|
ARCHBISHOP
OSHAGAN WILL ATTEND
HRASHAPAR SERVICE TONIGHT FOR
CATHOLICOS OF ALL ARMENIANS
The Prelate, Archbishop Oshagan, will participate in the Hrashapar Service
tonight at St. Vartan Cathedral in New York City, to welcome His Holiness
Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, who arrived
in New York yesterday for a Pontifical Visit to the Eastern Diocese. The
service is scheduled to begin at 7:30 pm. A public reception will take
place in Kavookjian Hall following the service.
PRELATE WILL
ATTEND AFUSA’S 15TH ANNIVERSARY
Archbishop Oshagan will attend the banquet celebrating the 15th anniversary
of the Armenia Fund USA, Saturday evening, at the United Nations Delegates’
Dining Room, in New York.
82nd ANNIVERSARY
OF NEW BRITAIN CHURCH
Archbishop Oshagan will travel to New Britain, Connecticut, on Sunday
and join the parishioners of St. Stephen’s Church in the celebration
of their 82nd anniversary. His Eminence will celebrate the Divine Liturgy
on Sunday, October 7, and preside over the 82nd anniversary banquet which
will take place at the Marriott, Rocky Hill, Connecticut. During the Liturgy
His Eminence will ordain Sub-Deacon Richard Meyer to the rank of Deacon.
BISHOP ANOUSHAVAN
IN VENEZUELA
Bishop Anoushavan departed today for Venezuela where he will participate
in the 40th Anniversary of the St. Gregory the Illuminator Church in Caracas.
His Grace, who is Vicar of the Prelacy and the Ecumenical Officer in the
United States for the Catholicosate of Cilicia, will preside over the
40th anniversary banquet Saturday evening, October 6, and will celebrate
the Divine Liturgy and deliver the sermon on Sunday, October 7.
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.
FIRST OF A
SERIES OF BOOKLETS IS PUBLISHED
The first in a series of booklets on contemporary ethical issues was published
this week. The entire series is being written by Vigen Guroian, the well-known
theologian and professor at Loyola College in Maryland. All of the booklets
are written from an Armenian Orthodox perspective.
The first booklet is, “Homosexuality and Same-Sex Union.”
Forthcoming topics include: Marriage and Divorce; Procreation and Reproductive
Technology; Abortion; Genetic Screening and Genetic Technology; Suicide
and Euthanasia; Organ Donation and Cremation.
Professor Guroian will make a presentation on this important series, and
specifically on the first booklet just published, on Friday evening, November
16, at the Vahakn and Hasmig Hovnanian Reception Hall at the Prelacy in
New York City.
This series of booklets by the Eastern Prelacy’s Armenian Religious
Education Council is being underwritten by Elza and Haig Didizian in memory
of His Holiness Karekin I, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians.
ARCHBISHOP
OF CANTERBURY IN ANTELIAS
The Most Reverend Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, visited the
Catholicosate of Cilicia in Antelias, Lebanon, on Friday, September 28,
where he met with His Holiness Aram I. His Holiness hosted a dinner in
the Archbishop’s honor at the Monastery of St. Mary in Bikfaya.
Members of the Archbishop’s entourage, the Cilician Brotherhood,
and the Catholicosate’s Central Executive Committee attended.
CATHOLICOS
ARAM DELIVERS KEYNOTE LECTURE IN BERLIN
His Holiness Catholicos Aram I delivered the keynote lecture at the International
Conference in Berlin in honor of Bishop W. Huber, the Presiding Bishop
of the Evangelical Church in Germany. The Pontiff’s lecture was
entitled, “Catholicity: Its Implications and Challenges.”
He emphasized the christocentric nature and missionary dimension of catholicity
and challenged the prevailing perception of catholicity considering it
as a mere mark of the church.
HOLY PRINCES
SAHAK AND HAMAZASP REMEMBERED TODAY
Today, Thursday, October 4, the Armenian Church commemorates the lives
of two princes: Sahak and Hamazasp. The two holy princes lived during
the reign of Emperior Leo and Archbishop Flavian of Constantinople and
during the pontificate of Catholicos Nerses. It was a time of intense
Arab domination. The governorship had been given to Hamazasp, who was
from the Ardzrouni dynasty. He had two brothers, Sahag and Merouzhan.
All three were considered brave men and dedicated Christians, but there
were evil forces against them. The Arab leader, Harun, summoned them,
ostensibly in friendship. Instead when they came before him, the princes
were given a choice of forsaking their faith in Christ or being tortured
to death. Merouzhan renounced Christ and was given authority to rule over
the province of Vasbouragan. Sahak and Hamazasp remained steadfast. Both
were martyred.
“I thank you, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has made
us worthy of dying for your holy name and kept firm our hope in you. You
gladdened us with your consoling Holy Spirit that dwells in us. Glory
to you, holy and consubstantial Trinity, who made my brother distinguish
himself earlier by defeating the adversary; you likewise hearten me by
means of this overflowing cup, Sahag’s blood. O Lord, listen to
my prayer through the shedding of your servant’s blood, who willingly
took it upon himself to die for your great and glorious name. Listen,
Lord, to the supplication of your servant and make my blood worthy to
be mixed with that of my brother in honor of the holy blood which you
shed for us. For your name is indeed glorified through the witness of
this labor of our martyrdom. For yours is dominion and glory forever and
ever. Amen.”
Prayer by St. Hamazasp
Translation from, The Light of the World: Lives of Armenian Saints,
St. Vartan Press, New York.
72 HOLY DISCIPLES
OF CHRIST
This Saturday, October 6, the Armenian Church commemorates the 72 Holy
Disciples of Christ. The reference comes from the Gospel of Luke, chapter
10, verse 1: “After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent
them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself
intended to go.” (Some versions of the Gospel say 72, rather than
70).
The tradition of the church confirms that these disciples remained true
to the Lord and their calling, and spread the Gospel. They were not random
choices, but rather true disciples whose labors carried the message of
the Lord throughout the Roman Empire and beyond. All of the saints are
remembered individually in the liturgical calendar of the church, but
this day is set aside to remember them collectively. The number 70 is
also considered to be a reference to Genesis, which speaks of 70 nations
of the world.
DAILY BIBLE
READINGS
Bible readings for today, October 4, are: Wisdom 6:11-21; Jeremiah 17:7-8;
Romans 8:18-26; John 16:1-4
Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. They
shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream.
It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in
the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit.
(Jeremiah 17:7-8)
For listing of the entire week’s Bible readings click
here.
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:
F. C. Conybeare, the well-known English scholar and a distinguished armenologist,
was deeply convinced of the high value of the Armenian translation. Speaking
of the Old Testament he says: “For beauty of diction and accuracy
of rendering the Armenian cannot be surpassed. The genius of the language
is such as to admit a translation of any Greek document both literal and
graceful; true to the order of the Greek, and even reflecting its compound
words, yet without being slavish, and without violence to its own idiom.
We are seldom in doubt as to what stood in the Armenian’s Greek
text; therefore his version has almost the same value for us as the Greek
text itself, from which he worked, would possess. The same criticism is
true of the Armenian New Testament as well.”
A recent study in the text of the Armenian version, done in a most thorough
and masterly fashion, has confirmed the above statement. This time an
Estonian scholar in exile, Arthur Voobus, professor at the Chicago Lutheran
Theological Seminary, has made an exhaustive investigation into the Armenian
version in his imposing work, Early Versions of the New Testament.
He tells us that “The ancient translators and revisers found this
idiom. (i.e. the Armenian language) to be an excellent instrument. To
be sure, the Armenian language is poorer with regard to some verbal forms,
and which are substituted by others; it is also poorer as to the particles
and participles, but it has many advantages. It has three definite articles;
it displays a great freedom in word-order, in some respects its flexibility
surpassing even that of the Greek. This means that this elegant language
was a good instrument enabling the revisers to render the Greek text as
exactly as possible.”
From A Brief Introduction to Armenian Christian Literature, by
V. Rev. Fr. Karekin Sarkissian (1960)
POLITICS AND
GENOCIDE A LA WALL STREET JOURNAL
The Wall Street Journal strikes again with a pro-Turkish, anti-Armenian
Genocide editorial in today’s edition. The editorial begins by stating
that the members of the House of Representatives do not know enough history
to “weigh in on a painful chapter of Ottoman history.” It
then goes on to describe all the reasons why the resolution currently
endorsed by some 226 members of the House should be stifled, and urges
Speaker Nancy Pelosi “to stop the resolution from reaching the floor
for a vote.” The editorial describes the letter written by eight
former U.S. Secretaries of State last week, saying that passage of the
resolution “could endanger our national security interests in the
region, including our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, and damage efforts
to promote reconciliation between Armenia and Turkey.”
The editorial concludes by quoting from an editorial on the same subject
in the same newspaper in October 1984—yes, the WSJ has been writing
against Armenians for more than 20 years—describing the resolution
as “a generous gesture toward Americans of Armenian descent but
is hardly an appropriate signal to U.S. enemies. Or to our Turkish friends.”
Actually, the signal to friend and foe alike is that they can commit genocide
and get away with it. This has been proven time and again since the Armenian
Genocide of 1915.
The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) has been engaged in
an effective campaign to mobilize a “phonathon” to our elected
Representatives. Your Representatives need to hear from you. To get to
the ANCA web page and easy instructions click
here.
|
| CALENDAR
OF EVENTS
September
27 to November 29—Christian Education classes at Sourp
Khatch Church in Bethesda, Maryland, 8 pm in the church sanctuary. Topic:
The Badarak. Classes held second and fourth Thursdays of each month, except
Thanksgiving week when classes will take place Friday. Armenian and English.
Prior attendance is not a requisite. For information: 301-229-8742.
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
14—St. Illuminator’s Cathedral, New York City, Celebration
of the Year of the Armenian Language. Cultural program and Book Fair following
the Divine Liturgy. For information 212-689-5880.
October
14—St. Stephen’s Church, Watertown, Massachusetts,
50th anniversary commemorative lecture, 3 p.m. Guest lecturer Dr. Abraham
Terian, Professor of Armenian Patristics at St. Nersess Seminary, New
York.
October
14—St. Hagop Church, Racine, Wisconsin, 69th anniversary
dinner. His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan will preside. For information
262-632-2033.
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—Soorp Khatch Church, Bethesda, Maryland, Annual
Food Festival and Bazaar.
October
19 & 20—Annual fall fair/bazaar, St. Gregory Church
of Merrimack Valley, North Andover, Massachusetts, in newly renovated
Jaffarian Hall.
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. For more information
click here.
October
28—St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston, New York, presents The
Way We Were group in their new musical “Hello Ellis Island!’
by Hourig Papazian-Sahagian. Immediately after Sunday services. Refreshments
served. For information 718-224-2275.
November
2-3—Golden Jubilee Annual Bazaar, St. Stephen Church, Watertown,
Massachusetts.
November
7—Soorp Khatch (Bethesda, Maryland) Senior Citizens second
reunion and Thanksgiving luncheon.
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
11—St. Stephen Church, Watertown, Massachussetts, 50th
anniversary commemorative concert, 4 pm., church hall.
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
11—Greater Worcester Armenian Chorale and Armenian Children’s
Chorus, 7th annual gala concert and dinner, Armenian Church of Our Saviour
Cultural Center. Advance tickets only. Barbara Baljian, 508-799-6972.
November
16—Introduction to the new series of booklets on Contemporary
Ethical Issues: An Armenian Orthodox Perspective, by Vigen Guroian. Professor
Guroian will speak about the series and the first booklet newly published,
“Homosexuality & Same-Sex Union.” 7:30 pm at the Prelacy
office in New York City. For information arec@armenianprelacy.org or 212-689-7810.
November
17—Soorp Khatch Church, Bethesda, Maryland, 43rd Anniversary
Banquet.
November
18—Soorp Khatch Church, Bethesda, Maryland, Divine Liturgy
celebrated by the Prelate Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan.
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 dinner dance, Marriott Hotel, Burlington. For information,
(617) 924-7562.
December
23—St. Stephen’s Day Celebration, Watertown, Massachusetts.
The Golden Jubilee celebration will come to a close with a commemoration
of the church’s
patron saint, the first deacon and martyr, St. Stephen.
June
27 to July 6—St. Gregory of Datev Institute, Summer Christian
Studies Program for youth ages 13-18 at St. Mary of Providence Center
in Elverson, Pennsylvania, organized by the Armenian Religious Education
Council. For more information click here.
|
