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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/
October 16, 2014
PRELATE OF ALEPPO VISITING U.S. AND CANADA
Archbishop Shahan Sarkissian, Prelate of Aleppo, arrived in the United
States on Monday and will be visiting communities in the United States
and Canada. He will conduct public briefings on the continuing crisis
facing the Armenian community in Syria and will raise funds to help
keep the Armenian schools in Syria open and functioning. Currently
Archbishop Shahan is in California; after his visit to the east coast
he will go to Canada.
Archbishop Oshagan will travel with Archbishop Shahan during his
visits to
communities within the jurisdiction of the Eastern Prelacy. The
schedule of visits is as follows:
Wednesday, October 22, St. Stephen's Church, Watertown, Massachusetts,
where in the morning there will be a meeting with the members of the
Central and Regional executives of the Armenian Relief Society. In the
evening a community gathering will take place at St. Stephen's Church
Hall.
Thursday, October 23, Sts. Vartanantz Church in Providence, Rhode
Island (during the day); in the evening at St. Gregory the Illuminator
Church, Philadelphia.
Friday evening, October 24, St. Sarkis Church in Douglaston, New York.
Saturday evening, October 25, Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield, New
Jersey.
Sunday, October 26, Archbishop Shahan Sarkissian will celebrate the
Divine
Liturgy and deliver the sermon at Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield,
New Jersey. The Liturgy will be followed by a presentation and
fellowship.
Monday, October 27, St. Illuminator's Cathedral, New York City.
Please support these public briefings with your attendance and
donation; if you prefer you may make your donation now.
A scene of destruction from one of the Armenian neighborhoods of
Aleppo.
SYRIAN ARMENIAN COMMUNITY NEEDS OUR HELP MORE THAN EVER
The crisis in Syria requires our financial assistance.
Please keep this community in your prayers, your hearts, and your
pocketbooks.
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
(https://t.e2ma.net/click/cqpif/4f4cee/w1fqmb) AND SELECT SYRIAN
ARMENIAN RELIEF IN THE MENU. OR IF YOU PREFER YOU MAY MAIL YOUR
DONATION TO:
Armenian Prelacy
138 E. 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
Checks payable to: Fund for Syrian Armenian Relief
Thank you for your help
ARCHBISHOP OSHAGAN WILL ORDAIN DEACON IN CONNECTICUT
Archbishop Oshagan will travel to Connecticut, where this Sunday,
October 19, he will celebrate the Divine Liturgy and deliver the
Sermon at St. Stephen's Church, in New Britain. Archbishop Oshagan
will be assisted at the altar by Archpriest Fr. Aram Stepanian. The
Prelate will ordain Ara Stepanian to the order of the diaconate. His
Eminence will preside over the parish's 89th anniversary celebration
following the liturgy.
BISHOP ANOUSHAVAN WILL INTRODUCE NEW PRIEST
TO GRANITE CITY PARISH;
Bishop Anoushavan will celebrate the Divine Liturgy and deliver the
sermon
at St. Gregory Church in Granite City, Illinois, this Sunday,
October19. On this occasion the Vicar will introduce the parish's new
pastor, Rev. Fr. Torkom Chorbajian and Yeretzgin Shogher.
Last Sunday, October 12, the Board of Trustees and the Ladies Guild of
St.
Stephen's Church, Watertown, Massachusetts, hosted a special coffee
hour and fellowship to bid farewell to Der Torkom and Yn. Shogher
after the Divine Liturgy, where Der Torkom has been serving as
assistant pastor in
an internship program under the guidance of Archpriest Fr. Antranig
Baljian.
Archpriest Fr. Antranig and Rev. Fr. Torkom with deacons, altar
servers, and choir members following the Divine Liturgy that was
celebrated by Der Torkom.
A farewell dinner for Der Torkom and Yeretzgin was hosted by Michael
and Susan Guzelian and attended by Der Antranig and Yeretzgin and
board members of St. Stephen's Church.
PRELATE ORDAINS DEACONS IN DEARBORN
Last Sunday Archbishop Oshagan celebrated the Divine Liturgy and
delivered
the sermon at St. Sarkis Church, Dearborn, Michigan. During the
Liturgy His Eminence ordained Jeffery Noroian, Khatchig Kafafian, and
Thomas Gerjikian as deacons and Yervant Bedikian as a sub-deacon. The
Prelate also presided over the parish's 52nd anniversary celebration
in Lilian Arakelian Hall. Attending were children recently baptized at
St. Sarkis Church who received the blessings of His Eminence.
A scene during the ordination service.
Recently baptized children received the blessings of the Prelate.
PRELATE WILL ATTEND GROUNDBREAKING OF
ST. NICHOLAS GREEK CHURCH AT GROUND ZERO
Archbishop Oshagan will attend the groundbreaking of the new Saint
Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church near Ground Zero in New York, this
Saturday, October 18, at noon.
St.Nicholas Church was a well-known and often visited sanctuary in
lower Manhattan since the 19th century until it was destroyed by the
collapse of the World Trade Center's south tower on September 11,
2001. The new structure, designed by Santiago Calatrava (designer of
the PATH station at the World Trade Center under construction), will
overlook the 9/11 Memorial. Construction of the church is expected to
be completed by 2016 or early 2017.
PRELACY CLERGY GATHER FOR RETREAT IN PENNSYLVANIA
The clergy of the Eastern Prelacy gathered at St. Mary of Providence
Center in Elverson, Pennsylvania, for a three day retreat, from
October 13-15, 2014, under the presidency of the Prelate, His Eminence
Archbishop Oshagan.
The members of the clergy were afforded the opportunity to give
themselves
more fully to prayer and reflection, in order to return to their
respective parishes rejuvenated, refreshed and renewed. This was the
main goal for the gathering. There were also six other items on the
agenda.
Throughout those three days, the clergy celebrated the seven daily
services of the Armenian Apostolic Church, which are 1) The night hour
(kisherayin
zham), 2) the morning hour (aravodyan zham), 3) the sunrise hour
(arevakal
zham), 4) the midday hour (jashu zham), 5) the evening hour (yeregoyan
zham), 6) the peace hour (khaghaghagan zham), and 7) the rest hour
(hankusdyan
zham).
The other items on the agenda were: 1) the final review and
suggestions of
the Holy Week services with its new English translation; 2) the
resolutions of the 2014 National Representative Assembly; 3) the 100th
anniversary of
the Armenian Genocide; 4) Bishops Conclave in Etchmiadzin in November
2015; 5) the Pontifical visit of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I in May
2015; 6) the recent summit that was held in Washington, D.C., `In
Defense of Christians'; and 7) a workshop on `Pastoral Skills' led by
Rev. Fr. Nareg Terterian, pastor of St. Sarkis Armenian Church in
Douglaston, New York.
In reference to the NRA resolution, the clergy were assigned the task
of reviewing the Prelacy's Christian education programs, and Dn. Shant
Kazanjian, Director of the Prelacy's Armenian Religious Education
Council (AREC), was invited to participate in that session.
Dn. Shant presented a brief outline of the Christian Faith. The clergy
reviewed it and made several significant revisions and additions. They
then discussed ways to strengthen the Christian educational programs
within our parishes, exploring also ways to integrate technology in
this ministry at all
levels. It was reaffirmed that every parish should form and implement
a Christian Education Committee, if they do not already have one. It
was also recommended that AREC evaluate the St. Gregory of Datev
Institute Summer Program. And as expected, one of the perennial issues
in such gatherings
was the Soorp Badarak-helping our people to better understand and
participate in the central worship service of the Armenian Church.
And finally, on the occasion of the pontifical visit, the Prelacy
parishes
were asked to focus on the general theme of `Faithfulness to our
Armenian Christian Heritage.' And Deacon Shant was asked to present
5-6 topics under this overall theme. Faithfulness to our Armenian
Christian heritage, he highlighted, entails being faithful 1) to the
Bible, 2)
to our baptismal calling, 3) to our faith expressed in the creeds, 4)
in prayer, 5) to coming together on Sundays to celebrate the Soorp
Badarak, and
6) in participating in the mission of the Church. This plan was
endorsed by the clergy.
Click on the banner below to listen to a podcast from the retreat
center in Elverson produced by Rev. Fr. Nareg Terterian that includes
interviews, Bible reflection, and sharagan. This is the seventh weekly
podcast in a new initiative by Fr. Nareg, pastor of St. Sarkis Church
in Douglaston, New York.
(https://t.e2ma.net/click/cqpif/4f4cee/cugqmb)
Clergy serving the Eastern Prelacy in front of the serene St. Mary of
Providence Center in Pennsylvania where they met for a three-day
retreat. From left to right: Rev. Fr. Torkom Chorbajian,
Rev. Fr. Mesrob Lakissian, Rev. Fr. Hovnan Bozoian, Rev. Fr. Bedros
Shetilian, Archpriest Fr. Gomidas Baghsarian, Archpriest Fr. Aram
Stepanian, Archpriest Fr. Zareh Sahakian, Bishop
Anoushavan Tanielian, Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, Very Rev. Fr. Sahag
Yemishyan, Archpriest Fr. Antranig Baljian, Archpriest Fr. Nerses
Manoogian, Rev. Fr. Sarkis Aktavoukian, Rev. Fr. Nareg Terterian,
Rev. Fr. Stephan Baljian, Rev. Fr. Hrant Kevorkian.
The clergy during one of their study sessions.
MUSICAL ARMENIA APPLICATIONS
The Musical Armenia committee is accepting applications from young
Armenian musicians who would like to be featured in a concert at
Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall in New York City. Those interested
in applying should visit the Prelacy's web site
(www.armenianprelacy.org) or click here
(https://t.e2ma.net/click/cqpif/4f4cee/smhqmb).
The Prelacy inaugurated the Musical Armenia series in 1982 in order to
promote the careers of talented young Armenian musicians from all over
the world. Since then, the annual concerts have remained faithful to
the objectives of the series. The 2015 concert will take place on
Friday, March 20. Applications should be sent no later than October
30, 2014.
BIBLE READINGS
Bible readings for Sunday, October 19, Sixth Sunday of the Exaltation
are,
Isaiah 20:2-21:6; Galatians 4:3-18; Luke 4:14-23.
Then Jesus filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee,
and a
report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began
to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. When he came
to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on
the Sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the
scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll
and found the place where it was written: `The Spirit of the Lord is
upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He
has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight
to the blind, to let the oppressed
go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.'
And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat
down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he
began to say to
them, `Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.' All
spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from
his mouth. They said, `Is not this Joseph's son?' He said to them,
`Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, `Doctor, cure yourself!'
And you will say, `Do here also in your hometown the things that we
have heard you did at Capernaum.'' (Luke 4:14-23)
For a listing of the coming week's Bible readings click here
(https://t.e2ma.net/click/cqpif/4f4cee/8eiqmb).
THE HOLY EVANGELISTS
This Saturday, October 18, the Armenian Church commemorates the Holy
Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the authors of the four
Gospels. The
word Evangelist comes from the Greek Euaggelistes which means `one
who brings good news.' Evangelists are given the special ability by
the Holy Spirit to communicate the Gospel of Jesus Christ clearly and
effectively. In the early days of the church evangelism was the work
of the apostles. By the third century, the authors of the four
canonical Gospels became known as the Holy Evangelists, and as the
church grew `evangelist' began to denote a specific office that could
include =80=9Capostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers'
(see Ephesians 4:11-12). All four died martyrs.
Matthew is the patron of the Church's mission. The Gospel attributed
to him closes with Jesus' command to His disciples and followers
to, `Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in
the name of the father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and
teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And
remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.' (Matthew
28:19-20)
Mark had significant influence on the advancement of
Christianity. Although the Gospel according to Mark is a narrative of
the life of Jesus, theologians consider it to be a handbook of
discipleship. The dominant message is that being a Christian is not
only believing in Jesus Christ, it is also living according to the
example set by Jesus. According to tradition, Mark was the first
bishop of Alexandria. One of the most magnificent cathedrals in
the world is named after him in Venice, where his relics are kept.
Luke is the author of the third Gospel and the Book of Acts. He is
considered to be the patron of physicians and artists. The Gospel
according to Luke describes Jesus as `the healer of a broken world.'
Luke is also noted for his concern for the poor, the marginalized,
women, and social outcasts. His Gospel does not end with the
Resurrection, but continues to Pentecost and the eternal presence of
Christ in the world. Traditionally
he is believed to be one of the Seventy and the unnamed disciple in
Emmaus.
John, often called the `beloved disciple,' is the author of the fourth
Gospel. He was the only one of the twelve disciples who did not
forsake Christ and stood at the foot of the Cross. Jesus entrusted his
mother to John's care on the day of the Crucifixion. The best known
verse in his Gospel is John 3:16: `For God so loved the world that he
gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but
have eternal life.' According to tradition, John left Jerusalem after
attending the first ecumenical council and went to Asia Minor and
settled in Ephesus. He was exiled to the island of Patmos where he
wrote the book of
Revelation, although more recently scholars have concluded that John
the Apostle and John of Patmos were two different people.
THIS WEEK IN ARMENIAN HISTORY
(Prepared by the Armenian National Education Committee[ANEC])
Death of Anastas Mikoyan (October 21, 1978)
Anastas Mikoyan was perhaps the only politician that lived through the
first half century of the Soviet regime, from the days of Lenin to the
first years of Leonid Brezhnev's rule in the 1960s, and remained at
the highest positions of the Communist Party. He was also a
controversial name with regards to Armenian history. (His younger
brother Artem was the co-founder of the Mig aviation design bureau,
which would produce the military jets.)
Mikoyan was born on November 13 (25), 1895, in the village of Sanahin,
nowadays the neighborhood of the city of Alaverdi, in the province of
Lori (Republic of Armenia). After graduating from the local school, he
studied at the Nersisian School in Tiflis and the Gevorgian Seminary
in Etchmiadzin.
In 1915 he formed a workers' soviet in Etchmiadzin and formally joined
the Bolshevik faction of the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party. He
edited two newspapers in Baku and led the Bolshevik clandestine
network after the collapse of the Commune of Baku in June 1918. He was
among the 26 commissars who fled from Baku and the only one who
escaped death when the others were shot in September 1918. The
circumstances have remained shrouded in mystery.
In 1919 Mikoyan became the head of the Baku board of the Caucasian
committee of the Russian Communist Party. After a short stay in
Moscow, he returned to Baku as representative of the
Military-Revolutionary Committee of the XI Red Army. In December 1919
he wrote a report to Lenin where he insisted on the need to put an end
to the Armenian Question and to renounce the idea
of the formation of a united Armenian state. In 1921 he co-signed a
letter
sent to Lenin by Nariman Narimanov, the head of the
Military-Revolutionary
Committee of Azerbaijan, which said that Gharabagh and Nakhichevan
should remain under the authority of Soviet Azerbaijan.
Afterwards, Mikoyan moved to Moscow, where he continued his political
career. He was in Stalin's inner circle; he became People's Commissar
of Trade of the Soviet Union in 1926 and Commissar of Food Industry in
1931. He developed a comprehensive program for the Soviet food
industry and, in this regard, he visited the United States for two
months in 1936 with his wife Ashkhen (died in 1962) to study the
American methods of production. He initiated the production of ice
cream in the Soviet Union, which remained under his personal
supervision until the end of his tenure.
The Caucasus trio: From left to right, Mikoyan, Joseph Stalin, and
Sergo Ordzhonikidze.
Mikoyan was elected a full member of the Politburo of the Communist
Party in 1935 (he would keep this position until 1966) and became
deputy chairman
of the Council of People's Commissars in 1937. He was among those who
executed Stalin's policies, including signing documents that condemned
to death hundreds and thousands of people during the Great Purge.
In September 1937 Stalin dispatched him, along with Georgy Malenkov
and Lavrentiy Beria, with a list of 300 names to Yerevan, to oversee
the liquidation of the Communist Party of Armenia, which was largely
made up of old Bolsheviks. Over a thousand people were arrested and
seven of nine members of the Armenian Politburo were sacked from
office. On September 22, 1937, Nikolai Yezhov, head of the NKVD
(predecessor of the KGB) from 1936 to 1938, transmitted to Stalin a
petition by Mikoyan to execute 2,000 Armenians, instead of the initial
1,500. During the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the NKVD at
the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, on December 20, 1937, Mikoyan praised
Yezhov for his tireless work: `Learn the Stalin way to work,"
he said, "from Comrade Yezhov, just as he learned and will continue to
learn from Comrade Stalin himself.' On the other hand, he helped the
families of purged friends who had remained without any assistance. He
also saved Marshal Hovhannes Baghramian, a hero of World War II, from
repression
and exile in 1937.
Mikoyan had an outstanding role during the war. Trade, army supply,
and production of light and food industry were under his
supervision. In 1941 he became a representative of the State Defense
Committee, which was the supreme state authority during the war, and
was decorated with the order of Hero
of Socialist Labor in 1943 for his remarkable job. After the war, he
continued to be Minister of Foreign Trade until 1949. Despite his
position, his teenage children Sergo and Vano were exiled on
trumped-up charges, but returned shortly after the end of the war. His
son Vladimir, a pilot in the Red
Air Force, had died in combat during the war.
During the 19th Congress of the Communist Party in October 1952,
despite his speech filled with praises of Stalin, Mikoyan was not
elected to the presidium of the congress. Although he was elected a
member of the Central Committee of the party, he did not make it to
the presidium of the party. During the plenary session, Stalin rained
invectives over Mikoyan and Molotov, first deputy chairman of the USSR
Council of Ministers, and expressed publicly his lack of trust in
them. Stalin's death in March 1953 probably saved Mikoyan's career and
life.
Ernesto "Che" Guevara, First Deputy Premier Anastas Mikoyan of the
Soviet Union, and Fidel Castro meet after the successful revolution in
Cuba.
The `survivor,' as he would be labeled by Time magazine, maintained a
neutral position in the struggle for power after Stalin's death. He
supported Nikita Khrushchev after he imposed himself over Beria as the
strongman of the Soviet Union and backed his policy of
de-Stalinization. He returned to the post of Minister of Foreign Trade
(1953-55) and then became first deputy chairman of the USSR Council of
Ministers (1955-1964). Nevertheless, he never gave a public assessment
of Stalin's crimes. In 1954 he visited Armenia and gave a speech in
Yerevan, where he encouraged Armenians to reprint the forbidden works
of Raffi and Yeghishe Charents.
The veteran politician, who visited the United States several times
during
Khrushchev's time, would have a crucial intervention in the solution
of the Cuban missile crisis of 1962. Two years later, he would become
chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR shortly
before the coup that ousted Khrushchev and replaced him by Leonid
Brezhnev, but he was forced to retire in 1965. Mikoyan was one of the
few Old Bolsheviks who was spared from Stalin's purges and was able to
retire comfortably from political life. He died on October 21, 1978,
at the age of 82, from natural causes and was buried at Novodevichy
Cemetery in Moscow. Last April, an initiative to erect a statue of
Mikoyan in Yerevan gave room to a heated controversy that shows that
the Soviet legacy is far from being resolved.
Previous entries in `This Week in Armenian History' can be
read on the Prelacy's web site (www.armenianprelacy.org).
ORPHAN RUG WILL BE DISPLAYED
IN NOVEMBER
According to confirmed reports the Armenian Genocide Orphan Rug will
be part of an exhibit at the White House Visitors Center from November
18 to 23.
The exhibit, `Thank You to the United States: Three Gifts to
Presidents in Gratitude for American Generosity Abroad,' will showcase
the Orphan Rug given to President Calvin Coolidge in 1925 as a symbol
of gratitude for American aid and generosity for U.S. assistance
during the genocide. The rug, 11'7' x 18'5', has over 4,000,000
hand-tied knots and took the Armenian girls in the Ghazir Orphanage of
the Near East Relief ten months to weave. The rug has been in storage
for decades and its requested display was embroiled in controversy
last year.
The story of the rug is told in a book, President Calvin Coolidge and
the Armenian Orphan Rug, by Hagop Martin Deranian, that is available
at the Armenian Prelacy bookstore. For information contact the
bookstore by email ([email protected]) or by phone
(212-689-7810).
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
October 18-Annual Armenian Bazaar, St. Gregory Church, 135 Goodwin
Street, Indian Orchard, Massachusetts, 10 am to 7 pm. Favorite
Armenian dinners including shish, losh, and chicken kebab and rice
pilaf; stuffed grape leaves, cheese and spinach pie, pickled
vegetables; traditional Armenian and American baked goods;
raffle. Take-out available. For information: (413) 543-4763.
October 19-St. Stephen's Church, New Britain, Connecticut,
His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan will ordain Ara Stepanian as Deacon
during
the Divine Liturgy and preside over the parish's 89th Annual Banquet.
October 25-St. Gregory Church of Merrimack Valley, Annual Fall Fair,
10 am to 7 pm, at Jaffarian Hall, 158 Main Street, North Andover,
Massachusetts. Shish, losh, and chicken kebab dinners, lentil and
kheyma, vegetarian dinners, pastries, gifts, raffles. For information:
978-685-5038.
October 26-Celebration of 80th anniversary of Armenian Weekly and
115th anniversary of Hairenik, at home of Carmen and Avo Barmakian, 58
Matthew Lane, Waltham, Massachusetts. Keynote speaker, Professor
Richard G. Hovannisian, professor of Armenian and Near Eastern History
at UCLA. Reservations by October 18, Heather Krafian, 617-932-1965.
November 2-All Saints Church, Glenview, Illinois, 71st Anniversary
under auspices of Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, following the Divine
Liturgy, at Shahnasarian Hall, 1701 N. Greenwood, Glenview, Illinois.
November 6-Avak Luncheon, sponsored by St. Gregory Church, 158 Main
Street, North Andover, Massachusetts, at noon. Speaker: Sonya
Vartabedian, `Diary of a Community Editor,' reflections from Sunday
School student here to award-winning journalist and editor of The
Andover Townsman and Andover Magazine.
November 7-8-9-Rouben Mamoulian Film Festival, 7 pm, at the Museum
of the Moving Image in Astoria, New York. Sponsored by the
Anthropology Museum of the People of New York, the Armenian Cultural
Educational Resource Center Gallery at Queens College, and The Museum
of the Moving Image. Opening night and reception will feature Love Me
Tonight, the 1932 musical comedy film produced and directed by
Mamoulian, with music by Rodgers and Hart, starring Jeanette MacDonald
and Maurice Chevalier. For tickets and information:
[email protected] or 718-428-5650.
November 7 & 8-St. Stephen's Church, Watertown, Massachusetts, 58th
Armenian Bazaar, 10 am to 9:30 pm at Armenian Cultural & Educational
Center, 47 Nichols Avenue, Watertown, Massachusetts. Meals served from
11:30 am to 8:30 pm (take out is available). Enjoy delicious meals,
Armenian pastries, gourmet items, arts and crafts, books, raffles,
attic treasures. For information: 617-924-7562.
November 14-15-Holy Trinity Church, Worcester, Massachusetts, Annual
Fall Fest. Friday, 4 to 8 pm; Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm. Shish, chicken,
losh kebab and kheyma dinners. Home made pastries and special
desserts. For information: 508-852-2414.
November 15 &16-Sts. Vartanantz Church, Providence, Rhode Island,
Armenian Fest 2014 at Rhodes-on-the-Pawtuxet, Broad Street, Cranston,
Rhode
Island. Largest indoor festival in Rhode Island. Delicious shish and
losh kebob, chicken and kufta dinners and Armenian pastry available
all day. Live dance music. The Mourad Armenian School and Providence
Hamazkayin dance groups will perform on Saturday and Sunday at 5
pm. Hourly raffles, silent auction, country store, gift baskets,
flea-market, arts and crafts. Main raffle prizes worth total $2,700.
Fun for all ages. Free admission, parking and valet. For information:
401-831-6399 or www.stsvartanantzchurch.org.
November 21, 22, 23-Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield, New Jersey,
Annual Bazaar, Food Festival, and Hantes. Mezze and Kebab dinners
(chicken, shish, luleh); dessert table and trays of home-made
delicacies; Boutique
Booths; Chinese Auction; Supervised Game Room for children;
Pre-packaged Monte, Sou Buereg, Kufteh, and Lehmejun; Take-out
available; Live Music for dancing and listening. Traditional Kavourma
dinner on Sunday served immediately after church service. For
information: 201-943-2950.
December 6-Armenian Winter Dessert Festival, Soorp Khatch Church,
Bethesda, Maryland.
December 6-St. Asdvadzadzin Church, Whitinsville, Massachusetts,
Annual Bazaar at Christian Reform Church, Whitinsville, 10 am to 5 pm.
December 7-Ladies Guild of St. Stephen's Church of New Britain and
Hartford, Connecticut, will host a Wine Tasting Party at noon in the
church hall, 167 Tremont Street, New Britain. A wine talk and tasting
will be provided by Taylor Brooke Winery, Woodstock, Connecticut,
owned by Linda Varjabedian Auger.
December 7-8th Annual ANC Eastern Region Banquet, Ritz-Carlton Battery
Park, NY. Freedom Award Honoree: former Manhattan District Attorney
Robert Morgenthau and the Morgenthau family; Vahan Cardashian Award
Honoree: ANCA activist Alice Movsesian. Tickets are $250. For
reservations and information, please visit www.anca.org/erbanquet or
917.428.1918.
December 12-Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) 11th Annual Holiday Gala,
Cipriani 42nd Street, New York City. Cocktails and Silent Auction, 7
pm; Dinner & Program, 8 pm; Dancing & After Party, 10 pm. For tickets
and information www.coafkids.org or 212-994-8234.
February 9-11, 2015-Ghevontiantz gathering of clergy serving the
Eastern Prelacy.
March 13-15, 2015-`Responsibility 2015,' International conference for
Armenian Genocide's centennial at Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York,
featuring prominent historians, policymakers, authors, and
artists. Organized by the ARF Eastern US Centennial Committee, under
the auspices of the Armenian Genocide Centennial Committee of America,
Eastern Region. www.responsibility2015.com for information.
March 20, 2015-Musical Armenia, presented by Eastern Prelacy and
Prelacy Ladies Guild, Weill Recital Hall, 8 pm, Carnegie Hall, New
York City.
October 5-9, 2015-Clergy gathering of Eastern, Western, and Canadian
Prelacies.
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]
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/
October 16, 2014
PRELATE OF ALEPPO VISITING U.S. AND CANADA
Archbishop Shahan Sarkissian, Prelate of Aleppo, arrived in the United
States on Monday and will be visiting communities in the United States
and Canada. He will conduct public briefings on the continuing crisis
facing the Armenian community in Syria and will raise funds to help
keep the Armenian schools in Syria open and functioning. Currently
Archbishop Shahan is in California; after his visit to the east coast
he will go to Canada.
Archbishop Oshagan will travel with Archbishop Shahan during his
visits to
communities within the jurisdiction of the Eastern Prelacy. The
schedule of visits is as follows:
Wednesday, October 22, St. Stephen's Church, Watertown, Massachusetts,
where in the morning there will be a meeting with the members of the
Central and Regional executives of the Armenian Relief Society. In the
evening a community gathering will take place at St. Stephen's Church
Hall.
Thursday, October 23, Sts. Vartanantz Church in Providence, Rhode
Island (during the day); in the evening at St. Gregory the Illuminator
Church, Philadelphia.
Friday evening, October 24, St. Sarkis Church in Douglaston, New York.
Saturday evening, October 25, Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield, New
Jersey.
Sunday, October 26, Archbishop Shahan Sarkissian will celebrate the
Divine
Liturgy and deliver the sermon at Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield,
New Jersey. The Liturgy will be followed by a presentation and
fellowship.
Monday, October 27, St. Illuminator's Cathedral, New York City.
Please support these public briefings with your attendance and
donation; if you prefer you may make your donation now.
A scene of destruction from one of the Armenian neighborhoods of
Aleppo.
SYRIAN ARMENIAN COMMUNITY NEEDS OUR HELP MORE THAN EVER
The crisis in Syria requires our financial assistance.
Please keep this community in your prayers, your hearts, and your
pocketbooks.
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
(https://t.e2ma.net/click/cqpif/4f4cee/w1fqmb) AND SELECT SYRIAN
ARMENIAN RELIEF IN THE MENU. OR IF YOU PREFER YOU MAY MAIL YOUR
DONATION TO:
Armenian Prelacy
138 E. 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
Checks payable to: Fund for Syrian Armenian Relief
Thank you for your help
ARCHBISHOP OSHAGAN WILL ORDAIN DEACON IN CONNECTICUT
Archbishop Oshagan will travel to Connecticut, where this Sunday,
October 19, he will celebrate the Divine Liturgy and deliver the
Sermon at St. Stephen's Church, in New Britain. Archbishop Oshagan
will be assisted at the altar by Archpriest Fr. Aram Stepanian. The
Prelate will ordain Ara Stepanian to the order of the diaconate. His
Eminence will preside over the parish's 89th anniversary celebration
following the liturgy.
BISHOP ANOUSHAVAN WILL INTRODUCE NEW PRIEST
TO GRANITE CITY PARISH;
Bishop Anoushavan will celebrate the Divine Liturgy and deliver the
sermon
at St. Gregory Church in Granite City, Illinois, this Sunday,
October19. On this occasion the Vicar will introduce the parish's new
pastor, Rev. Fr. Torkom Chorbajian and Yeretzgin Shogher.
Last Sunday, October 12, the Board of Trustees and the Ladies Guild of
St.
Stephen's Church, Watertown, Massachusetts, hosted a special coffee
hour and fellowship to bid farewell to Der Torkom and Yn. Shogher
after the Divine Liturgy, where Der Torkom has been serving as
assistant pastor in
an internship program under the guidance of Archpriest Fr. Antranig
Baljian.
Archpriest Fr. Antranig and Rev. Fr. Torkom with deacons, altar
servers, and choir members following the Divine Liturgy that was
celebrated by Der Torkom.
A farewell dinner for Der Torkom and Yeretzgin was hosted by Michael
and Susan Guzelian and attended by Der Antranig and Yeretzgin and
board members of St. Stephen's Church.
PRELATE ORDAINS DEACONS IN DEARBORN
Last Sunday Archbishop Oshagan celebrated the Divine Liturgy and
delivered
the sermon at St. Sarkis Church, Dearborn, Michigan. During the
Liturgy His Eminence ordained Jeffery Noroian, Khatchig Kafafian, and
Thomas Gerjikian as deacons and Yervant Bedikian as a sub-deacon. The
Prelate also presided over the parish's 52nd anniversary celebration
in Lilian Arakelian Hall. Attending were children recently baptized at
St. Sarkis Church who received the blessings of His Eminence.
A scene during the ordination service.
Recently baptized children received the blessings of the Prelate.
PRELATE WILL ATTEND GROUNDBREAKING OF
ST. NICHOLAS GREEK CHURCH AT GROUND ZERO
Archbishop Oshagan will attend the groundbreaking of the new Saint
Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church near Ground Zero in New York, this
Saturday, October 18, at noon.
St.Nicholas Church was a well-known and often visited sanctuary in
lower Manhattan since the 19th century until it was destroyed by the
collapse of the World Trade Center's south tower on September 11,
2001. The new structure, designed by Santiago Calatrava (designer of
the PATH station at the World Trade Center under construction), will
overlook the 9/11 Memorial. Construction of the church is expected to
be completed by 2016 or early 2017.
PRELACY CLERGY GATHER FOR RETREAT IN PENNSYLVANIA
The clergy of the Eastern Prelacy gathered at St. Mary of Providence
Center in Elverson, Pennsylvania, for a three day retreat, from
October 13-15, 2014, under the presidency of the Prelate, His Eminence
Archbishop Oshagan.
The members of the clergy were afforded the opportunity to give
themselves
more fully to prayer and reflection, in order to return to their
respective parishes rejuvenated, refreshed and renewed. This was the
main goal for the gathering. There were also six other items on the
agenda.
Throughout those three days, the clergy celebrated the seven daily
services of the Armenian Apostolic Church, which are 1) The night hour
(kisherayin
zham), 2) the morning hour (aravodyan zham), 3) the sunrise hour
(arevakal
zham), 4) the midday hour (jashu zham), 5) the evening hour (yeregoyan
zham), 6) the peace hour (khaghaghagan zham), and 7) the rest hour
(hankusdyan
zham).
The other items on the agenda were: 1) the final review and
suggestions of
the Holy Week services with its new English translation; 2) the
resolutions of the 2014 National Representative Assembly; 3) the 100th
anniversary of
the Armenian Genocide; 4) Bishops Conclave in Etchmiadzin in November
2015; 5) the Pontifical visit of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I in May
2015; 6) the recent summit that was held in Washington, D.C., `In
Defense of Christians'; and 7) a workshop on `Pastoral Skills' led by
Rev. Fr. Nareg Terterian, pastor of St. Sarkis Armenian Church in
Douglaston, New York.
In reference to the NRA resolution, the clergy were assigned the task
of reviewing the Prelacy's Christian education programs, and Dn. Shant
Kazanjian, Director of the Prelacy's Armenian Religious Education
Council (AREC), was invited to participate in that session.
Dn. Shant presented a brief outline of the Christian Faith. The clergy
reviewed it and made several significant revisions and additions. They
then discussed ways to strengthen the Christian educational programs
within our parishes, exploring also ways to integrate technology in
this ministry at all
levels. It was reaffirmed that every parish should form and implement
a Christian Education Committee, if they do not already have one. It
was also recommended that AREC evaluate the St. Gregory of Datev
Institute Summer Program. And as expected, one of the perennial issues
in such gatherings
was the Soorp Badarak-helping our people to better understand and
participate in the central worship service of the Armenian Church.
And finally, on the occasion of the pontifical visit, the Prelacy
parishes
were asked to focus on the general theme of `Faithfulness to our
Armenian Christian Heritage.' And Deacon Shant was asked to present
5-6 topics under this overall theme. Faithfulness to our Armenian
Christian heritage, he highlighted, entails being faithful 1) to the
Bible, 2)
to our baptismal calling, 3) to our faith expressed in the creeds, 4)
in prayer, 5) to coming together on Sundays to celebrate the Soorp
Badarak, and
6) in participating in the mission of the Church. This plan was
endorsed by the clergy.
Click on the banner below to listen to a podcast from the retreat
center in Elverson produced by Rev. Fr. Nareg Terterian that includes
interviews, Bible reflection, and sharagan. This is the seventh weekly
podcast in a new initiative by Fr. Nareg, pastor of St. Sarkis Church
in Douglaston, New York.
(https://t.e2ma.net/click/cqpif/4f4cee/cugqmb)
Clergy serving the Eastern Prelacy in front of the serene St. Mary of
Providence Center in Pennsylvania where they met for a three-day
retreat. From left to right: Rev. Fr. Torkom Chorbajian,
Rev. Fr. Mesrob Lakissian, Rev. Fr. Hovnan Bozoian, Rev. Fr. Bedros
Shetilian, Archpriest Fr. Gomidas Baghsarian, Archpriest Fr. Aram
Stepanian, Archpriest Fr. Zareh Sahakian, Bishop
Anoushavan Tanielian, Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, Very Rev. Fr. Sahag
Yemishyan, Archpriest Fr. Antranig Baljian, Archpriest Fr. Nerses
Manoogian, Rev. Fr. Sarkis Aktavoukian, Rev. Fr. Nareg Terterian,
Rev. Fr. Stephan Baljian, Rev. Fr. Hrant Kevorkian.
The clergy during one of their study sessions.
MUSICAL ARMENIA APPLICATIONS
The Musical Armenia committee is accepting applications from young
Armenian musicians who would like to be featured in a concert at
Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall in New York City. Those interested
in applying should visit the Prelacy's web site
(www.armenianprelacy.org) or click here
(https://t.e2ma.net/click/cqpif/4f4cee/smhqmb).
The Prelacy inaugurated the Musical Armenia series in 1982 in order to
promote the careers of talented young Armenian musicians from all over
the world. Since then, the annual concerts have remained faithful to
the objectives of the series. The 2015 concert will take place on
Friday, March 20. Applications should be sent no later than October
30, 2014.
BIBLE READINGS
Bible readings for Sunday, October 19, Sixth Sunday of the Exaltation
are,
Isaiah 20:2-21:6; Galatians 4:3-18; Luke 4:14-23.
Then Jesus filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee,
and a
report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began
to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. When he came
to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on
the Sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the
scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll
and found the place where it was written: `The Spirit of the Lord is
upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He
has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight
to the blind, to let the oppressed
go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.'
And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat
down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he
began to say to
them, `Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.' All
spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from
his mouth. They said, `Is not this Joseph's son?' He said to them,
`Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, `Doctor, cure yourself!'
And you will say, `Do here also in your hometown the things that we
have heard you did at Capernaum.'' (Luke 4:14-23)
For a listing of the coming week's Bible readings click here
(https://t.e2ma.net/click/cqpif/4f4cee/8eiqmb).
THE HOLY EVANGELISTS
This Saturday, October 18, the Armenian Church commemorates the Holy
Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the authors of the four
Gospels. The
word Evangelist comes from the Greek Euaggelistes which means `one
who brings good news.' Evangelists are given the special ability by
the Holy Spirit to communicate the Gospel of Jesus Christ clearly and
effectively. In the early days of the church evangelism was the work
of the apostles. By the third century, the authors of the four
canonical Gospels became known as the Holy Evangelists, and as the
church grew `evangelist' began to denote a specific office that could
include =80=9Capostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers'
(see Ephesians 4:11-12). All four died martyrs.
Matthew is the patron of the Church's mission. The Gospel attributed
to him closes with Jesus' command to His disciples and followers
to, `Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in
the name of the father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and
teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And
remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.' (Matthew
28:19-20)
Mark had significant influence on the advancement of
Christianity. Although the Gospel according to Mark is a narrative of
the life of Jesus, theologians consider it to be a handbook of
discipleship. The dominant message is that being a Christian is not
only believing in Jesus Christ, it is also living according to the
example set by Jesus. According to tradition, Mark was the first
bishop of Alexandria. One of the most magnificent cathedrals in
the world is named after him in Venice, where his relics are kept.
Luke is the author of the third Gospel and the Book of Acts. He is
considered to be the patron of physicians and artists. The Gospel
according to Luke describes Jesus as `the healer of a broken world.'
Luke is also noted for his concern for the poor, the marginalized,
women, and social outcasts. His Gospel does not end with the
Resurrection, but continues to Pentecost and the eternal presence of
Christ in the world. Traditionally
he is believed to be one of the Seventy and the unnamed disciple in
Emmaus.
John, often called the `beloved disciple,' is the author of the fourth
Gospel. He was the only one of the twelve disciples who did not
forsake Christ and stood at the foot of the Cross. Jesus entrusted his
mother to John's care on the day of the Crucifixion. The best known
verse in his Gospel is John 3:16: `For God so loved the world that he
gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but
have eternal life.' According to tradition, John left Jerusalem after
attending the first ecumenical council and went to Asia Minor and
settled in Ephesus. He was exiled to the island of Patmos where he
wrote the book of
Revelation, although more recently scholars have concluded that John
the Apostle and John of Patmos were two different people.
THIS WEEK IN ARMENIAN HISTORY
(Prepared by the Armenian National Education Committee[ANEC])
Death of Anastas Mikoyan (October 21, 1978)
Anastas Mikoyan was perhaps the only politician that lived through the
first half century of the Soviet regime, from the days of Lenin to the
first years of Leonid Brezhnev's rule in the 1960s, and remained at
the highest positions of the Communist Party. He was also a
controversial name with regards to Armenian history. (His younger
brother Artem was the co-founder of the Mig aviation design bureau,
which would produce the military jets.)
Mikoyan was born on November 13 (25), 1895, in the village of Sanahin,
nowadays the neighborhood of the city of Alaverdi, in the province of
Lori (Republic of Armenia). After graduating from the local school, he
studied at the Nersisian School in Tiflis and the Gevorgian Seminary
in Etchmiadzin.
In 1915 he formed a workers' soviet in Etchmiadzin and formally joined
the Bolshevik faction of the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party. He
edited two newspapers in Baku and led the Bolshevik clandestine
network after the collapse of the Commune of Baku in June 1918. He was
among the 26 commissars who fled from Baku and the only one who
escaped death when the others were shot in September 1918. The
circumstances have remained shrouded in mystery.
In 1919 Mikoyan became the head of the Baku board of the Caucasian
committee of the Russian Communist Party. After a short stay in
Moscow, he returned to Baku as representative of the
Military-Revolutionary Committee of the XI Red Army. In December 1919
he wrote a report to Lenin where he insisted on the need to put an end
to the Armenian Question and to renounce the idea
of the formation of a united Armenian state. In 1921 he co-signed a
letter
sent to Lenin by Nariman Narimanov, the head of the
Military-Revolutionary
Committee of Azerbaijan, which said that Gharabagh and Nakhichevan
should remain under the authority of Soviet Azerbaijan.
Afterwards, Mikoyan moved to Moscow, where he continued his political
career. He was in Stalin's inner circle; he became People's Commissar
of Trade of the Soviet Union in 1926 and Commissar of Food Industry in
1931. He developed a comprehensive program for the Soviet food
industry and, in this regard, he visited the United States for two
months in 1936 with his wife Ashkhen (died in 1962) to study the
American methods of production. He initiated the production of ice
cream in the Soviet Union, which remained under his personal
supervision until the end of his tenure.
The Caucasus trio: From left to right, Mikoyan, Joseph Stalin, and
Sergo Ordzhonikidze.
Mikoyan was elected a full member of the Politburo of the Communist
Party in 1935 (he would keep this position until 1966) and became
deputy chairman
of the Council of People's Commissars in 1937. He was among those who
executed Stalin's policies, including signing documents that condemned
to death hundreds and thousands of people during the Great Purge.
In September 1937 Stalin dispatched him, along with Georgy Malenkov
and Lavrentiy Beria, with a list of 300 names to Yerevan, to oversee
the liquidation of the Communist Party of Armenia, which was largely
made up of old Bolsheviks. Over a thousand people were arrested and
seven of nine members of the Armenian Politburo were sacked from
office. On September 22, 1937, Nikolai Yezhov, head of the NKVD
(predecessor of the KGB) from 1936 to 1938, transmitted to Stalin a
petition by Mikoyan to execute 2,000 Armenians, instead of the initial
1,500. During the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the NKVD at
the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, on December 20, 1937, Mikoyan praised
Yezhov for his tireless work: `Learn the Stalin way to work,"
he said, "from Comrade Yezhov, just as he learned and will continue to
learn from Comrade Stalin himself.' On the other hand, he helped the
families of purged friends who had remained without any assistance. He
also saved Marshal Hovhannes Baghramian, a hero of World War II, from
repression
and exile in 1937.
Mikoyan had an outstanding role during the war. Trade, army supply,
and production of light and food industry were under his
supervision. In 1941 he became a representative of the State Defense
Committee, which was the supreme state authority during the war, and
was decorated with the order of Hero
of Socialist Labor in 1943 for his remarkable job. After the war, he
continued to be Minister of Foreign Trade until 1949. Despite his
position, his teenage children Sergo and Vano were exiled on
trumped-up charges, but returned shortly after the end of the war. His
son Vladimir, a pilot in the Red
Air Force, had died in combat during the war.
During the 19th Congress of the Communist Party in October 1952,
despite his speech filled with praises of Stalin, Mikoyan was not
elected to the presidium of the congress. Although he was elected a
member of the Central Committee of the party, he did not make it to
the presidium of the party. During the plenary session, Stalin rained
invectives over Mikoyan and Molotov, first deputy chairman of the USSR
Council of Ministers, and expressed publicly his lack of trust in
them. Stalin's death in March 1953 probably saved Mikoyan's career and
life.
Ernesto "Che" Guevara, First Deputy Premier Anastas Mikoyan of the
Soviet Union, and Fidel Castro meet after the successful revolution in
Cuba.
The `survivor,' as he would be labeled by Time magazine, maintained a
neutral position in the struggle for power after Stalin's death. He
supported Nikita Khrushchev after he imposed himself over Beria as the
strongman of the Soviet Union and backed his policy of
de-Stalinization. He returned to the post of Minister of Foreign Trade
(1953-55) and then became first deputy chairman of the USSR Council of
Ministers (1955-1964). Nevertheless, he never gave a public assessment
of Stalin's crimes. In 1954 he visited Armenia and gave a speech in
Yerevan, where he encouraged Armenians to reprint the forbidden works
of Raffi and Yeghishe Charents.
The veteran politician, who visited the United States several times
during
Khrushchev's time, would have a crucial intervention in the solution
of the Cuban missile crisis of 1962. Two years later, he would become
chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR shortly
before the coup that ousted Khrushchev and replaced him by Leonid
Brezhnev, but he was forced to retire in 1965. Mikoyan was one of the
few Old Bolsheviks who was spared from Stalin's purges and was able to
retire comfortably from political life. He died on October 21, 1978,
at the age of 82, from natural causes and was buried at Novodevichy
Cemetery in Moscow. Last April, an initiative to erect a statue of
Mikoyan in Yerevan gave room to a heated controversy that shows that
the Soviet legacy is far from being resolved.
Previous entries in `This Week in Armenian History' can be
read on the Prelacy's web site (www.armenianprelacy.org).
ORPHAN RUG WILL BE DISPLAYED
IN NOVEMBER
According to confirmed reports the Armenian Genocide Orphan Rug will
be part of an exhibit at the White House Visitors Center from November
18 to 23.
The exhibit, `Thank You to the United States: Three Gifts to
Presidents in Gratitude for American Generosity Abroad,' will showcase
the Orphan Rug given to President Calvin Coolidge in 1925 as a symbol
of gratitude for American aid and generosity for U.S. assistance
during the genocide. The rug, 11'7' x 18'5', has over 4,000,000
hand-tied knots and took the Armenian girls in the Ghazir Orphanage of
the Near East Relief ten months to weave. The rug has been in storage
for decades and its requested display was embroiled in controversy
last year.
The story of the rug is told in a book, President Calvin Coolidge and
the Armenian Orphan Rug, by Hagop Martin Deranian, that is available
at the Armenian Prelacy bookstore. For information contact the
bookstore by email ([email protected]) or by phone
(212-689-7810).
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
October 18-Annual Armenian Bazaar, St. Gregory Church, 135 Goodwin
Street, Indian Orchard, Massachusetts, 10 am to 7 pm. Favorite
Armenian dinners including shish, losh, and chicken kebab and rice
pilaf; stuffed grape leaves, cheese and spinach pie, pickled
vegetables; traditional Armenian and American baked goods;
raffle. Take-out available. For information: (413) 543-4763.
October 19-St. Stephen's Church, New Britain, Connecticut,
His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan will ordain Ara Stepanian as Deacon
during
the Divine Liturgy and preside over the parish's 89th Annual Banquet.
October 25-St. Gregory Church of Merrimack Valley, Annual Fall Fair,
10 am to 7 pm, at Jaffarian Hall, 158 Main Street, North Andover,
Massachusetts. Shish, losh, and chicken kebab dinners, lentil and
kheyma, vegetarian dinners, pastries, gifts, raffles. For information:
978-685-5038.
October 26-Celebration of 80th anniversary of Armenian Weekly and
115th anniversary of Hairenik, at home of Carmen and Avo Barmakian, 58
Matthew Lane, Waltham, Massachusetts. Keynote speaker, Professor
Richard G. Hovannisian, professor of Armenian and Near Eastern History
at UCLA. Reservations by October 18, Heather Krafian, 617-932-1965.
November 2-All Saints Church, Glenview, Illinois, 71st Anniversary
under auspices of Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, following the Divine
Liturgy, at Shahnasarian Hall, 1701 N. Greenwood, Glenview, Illinois.
November 6-Avak Luncheon, sponsored by St. Gregory Church, 158 Main
Street, North Andover, Massachusetts, at noon. Speaker: Sonya
Vartabedian, `Diary of a Community Editor,' reflections from Sunday
School student here to award-winning journalist and editor of The
Andover Townsman and Andover Magazine.
November 7-8-9-Rouben Mamoulian Film Festival, 7 pm, at the Museum
of the Moving Image in Astoria, New York. Sponsored by the
Anthropology Museum of the People of New York, the Armenian Cultural
Educational Resource Center Gallery at Queens College, and The Museum
of the Moving Image. Opening night and reception will feature Love Me
Tonight, the 1932 musical comedy film produced and directed by
Mamoulian, with music by Rodgers and Hart, starring Jeanette MacDonald
and Maurice Chevalier. For tickets and information:
[email protected] or 718-428-5650.
November 7 & 8-St. Stephen's Church, Watertown, Massachusetts, 58th
Armenian Bazaar, 10 am to 9:30 pm at Armenian Cultural & Educational
Center, 47 Nichols Avenue, Watertown, Massachusetts. Meals served from
11:30 am to 8:30 pm (take out is available). Enjoy delicious meals,
Armenian pastries, gourmet items, arts and crafts, books, raffles,
attic treasures. For information: 617-924-7562.
November 14-15-Holy Trinity Church, Worcester, Massachusetts, Annual
Fall Fest. Friday, 4 to 8 pm; Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm. Shish, chicken,
losh kebab and kheyma dinners. Home made pastries and special
desserts. For information: 508-852-2414.
November 15 &16-Sts. Vartanantz Church, Providence, Rhode Island,
Armenian Fest 2014 at Rhodes-on-the-Pawtuxet, Broad Street, Cranston,
Rhode
Island. Largest indoor festival in Rhode Island. Delicious shish and
losh kebob, chicken and kufta dinners and Armenian pastry available
all day. Live dance music. The Mourad Armenian School and Providence
Hamazkayin dance groups will perform on Saturday and Sunday at 5
pm. Hourly raffles, silent auction, country store, gift baskets,
flea-market, arts and crafts. Main raffle prizes worth total $2,700.
Fun for all ages. Free admission, parking and valet. For information:
401-831-6399 or www.stsvartanantzchurch.org.
November 21, 22, 23-Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield, New Jersey,
Annual Bazaar, Food Festival, and Hantes. Mezze and Kebab dinners
(chicken, shish, luleh); dessert table and trays of home-made
delicacies; Boutique
Booths; Chinese Auction; Supervised Game Room for children;
Pre-packaged Monte, Sou Buereg, Kufteh, and Lehmejun; Take-out
available; Live Music for dancing and listening. Traditional Kavourma
dinner on Sunday served immediately after church service. For
information: 201-943-2950.
December 6-Armenian Winter Dessert Festival, Soorp Khatch Church,
Bethesda, Maryland.
December 6-St. Asdvadzadzin Church, Whitinsville, Massachusetts,
Annual Bazaar at Christian Reform Church, Whitinsville, 10 am to 5 pm.
December 7-Ladies Guild of St. Stephen's Church of New Britain and
Hartford, Connecticut, will host a Wine Tasting Party at noon in the
church hall, 167 Tremont Street, New Britain. A wine talk and tasting
will be provided by Taylor Brooke Winery, Woodstock, Connecticut,
owned by Linda Varjabedian Auger.
December 7-8th Annual ANC Eastern Region Banquet, Ritz-Carlton Battery
Park, NY. Freedom Award Honoree: former Manhattan District Attorney
Robert Morgenthau and the Morgenthau family; Vahan Cardashian Award
Honoree: ANCA activist Alice Movsesian. Tickets are $250. For
reservations and information, please visit www.anca.org/erbanquet or
917.428.1918.
December 12-Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) 11th Annual Holiday Gala,
Cipriani 42nd Street, New York City. Cocktails and Silent Auction, 7
pm; Dinner & Program, 8 pm; Dancing & After Party, 10 pm. For tickets
and information www.coafkids.org or 212-994-8234.
February 9-11, 2015-Ghevontiantz gathering of clergy serving the
Eastern Prelacy.
March 13-15, 2015-`Responsibility 2015,' International conference for
Armenian Genocide's centennial at Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York,
featuring prominent historians, policymakers, authors, and
artists. Organized by the ARF Eastern US Centennial Committee, under
the auspices of the Armenian Genocide Centennial Committee of America,
Eastern Region. www.responsibility2015.com for information.
March 20, 2015-Musical Armenia, presented by Eastern Prelacy and
Prelacy Ladies Guild, Weill Recital Hall, 8 pm, Carnegie Hall, New
York City.
October 5-9, 2015-Clergy gathering of Eastern, Western, and Canadian
Prelacies.
Web pages of the parishes can be accessed through the Prelacy's web
site.
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Parishes of the Eastern Prelacy are invited to send information about
their major events to be included in the calendar. Send to:
[email protected]