
Annual Holiday Food Fair, 11 am to 4 pm. Come and enjoy Armenian food
prepared by the parishioners including pilaf, hummus, cheese puffs,
katah, choreg, sari bourma, khurabia, pulled beef sandwiches, plus
many other delicious Armenian delicacies. For information contact
Denise Lansing 261-672-9265.
December 8-Requiem Service marking the 10th anniversary of the passing
of His Eminence Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian, at St. Illuminator's
Cathedral, 221 East 27th Street, New York City. His Eminence
Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan will celebrate the Divine Liturgy, deliver
the sermon, and preside over the Requiem Service.
December 8-Luncheon Fundraiser to benefit the Armenian community in
Syria hosted by the ARS New York Mayr Chapter, 2 pm at Almayass
Restaurant, 24 E. 21st Street, New York City. Donation: $75; children
under 12, $25. Includes full lunch, wine, and soft drinks. All
proceeds will benefit Syrian-Armenian relief efforts. Seating is
limited. For reservations: Anais (718-392-6982) or Houri
(917-690-3060).
December 12 to 22-`Lost and Found: The Pinajian Discovery,' a special
exhibition from the extraordinary discovery of paintings by Arthur
Pinajian that were rescued and preserved will take place at
St. Illuminator's Cathedral, 221 East 27th Street, New York City. The
limited run exhibition of 25 paintings will feature the artist's
lyrical landscapes and mid-century abstractions. An afternoon
reception hosted by St. Illuminator's Cathedral and Archbishop Oshagan
Choloyan will take place on Sunday, December 15, from 1 to 4 pm. Art
historian Peter Hastings Falk will discuss the discovery and the art.
December 15-Simply Christmas Concert, St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston,
New York.
January 5, 2014-St. Sarkis Church, Dearborn, Michigan, Christmas Eve
Concert following the Jerakalouyts Badarak. Concert features
Farmington Community Chorus. Reception follows.
January 6, 2014-Ladies Guild of St. Sarkis Church, Dearborn, Michigan,
presents Annual Christmas Luncheon and Program in Lillian Arakelian
Fellowship Hall.
February 1, 2014-Valentine's Day Dinner Dance, St. Sarkis Church,
Douglaston, New York.
February 2, 2014-St. Sarkis Men's Club, Dearborn, Michigan, presents
Super Bowl Party, at Lillian Arakelian Hall.
February 9, 2014-St. Sarkis Church, Dearborn, Michigan, Book
Presentation by Deacon Shant Kazanjian following the Divine Liturgy at
Lillian Arakelian Hall.
February 24-26, 2014-Annual Clergy Ghevontiantz Gathering hosted by
Holy Cross Church, 255 Spring Avenue, Troy, New York.
March 1, 2014-St. Sarkis Sunday School, Dearborn, Michigan, Poon
Paregentan Costume Party for everyone, at Lillian Arakelian Hall.
March 26, 2014-St. Sarkis Ladies Guild, Dearborn, Michigan, Mid-Lenten
Luncheon following the Lenten morning service, Lillian Arakelian Hall.
March 28, 2014-Musical Armenia Concert presented by Eastern Prelacy
and Prelacy Ladies Guild, at Carnegie Hall, Weill Recital Hall, 8 pm.
May 13-17, 2014-Clergy Conference and National Representative Assembly
of the Eastern Prelacy, hosted by St. Sarkis Church, Dearborn,
Michigan.
June 1, 2014-Ladies Guild Annual Brunch, St. Sarkis Church,
Douglaston, New York.
June 1, 2014-St. Sarkis Church, Dearborn, Michigan, Toronto Children's
Choir concert in the church sanctuary.
Web pages of the parishes can be accessed through the Prelacy's web
site.
To ensure the timely arrival of Crossroads in your electronic mailbox,
add [email protected] to your address book.
Items in Crossroads can be reproduced without permission. Please
credit Crossroads as the source.
Parishes of the Eastern Prelacy are invited to send information about
their major events to be included in the calendar. Send to:
[email protected]
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress