September 6, 2007
	PRELATE AND VICAR VISIT POPE SHENOUDA Archbishop Oshagan and Bishop Anoushavan visited His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, at the headquarters of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Cedar Grove, New Jersey, last Saturday morning, September 1. Archbishop Oshagan welcomed Pope Shenouda to the United States and expressed brotherly good wishes from His Holiness Catholicos Aram I.
	PRELATE AND VICAR ATTEND BANQUET FOR LEBANESE CONSUL GENERAL On Friday, August 31, Archbishop Oshagan and Bishop Anoushavan attended a banquet honoring the Consul General of Lebanon, Antoine Azzam, in New York City. The Prelate and Vicar expressed their sincere best wishes to Consul General Azzam and his wife Danielle in their mission of service, and expressed the hope for peace and prosperity for the Republic of Lebanon. They also expressed their best wishes to Lebanon’s ambassador to the United Nations, Mr. Nawaf Salaam.
PRELATES OF NORTH AMERICA WILL MEET Archbishop Oshagan, Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy, Archbishop Moushegh, Prelate of the Western Prelacy, and Archbishop Khajag, Prelate of the Canadian Prelacy, will meet next Tuesday, September 11, at the Western Prelacy headquarters in La Crescenta, California. Joining the Prelates will be the chairmen of the executive councils of the three Prelacies. The will consult on a number of joint projects, and discuss topics of mutual concern. CATHOLICOS ARAM EXPRESSES SUPPORT TO ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH In a letter addressed to His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, Catholicos Aram I expressed his full support and solidarity in the face of growing hardships imposed on the Patriarchate by the Turkish judiciary. Catholicos Aram wrote: “We came to learn with profound dismay the recent ruling by Turkey’s Supreme Court of Appeals contesting the ecumenical standing of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the legal personality of the Ecumenical Patriarch. Furthermore, we understand that you are summoned to testify before a prosecuting authority in Istanbul. “We express our strong support for the historical rights and privileges of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. We are confident that this historical Patriarchate will continue, under your wise leadership, its major role in world Christendom, in general, and in the Orthodox world in particular. “In fact, the Greek, Armenian and Syrian communities and all Christians continue to face hardships in Turkey; their human rights are not fully respected. We expect that this situation is seriously addressed by Turkish authorities. “We convey to Your Holiness our brotherly love and support. We pray the Almighty God to grant you full strength in your service to the Church of God.” RELIGIOUS AND EXECUTIVE COUNCILS WILL MEET The Eastern Prelacy’s Religious and Executive Councils will meet tomorrow and Saturday, September 7 and 8, at the Prelacy headquarters in New York. The Councils meet jointly each month. VICAR WILL ORDAIN ALTAR SERVERS IN NEW JERSEY Bishop Anoushavan will officiate at the ordination of five altar servers at Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield, New Jersey, this Sunday, September 9. Receiving the order of acolyte will be James Haddad, Raffi Charkhutian, Raffi Borekjian, Mesrob Borekjian, and Haroutyoun Kaprielian. James Haddad and Raffi Charkhutian will be presented with the right to wear the stole. Following the Liturgy and ordination, the recently renovated kitchen will be blessed and a luncheon in honor of the newly ordained altar servers will be served. Bishop Anoushavan will preside over the luncheon. For information contact the church at 201-943-2950. VICAR WILL ATTEND PRAYER INITIATIVE CONFERENCE; AND 9/11 CEREMONY Next week, from September 9 to 11, Bishop Anoushavan will attend the United Nations Prayer Initiative Conference. The conference will conclude with a special service at Ground Zero. On Tuesday, September 11, Bishop Anoushavan will attend the annual World Trade Center Floating Lantern ceremony organized by the Interfaith Center in New York. PRELATE PARTICIPATES IN OPENING CEREMONY OF AYF OLYMPICS IN NEW JERSEY Archbishop Oshagan delivered the opening prayer at the Track and Field Games of the 74th annual Olympics of the Armenian Youth Federation, on Sunday, September 3, at Overpeck County Park in New Jersey. In his message the Prelate expressed appreciation for the role the AYF has played in keeping the Armenian youth together since the organization’s founding in 1933. “I can think of no other athletic or social event that bridges the generational gap in an atmosphere of true fraternity. Generations come together to enjoy the pleasure of a shared heritage—a heritage that is rooted in our Christian faith and Armenian nationality,” the Prelate said. Archbishop Oshagan encouraged the young people to “be actively involved in your community—both your Armenian and American communities. We are blessed to live in a country that not only tolerates, but encourages, ethnic identity. It is easy for us to be both Armenian and American, without depriving one or the other of its due attention. Do not hesitate to take on leadership positions in both communities and to make a lasting mark in a positive and constructive way.” Early that morning the Prelate presided over the Divine Liturgy at the Sheraton Meadowlands Hotel, the Olympics headquarters. The Liturgy was celebrated by the Vicar, Bishop Anoushavan. Requiem service was offered for deceased members of the AYF. TRUSTEES OF THE PASHALIAN FAMILY EDUCATIONAL FUND ANNOUNCE GRANTS FOR 2007 The trustees of the Pashalian Family Education Fund have distributed grants for the 2007-2008 academic year. The trustees decided on the recipients during their annual meeting on May 8, 2007. The distribution of a total of six thousands dollars was made last week to the following educational institutions: St. Illuminator’s Day School, Woodside, NY; St. Sarkis Saturday School, Douglaston, NY; Siamanto Academy (Prelacy); St. Gregory of Datev Institute (Prelacy); Hovnanian School, New Milford, NJ; and Armenian Sisters Academy, Radnor, PA. The terms of the Fund stipulate that 50% of the available funds must be distributed to St. Illuminator’s Day School and St. Sarkis Saturday School. The remaining amount can be distributed at the discretion of the trustees to other qualified institutions who have submitted proposals for consideration. The Pashalian Family Education Fund was created in 1992 by gifts in memory of John Pashalian by his family and friends. Since its inception more than $80,000 has been distributed. Trustees of the Fund are: Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan (President, ex officio), Ms. Gloria Tarsy, Dr. George Dermksian, and Mr. Michael Derian. NATIONAL CONFERENCE FOR CHRISTIAN EDUCATORS A conference for Sunday school teachers will take place October 26-28 at the Holy Virgin Mary Spiritual Vineyard, a Coptic Orthodox Retreat Center in Charlton, Massachusetts. The theme of the conference is “Prayer—Personal and Communal,” and will feature presentations by Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian, Rev. Fr. Paul Tarazi, Ph.D., Dn. Shant Kazanjian, and Dr. Mary Olson. A modest fee of $60 covers all expenses including lodging for two nights, five meals and refreshments. For detailed information click here. NEW SERIES OF BIBLE STUDY AT THE PRELACY A new five-part series of Bible studies (“from Jesus’ meals with sinners to the Lord’s Supper”) will take place at the Prelacy beginning on October 16 and continue on the first and third Tuesdays of the month, from 7:15 to 8:45 pm. Dn. Shant Kazanjian, director of the Armenian Religious Education Council (AREC) will conduct the Bible studies. For information and registration, send email to arec@armenianprelacy.org or telephone 212-689-7810. 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: “Mashtots’ linguistic skill in the creation of the … alphabet lies not in designing the letters but in recognizing the different phonemes in a language that was never written before his time. While that may not be a major issue with a modern linguist, for a person living in antiquity it would require a deep understanding of the phonetic structure of the language. Mashtots showed that understanding not just in regard to Armenian, but also in regard to Georgian and the particular dialect of ancient Albanian that he chose to endow with an alphabet. Unlike the Middle Persian alphabet, which had one symbol representing more than one phoneme, and unlike the contemporary Semitic languages that have no symbols for vowels, the alphabet created by Mashtots for Armenian is a phonetic one, wherein each phoneme in Armenian was represented by a symbol.” The Origins of the Armenian Alphabet and Literature by Father Krikor Maksoudian DAILY BIBLE READINGS Bible readings for today, August 30, are: Wisdom 5:16-18; Lamentations 3:22-56; 2 Timothy 3:10-15; Luke 12:32-40. Therefore they will receive a glorious crown and a beautiful diadem from the hand of the Lord, because with his right hand he will cover them, and with his arm he will shield them. The Lord will take his zeal as his whole armor, and will arm all creation to repel his enemies; he will put on righteousness as a breastplate, and wear impartial justice as a helmet….” Wisdom of Solomon (deutrocanonical) 5:16-18 For listing of the entire week’s Bible readings click here. FEAST OF THE NATIVITY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY This Saturday, September 8, the Armenian Church commemorates the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The birth of Mary is not recorded in the Bible. The account of the event is from the apocryphal writings, which are not part of the New Testament scriptures. According to tradition, Joachim and Anna were faithful and pious, waiting for the promised messiah. They were elderly and childless. They prayed to God for a child and were blessed with a child who would become the Mother of the Messiah. FAST OF THE EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS This Sunday, September 9, is the Barekentan of the Fast (Bahk) leading to the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Khachveratz), which is next Sunday, September 16. Because this is a Great or Tabernacle Feast, it is preceded by a week (Monday to Friday) of fasting. ROUBEN MAMOULIAN FILM FESTIVAL BEGINS TOMORROW As we mentioned several weeks ago, a long overdue tribute to Hollywood’s acclaimed director, Rouben Mamoulian, is scheduled to take place. The 12-day film festival will begin tomorrow at the Film Forum in New York. More than 17 of his films will be screened (each one with at least three showings), as well as a documentary entitled “Rouben Mamoulian: The Golden Age of Broadway and Hollywood.” Mamoulian is recognized as one of cinema’s “greatest innovators.” The festival begins tomorrow, September 7, and continues to September 18. The Film Forum is located at 209 West Houston Street, New York City. SAROYAN’S TIME OF YOUR LIFE The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey launched its fall season with a modern American classic, The Time of Your Life by William Saroyan. The performances began this week and will continue through to September 30. The Shakespeare Theatre is located on the campus of Drew University in Madison, New Jersey. For information go to www.ShakespeareNJ.org or call the box office 973-408-5600. Saroyan wrote this play in 1939. It played on Broadway in October 1939, featuring Gene Kelly and Celeste Holm. The following year the play won the Pulitzer Prize (which Saroyan refused). In 1948 it was made into a feature film starring James Cagney. Set in a San Francisco waterfront saloon, The Time of Your Life features a characteristic Saroyan cast of more than 29 colorful, off-beat characters, who at the same time represent the universal common man. SIXTH ANNIVERSARY OF 9/11 Next Tuesday, September 11, is the sixth anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania. It was a Tuesday six years ago also. A crystal clear late summer day very similar to the spectacular days we have experienced in the New York metro area during the past week. Let us pause to remember the thousands who died a horrible death that day and their families whose lives were changed forever. “The way of the Lord is strength to the upright; but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.” Proverbs 10:29
CALENDAR OF EVENTS September 9—Annual picnic of St. Gregory Church of Merrimack Valley at American Legion Grounds in Haverhill, Massachusetts. September 9—St. Stephen Church, New Britain, Connecticut, annual picnic at Quartette Club grounds, New Britain. September 9—St. Sarkis Church, 38-65 234th Street, Douglaston, New York. Annual picnic on the church grounds following church services. For information 718-224-2275. September 15—Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield, New Jersey, “The Moon*The Stars*and All that Jazz.” An evening of music and mezze under the stars, presented by the Ladies Guild. For information 845-735-8713 or 201-445-6867. September 23—“Change Your Thoughts; Change Your Life!” presented by the Education Committee of St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston, New York, at 1:15 p.m. following church services. Participating: Carlo Bayrakdarian, M.D., “Management of Sleep Disorders”; Edmond Gergerian, M.D., “Anxiety Disorders Management by Emotional Freedom Techniques”; Samvel Jershmaridian, Ph.D., “Psychology for Better Living”; Elize Kiregian, M.A., “Skills in Critical Thinking.” For information: 718-224-2275. September 25—Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church, Worcester, Massachusetts, 4th annual golf outing at Juniper Hill Golf Course, Northboro, Massachusetts. Registration at 8 am. Tee off at 9 am. $125 includes golf cart, dinner and prizes. For information 508-852-2414. September 27—Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield, New Jersey, 5th Annual Golf Outing at River Vale Country Club, River Vale, New Jersey. Registration begins at 11 a.m. and tee time at 1 p.m. For information, 201-943-2950. September 29—Soorp Asdvadzadzin Church, Whitinsville, Massachusetts, 50th anniversary banquet at Pleasant Valley. For information www.armenianchurchofwhit.org or 508-234-3677. October 7—St. Stephen Church, New Britain, Connecticut, 82nd Anniversary banquet, Marriott Hotel, Rocky Hill, Connecticut. October 7—Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield, New Jersey, “Hello Ellis Island,” the latest production of The Way We Were Troupe, hosted by the Ladies Guild, 1 pm. Lunch served. For information 201-943-2950. October 16 to December 18—“From Jesus’ meals with sinners to the Lord’s Supper,” a five part Bible study at the Armenian Prelacy will begin on October 16 and continue on the first and third Tuesday of the month, from 7:15 to 8:45 pm. Conducted by Dn. Shant Kazanjian, director of the Armenian Religious Education Council (AREC). For information and registration, please send e-mail to arec@armenianprelacy.org or call 212-689-4481. October 18, 19, 20, 21—Soorp Khatch Church, Bethesda, Maryland, Annual Food Festival and Bazaar. October 21—St. Gregory the Illuminator Church, Philadelphia, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the ordination of Rev. Fr. Nerses Manoogian, under the auspices of the Prelate, Archbishop Oshagan. For information www.saintgregory-philly.org or 215-482-9200. October 26-28—National Conference for Christian Educators, a conference for Sunday School teachers at the Holy Virgin Mary Spiritual Vineyard, a Coptic Orthodox Retreat Center, in Charlton, Massachusetts. Theme: “Prayer—Personal and Communal.” Presentations by Rev. Fr. Paul Tarazi, Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian, Dn. Shant Kazanjian, and Dr. Mary Olson. November 11—37th anniversary of St. Gregory Church of Merrimack Valley and ordination of Nishan Dagley to the office of acolyte and stole bearer. Presided over by His Grace Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian, Vicar General of the Prelacy. November 10-11—Sts. Vartanantz Church, Providence, Rhode Island, annual “Armenian Fest,” at Rhodes-on-the-Pawtuxet, Cranston, Rhode Island. For information 401-831-6399. November 17—Soorp Khatch Church, Bethesda, Maryland, 43rd Anniversary Banquet. December 1—Soorp Asdvadzadzin Church, Whitinsville, Massachusetts, annual church bazaar. For information www.armenianchurchofwhit.org or 508-234-3677. December 9—St. Stephen’s Church, Watertown, Massachusetts, 50th anniversary celebration. For information, (617) 924-7562.
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