LITURGY AND REQUIEM SERVICE FOR THE MARTYRS OF
APRIL
The Divine Liturgy and a solemn requiem service will be conducted on the
evening of April 24, at St. Illuminator’s Cathedral, 221 E. 27th
Street, New York City, in memory of the million and a half Armenians who
perished during the Genocide of 1915.
Under the auspices of the Prelate, Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, the liturgy
will be celebrated by Rev. Fr. Mesrob Lakissian, pastor of the Cathedral,
beginning at 7:30 p.m. The Vicar General, Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian,
will deliver the sermon. A special memorial program dedicated to the memory
of Hrant Dink will follow the liturgy and requiem service, both of which
will be conducted at the Cathedral’s Martyrs’ Altar.
VICAR ATTENDS WCC MEETINGS
Bishop Anoushavan participated in the semi-annual Board of Directors’
meeting of the U.S. Conference of the World Council of Churches in New
York City on Monday and Tuesday, April 16 and 17. His Grace, who is the
Vicar General of the Eastern Prelacy, is also the ecumenical officer in
the United States on behalf of the Catholicosate of Cilicia.
PRELATE AND VICAR WILL ATTEND GENOCIDE COMMEMORATIONS
Archbishop Oshagan and Bishop Anoushavan will represent the Eastern Prelacy
at genocide commemorations in New York and Washington, D.C.
Tomorrow evening, Friday, April 20, Bishop Anoushavan will attend the
commemoration at City Hall in New York City, organized by the Armenian
National Committee of New York. (See next item for more details about
the event).
On Sunday, April 22, Archbishop Oshagan will deliver the invocation at
the gathering at Times Square organized by the Knights and Daughters of
Vartan. (See next item for more details about this event).
On Tuesday, April 24, Archbishop Oshagan, will attend the genocide commemoration
on capitol hill in Washington, D.C., sponsored by the bipartisan Congressional
Caucus on Armenian Issues. His Eminence will deliver the invocation.
GENOCIDE COMMEMORATIONS
The Armenian National Committee of New York is hosting its annual City
Hall Armenian Genocide Commemoration on Friday, April 20th. It will take
place at the Surrogate’s Courthouse, north of City Hall, in Manhattan,
at 6:30 pm. It is open to the public. Buses will depart from: The Armenian
Center in Woodside at 5:30 pm; St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston, at 5:00
pm; Holy Martyrs Church, Bayside, at 5:00 pm, Baruir’s Grocery,
Sunnyside, at 5:30 pm; and from Brooklyn, at the corner of Coney Island
and Brighton Beach Ave., at 5:00 pm. For information: 718-651-1530.
The annual commemoration in Times Square will take place Sunday, April
22, beginning at 2 pm, at Times Square, 43rd Street and Broadway, New
York City. The event is sponsored by the Knights and Daughters of Vartan
and co-sponsored by the AGBU, Armenian Assembly, ArmenPac, and the ANCA.
Participants include the Diocese of the Armenian Church, the Prelacy of
the Armenian Church, the AMAA, the Armenian Presbyterian Church, the Armenian
Evangelical Church, and the Armenian Catholic Eparchy of the United States
and Canada. Bus transportation is being provided from all Armenian churches
in New York and New Jersey as well as from the Armenian Center in Woodside,
New York, Baruir’s Grocery, Sunnyside, New York, and the Hovnanian
School, New Milford, New Jersey.
PRELATE WILL TRAVEL TO WASHINGTON
Archbishop Oshagan will be in Washington, D.C., tomorrow where in the
evening Dr. and Mrs. Dertad Manguikian are hosting a reception and dinner
in honor of the Prelate’s 40th anniversary of his ordination to
the priesthood. A large number of friends are expected to attend this
special event. Three separate public celebrations will take place in May
in various parts of the eastern United States. See below for details.
40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ORDINATION OF
ARCHBISHOP OSHAGAN CHOLOYAN
The 40th anniversary of the ordination of our Prelate, Archbishop Oshagan
Choloyan, will take place in three different regions as follows:On Saturday,
May 5, the first of the three celebrations will take place at The Marriott
in Providence, Rhode Island, with the participation of all of the parishes
in New England, Connecticut, and Troy, New York.
On Saturday, May 12, the second celebration will take place at the The
Marriott at Glenpointe, in Teaneck, New Jersey, with the participation
of all of the parishes in the Mid Atlantic, which includes New York, New
Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Washington, DC.
The final celebration will take place during the National Representative
Assembly (NRA) which is being hosted by St. Sarkis Church in Dearborn,
Michigan. This will take place on Friday, May 18, at Double Tree Hotel
in Dearborn, with the participation of the parishes in the Mid-West, as
well as the NRA delegates and guests.
For more information on all three events click
here.
PRELATE WILL ATTEND DIVINE LITURGY AT ST. ILLUMINATOR
CATHEDRAL THIS SUNDAY
Archbishop Oshagan will preside over the Divine Liturgy at St. Illuminator’s
Cathedral this Sunday, April 22. Immediately after the service the Prelate
will go to Times Square for the April 24th commemoration.
VICAR WILL WELCOME BAPTIST CONVENTION
Bishop Anoushavan will welcome the delegates to the National Baptist Convention
USA, on April 21, upon their arrival to New York on their journey to Geneva,
The Vatican, and Africa.
REPRESENTATIVE OF ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY
VISITS HIS HOLINESS ARAM I
Bishop Anthony Boll, representing the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams,
visited His Holiness Aram I in Antelias on April 12. He was accompanied
by Rev. Nabil Shehadi, Archbishop of Canterbury’s representative
to the Oriental Orthodox Churches. The aim of the visit was to consult
with His Holiness concerning a visit by the leader of the Anglican Church
to the Middle East. Also participating in the meeting was Bishop Nareg
Alemezian, the Ecumenical Officer of the Catholicosate of Cilicia.
2007 DATEV INSTITUTE SUMMER PROGRAM
The 21st annual St. Gregory of Datev Institute Christian summer studies
program will take place July 1 to 8 in Elverson, Pennsylvania. For details
click here.
2007 NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY IN DEARBORN
The 2007 National Representative Assembly (NRA) will be hosted by St.
Sarkis Church, Dearborn, Michigan. For details click
here.
PLG MOTHERS DAY LUNCHEON MAY 7
The popular Mothers Day luncheon presented by the Prelacy Ladies Guild
will take place on Monday, May 7, at the St. Regis in New York City.
This year’s Mother of the Year is Mrs. Lalig Bayrakdarian, mother
of six children, including the famed Metropolitan Opera star, Isabel Bayrakdarian.
A special presentation of “Musical Sounds of Armenia” will
be provided by a quartet made up of graduates and current students of
Juilliard and solo dance presentation accompanied by kanon and piano.
For more information click here.
“INDYKIDS” FEATURES ARMENIAN HISTORY,
CULTURE AND
GENOCIDE AWARENESS IN MAY/JUNE ISSUE
IndyKids, a bimonthly student newspaper and teaching tool, has produced
an eight page edition which spotlights Armenian history, culture, and
genocide awareness. IndyKids, for readers ages 9 to 12, is distributed
to schools, libraries, bookstores, and individuals in New York and elsewhere.
The May/June issue introduces readers to the Armenians, with news sections
that include: a “fast facts” section about Armenia; a profile
of an Armenian American child; an article about Turkish denial of the
Armenian Genocide; an item about Hrant Dink, a book review, and an Armenian
recipe. Teacher/editor Amanda Vender and journalist Lucine Kasbarian conceptualized
the Armenian themes in this issue. The May/June issue is downloadable
at www.indykids.net.
IN CELEBRATION OF THE YEAR OF THE ARMENIAN LANGUAGE…
His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, has designated
2007 as the Year of the Armenian Language. In celebration of this year-long
tribute, each week we will offer an interesting tidbit about the Armenian
language.
Armenian corresponds with other Indo-European languages in its structure,
but it shares distinctive sounds and features of its grammar with neighboring
languages of the Caucasus region. Grammatically, early forms of Armenian
had much in common with classical Greek and Latin, but the modern language,
like modern Greek, has undergone many transformations.
To read the message of His Holiness in Armenian click
here.
To read the message of His Holiness in English click
here.
DAILY BIBLE READINGS
Bible readings for today, April 19, are: Luke 5:17-26; Acts 8:14-25; James
5:12-20; John 1:43-51; Matthew 6:1-21; Mark 2:1-12.
On one of those days, as he was teaching, there were Pharisees
and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come from every village of
Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was with
him to heal. And behold, men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed,
and they sought to bring him in and lay him before Jesus; but finding
no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof
and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before
Jesus. And when he saw their faith he said, “Your sins are forgiven
you.” And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying,
“Who is this that speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God
only?” When Jesus perceived their questionings, he answered them,
“Why do you question in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your
sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?
But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive
sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed—“I
say to you, rise, take up your bed and go home.” And immediately
he rose before them, and took up that on which he lay, and went home,
glorifying God. And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God
and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen strange things today.”
Luke 5:17-26.
For listing of the entire week’s Bible readings click
here.
SUNDAY OF THE WORLD CHURCH (GREEN SUNDAY)
This Sunday, April 22, is the third Sunday of Easter, known as Green Sunday
(Ganach Giragee) and Sunday of the World Church (Ashkharhamadoor).
The name “Green Sunday” most probably comes from an ancient
folk holiday in celebration of spring. Our forefathers, seeing mother
earth bloom after long winter months, glorified the Creator with an act
of thanksgiving, and celebrated by bedecking the Church and themselves
with greenery. Green is the color of life, freshness and promise. After
a barren winter we are filled with hope, life and love. It is also known
as World Church Sunday in the sense of the church belonging to the whole
world beginning with Christ and the Apostles who met regularly to pray
and partake of the Holy Sacrament of Communion. Perhaps it is an appropriate
time for us to remember our obligations to be good stewards of the earth
and the gifts that have been given to us by God.
APRIL IS THE CRUELEST MONTH
Tuesday is April 24—the 92nd anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
Let us pause to pay our respects to the one and one half million who perished,
and pay tribute to the survivors who created new life under the harshest
conditions.
April is the cruelest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots and spring rain.
(from The Waste Land: “The Burial of the Dead” by T. S. Eliot)
