VICAR WILL TRAVEL TO CONNECTICUT SUNDAY;
PRESIDE OVER SIAMANTO GRADUATION ON SATURDAY
Bishop Anoushavan will visit the St. Stephen parish of New Britain, Connecticut,
where he will deliver the sermon this Sunday, June 17.
On Saturday, Bishop Anoushavan will preside over the graduation ceremony
of the Siamanto Academy at the Armenian Center in Woodside, New York,
at 11 a.m.
2007 DATEV INSTITUTE SUMMER PROGRAM
We are rapidly approaching the dates for the 21st annual St. Gregory of
Datev Institute Christian summer studies program, which will take place
July 1 to 8 in Elverson, Pennsylvania. Sponsored by the Prelacy’s
Armenian Religious Education Council, the St. Gregory of Datev Institute
is under the directorship of Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian, Vicar General.
The program offers an intensive seven-day religious educational program
for youth ages 13 and older. The units of study include: Introduction
to the Old and New Testaments, Armenian Church History and Theology, Divine
Liturgy and the other Sacraments, Services and Hymns, Saints and Feasts,
Contemporary Ethical issues, Armenian history and language. For details
click here.
SEMINAR ON BOOK OF REVELATIONS DURING DATEV
A three-hour seminar on the Orthodox understanding of the Book of Revelations
will be presented by Father Paul Tarazi, Professor of Old Testament at
St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, on Saturday, July
7, during the Datev program at St. Mary of Providence Center, Elverson,
Pennsylvania. Father Tarazi is a member of the faculty of the Datev Institute.
This seminar is open to all and is sponsored by the Prelacy’s Armenian
Religious Education Council (AREC) and the Christian Education Committee
of St. Gregory Church, Philadelphia.
Father Tarazi, a specialist in Scriptural studies in Old and New Testament
and Biblical Hebrew, is noted for his dynamic speaking style and his ability
to hold an audience’s interest while explaining complex issues.
He has written several commentaries on the Bible including one on the
Book of Revelations.
Registration is required. Fees are nominal. For details click
here.
PRELATE WILL ORDAIN ACOLYTES AT
ST. ILLUMINATOR’S CATHEDRAL ON JUNE 24
Archbishop Oshagan will ordain four acolytes on Sunday, June 24, at St.
Illuminator’s Cathedral in New York City. The acolytes to be ordained
are Zohrab (Mardo) Piranian, Mgo Piranian, Garen Vartanian, and Aram Hovsepian.
On the same day the Cathedral Ladies Guild is hosting a luncheon and program
dedicated to Father’s Day. The event, which is under the auspices
of Archbishop Oshagan, will honor Dr. Roubik Melik Vartanian, Hagop Kazanjian,
Stepan Bakalian, and Henry Gabrielian as Fathers of the Year.
ANONYMOUS DONOR GIVES TO
NATIONAL SANITORIUM OF AZOUNIEH
The communications office of the Catholicosate of Cilicia announced an
anonymous donation of $180,000 to the Azounieh Sanitorium in Lebanon.
In addition to caring for Armenians in need of medical care, the Sanatorium
also serves the local Lebanese people.
THEOLOGICAL DIALOGUE
The sub-committee responsible for editing the report on the theological
dialogue between the Roman Catholic and Oriental Orthodox Churches met
on May 28-30 in Rome. Four Oriental Orthodox and four Catholic theologians
participated. Archbishop Mesrob Krikorian, Catholicosate of All Armenians,
Etchmiadzin, Armenia, and Bishop Nareg Alemezian, Catholicosate of the
Great House of Cilicia, Antelias, Lebanon, participated on behalf of the
Armenian Church.
A NEW PLAY ABOUT THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Shotgun Productions and Resistance Theatre is presenting a staged reading
of a new play about the Armenian Genocide, “Red Dog Howls,”
by Alexander Dinelaris. The reading will take place Monday, June 25, at
7 pm at New World Stages (Stage 2), 340 W. 50th Street (between 8th and
9th Avenues), New York City. Admission is free, but seating is limited.
For reservations and information, 718-291-1086.
IN CELEBRATION OF THE YEAR OF THE ARMENIAN LANGUAGE…
To read the message of His Holiness in Armenian click
here.
To read the message of His Holiness in English click
here.
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 and literature:
George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (1788-1824) was a British poet and
a leading figure in Romanticism. In 1815 Byron visited the Mekhitarist
Order at Saint Lazarus Island in Venice where he studied Armenian with
Fr. H. Avgerian and attended seminars about the Armenian language and
history. He wrote “English Grammar and the Armenians” in 1817,
and “Armenian Grammar and the English” in 1819, and he helped
in the compilation of an “English-Armenian dictionary” in
1821. His two main translations are the “Epistle of Paul to the
Corinthians,” several chapters of Khorenatsi’s “Armenian
History” and sections of Lambronatsi’s “Orations.”
He discovered discrepancies in the Armenian vs. the English version of
the Bible and translated some passages that were either missing or deficient
in the English version. He was totally captivated and fascinated with
Armenian history; some even credit him with the birth of Armenology and
its propagation.
DAILY BIBLE READINGS
Bible readings for today, June 14, are: Proverbs 6:1-5; Isaiah 33:5-8;
Romans 8:18-27; Luke 21:12-19.
The Lord is exalted, he dwells on high; he filled Zion with
justice and righteousness; he will be the stability of your times, abundance
of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is Zion’s
treasure. Listen! The valiant cry in the streets; the envoys of peace
weep bitterly. The highways are deserted, travelers have quit the road.
The treaty is broken, its oaths are despised, its obligation is disregarded.
(Isaiah 33:5-8).
For listing of the entire week’s Bible readings click
here.
REMEMBERING ST. NERSES THE GREAT
This Saturday, June 16, is the Feast day for St. Nerses the Great, who
is remembered for his many benevolent accomplishments. Perhaps one of
his greatest was the Council of Ashdishad (364 AD) where canons were drawn
up concerning the sanctity of family life, improvement of social conditions,
establishment of institutions such as hospitals and inns for pilgrims,
and the establishment of monasteries and convents.
St. Nerses truly fulfilled the words of our Lord as written in the Gospel
of Matthew: “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and
you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,
I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of
me, I was in prison and you visited me.”
It is no wonder that the Eastern Prelacy named its charitable agency in
Armenia, “St. Nerses the Great Charitable Organization,” in
honor of the saint whose deeds to improve the condition of the common
people earned him the description “Great” by a grateful nation.
CONSTANTINE AND HIS MOTHER HELENA
Next Tuesday, June 19, the Armenian Church remembers Constantine the Great
and his mother, Helena. Constantine was the first Christian emperor of
Rome. In 330 he founded Constantinople as a second Rome and considered
himself to be a servant of God. He was buried amid the apostles in the
basilica he founded in their honor in Constantinople. St. Helena followed
her son, becoming a Christian and devoting her life to charity. She built
many churches and monasteries and is believed to have been instrumental
in the recovery of the true cross.
TODAY IS FLAG DAY
Today, June 14, is Flag Day, marking the 230th anniversary of the official
adoption of the Stars and Stripes as the national flag. The flag, as we
know it today, has a blue field of 50 white stars representing the 50
states, and thirteen red and white stripes representing the original thirteen
colonies. The last state to be admitted was Hawaii on July 4, 1960.
The George Washington Bridge on the New Jersey tower flies the largest
free-flowing flag in the U.S. on national holidays (weather permitting).
Today, driving into New York on the upper level, it was a beautiful sight
to behold as the enormous stars and stripes gracefully flowed in the gentle
breeze.
SUNDAY IS FATHERS’ DAY
This Sunday, June 17, is Fathers’ Day. The United States is one
of the few countries in the world that has an official “fathers’
day.” The first Fathers’ Day was observed on June 19, 1910,
in Spokane, Washington. States began lobbying Congress to declare an official
annual Fathers’ Day. President Woodrow Wilson approved the idea
in 1916 as did President Calvin Coolidge who in 1924 suggested that it
be a national event. It did not become an official holiday until 1966
when President Lyndon Johnson signed a proclamation declaring the third
Sunday of June as Fathers’ Day.
DEAD SEA SCROLLS FOUND 60 YEARS AGO
The first of the Dead Sea Scrolls was found sixty years ago. The scrolls
belonging to the Jewish sect of Essenes, were preserved in the caves of
Qumran and other sites. The scrolls provide insight on Jewish ascetic
life and early Christianity. The first discovery was made by Bedouin sheep
herders in 1947 and others were found in later years up to 1960 at seven
different sites along the northwest shore of the Dead Sea. The May/June
issue of Biblical Archaeology Review is running a series of articles
where scholars describe the significance of the discovery and how working
on the scrolls changed their lives.
All of which reminds us of a story we recently heard: A Canadian scholar
was traveling to the United States to give a lecture on the scrolls. A
customs official asked him the purpose of the visit. When he mentioned
the Dead Sea Scrolls, the official asked, “Oh, what kind of band
is that?”
