December 6, 2007
PRELATE ISSUES ANNUAL CHRISTMAS MESSAGE During this Advent period leading to the celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ on January 6, His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan issued his annual Christmas Message to the Faithful. Concentrating on the theme of “Peace and Righteousness,” the Prelate’s message is filled with biblical symbolism and a call for wordly peace that comes through justice and righteousness and the peace of Christ which is established by the tranquility in our inner self which comes only through Christ. To read the Prelate’s Christmas message in Armenian click here. To read the Prelate’s Christmas message in English click here. PRELATE WILL VISIT GRANITE CITY COMMUNITY THIS WEEKEND; JOIN IN ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION Archbishop Oshagan will travel to Granite City, Illinois, this weekend to join with the parishioners of St. Gregory the Illuminator Church in celebration of the church’s anniversary. The original church on Maple Street was consecrated in 1954; the present edifice was consecrated on October 12, 1997, by His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia. Archbishop Oshagan will celebrate the Divine Liturgy and deliver the sermon on Sunday.
PRELATE ATTENDS SERVICE AND LUNCHEON FOR POLICE AND FIRE FIGHTERS Archbishop Oshagan attended a special Thanksgiving and Christmas luncheon yesterday, December 5, at St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston, New York, in honor of the members of the local New York City police and fire departments (111th precinct). This annual event hosted by the church is attended by parishioners, especially many senior citizens. The day began with a worship service led by the Prelate and Rev. Fr. Nareg Terterian, pastor of St. Sarkis. A luncheon followed the service with delicious food and great fellowship.
BLESSING OF MURON IN 2008 The Catholicosate of the Holy See of Cilicia announced that His Holiness Catholicos Aram I will consecrate the Holy Muron (Holy Oil) next year on June 7, 2008. The Holy Muron, symbol of the grace of the Holy Spirit, is traditionally blessed every seven years. Only the Catholicos can consecrate the oil which is then distributed to the various dioceses for distribution to the parishes. The oil consists of 48 different herbs, flowers, and oils which are combined in a special vessel and mixed with some of the old Muron, creating an unbroken chain with the past. The Muron Blessing is expected to attract a large number of pilgrims from various parts of the world. More details will be forthcoming. INTERNATIONAL YOUTH GATHERING IN AUGUST 2008 An International Gathering of Youth is being organized by the Holy See of Cilicia. His Holiness Aram I is inviting the youth, 18 years and older, to attend this gathering which will include a one-week pilgrimage to Der Zor. Details will follow. MIDDLE EAST COUNCIL OF CHURCHES MEETS IN CYPRUS The 9th General Assembly of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), convened in Cyprus from November 27 to 30. During the concluding session elections of Presidents, the General Secretary and the members of the Executive Committee took place. Catholicos Aram I was elected President on behalf of the Oriental Orthodox Churches. The other presidents are: Patriarch of Jerusalem His Holiness Teopilos III (Orthodox); Archbishop Boulos Matar (Roman Catholic); and Rev. Safouad Bayadi (Protestant). Bishop Kegham Khatcherian (Primate of the Diocese of Lebanon) was elected as a member of the Executive Committee. Dr. Gerges Saleh (Coptic Orthodox Church) was reelected to continue his service as General Secretary. Dr. Saleh visited His Holiness in Antelias on December 4. Accompanying the General Secretary was the director of the MECC’s “Life and Service” unit, Mrs. Seta Khedeshian. His Holiness presented his thoughts and expectations to the General Secretary, stressing the importance of reform and review. CATHOLICOSATE IS FOUNDING MEMBER OF REGIONAL COMMITTEE OF “RELIGIONS FOR PEACE” The founding meeting of the Middle East Committee of the international organization, Religions for Peace, convened in Alexandria, Egypt, on December 3. As an honorary president of the organization, Catholicos Aram I was invited to attend the meeting. Bishop Nareg Alemezian, Ecumenical Officer of the Catholicosate, represented the Holy See of Cilicia. He conveyed the greetings of the Catholicos to the participants. The General Secretary of Religions for Peace, Dr. William Vendli, presented a report which proposed to set-up a committee in the Middle East. Bishop Nareg was elected a member of the founding committee.
		PRELATE PRESIDES OVER 43RD ANNIVERSARY OF SOORP KHATCH CHURCH IN MARYLAND Last weekend, Archbishop Oshagan, traveled to Bethesda, Maryland, to join the parishioners of Soorp Khatch Church in celebration of the parish’s 43rd anniversary. His Eminence celebrated the Divine Liturgy, assisted by the parish’s priest, Rev. Fr. Sarkis Aktavoukian. After the Liturgy, His Eminence was surrounded by Rev. Fr. Sarkis, the altar servers, and the members of the choir for a photo opportunity.
THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT; FEAST OF CONCEPTION OF VIRGIN MARY; PAREGENTAN OF FAST OF SOORP HAGOP This Sunday, December 9, is the third Sunday of Advent. It is also the commemoration of the conception of the Holy Virgin Mary by her parents Joachim and Anna. This is one of eight feast days devoted to the Virgin Mary in the liturgical calendar of the Armenian Church. This commemoration always falls on December 9. This major festival is part of the Church’s preparation for Christmas. The faithful rejoice in the event by which Mary is conceived in fulfillment of the prayers of her parents. Sunday is also the Eve (Paregentan) of the Fast of Soorp Hagop (St. James), Bishop of Nisibis. The five-day fast (Monday to Friday) leads to the Feast of Soorp Hagop, next Saturday, December 15. DAILY BIBLE READINGS Bible readings for today, December 6, are: Proverbs 21:15-25; Isaiah 19:19-21; Hebrews 11:32-40; Matthew 10:37-42. And what more should I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets—who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured, refusing to accept release, in order to obtain a better resurrection. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned to death, they were sawn in two, they were killed by the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, persecuted, tormented—of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. Yet all these, though they were commended for their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better so that they would not, apart from us, be made perfect. (Hebrews 11:32-40) 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: “Mashtots and Sahak could not have embarked on their mission of spreading literacy throughout Armenia without the knowledge, agreement, and support of King Vramshapuh and the nobility. Sahak and Mashtots asked him to provide young people so that they would be given proper instruction with the new alphabet. Vramshapuh immediately complied with their request and ordered youth to be gathered for experimentation and instruction. He supported the literacy movement and made provisions for the establishment of schools all over his realm. This meant that the schools, the pupils, and the teachers were all funded by the royal court. “At first, young pupils were sent to the royal city of Vagharshapat from various parts of Armenia. Some of these pupils were illiterate and had to be given elementary education, while others, presumably already in the service of the church, seem to have been older and with some educational background. The latter merely needed to get acquainted with the application of the newly invented alphabet to their native idiom. As soon as these older pupils became literate in Armenian, they were sent to the different regions of Armenia in order to instruct others. This task also must have required the support of the king and the nobility, since early fifth-century society in Armenia was not as mobile as society is in our days.” From The Origins of the Armenian Alphabet and Literature, by Fr. Krikor Maksoudian, 2006, St. Vartan Press, New York.
		NEW ITEMS AT THE BOOKSTORE The Prelacy Bookstore has many books suitable for children of all ages. The latest is a hardcover book entitled Mamedzeen Daghere, (Grandmama’s Lyrics), compiled and beautifully illustrated by Sose Khedeshian Berberian. The price is $22, plus shipping and handling. Also new at the Bookstore is a music CD called Tu Urish Es (You are Different), with a selection of songs by Karno. The young singer who has already attracted many fans dedicates his debut album to “all those who are in love.” The price of the CD is $15, plus shipping and handling. To order these or any other items, or for more information contact the Bookstore by email at books@armenianprelacy.org or by phone at 212-689-7810.
DUAL ANNIVERSARIES TOMORROW Tomorrow, December 7, is the 19th anniversary of the earthquake in northern Armenia, and the 66th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor which brought the United States into World War II. ADL NEW ENGLAND DIRECTOR RESIGNS The New England regional director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Andrew Tarsy, has resigned. Mr. Tarsy announced his resignation on Tuesday, December 4, in what the Boston Globe described as “the culmination of a months-long dispute with the national organization over its failure to fully acknowledge the Armenian genocide of 1915.” Mr. Tarsy would not elaborate on his departure, the Globe reported, except to say that it was “a professional judgment based on knowing when it’s your time.” His supporters said it was the result of his rift with the national director of the ADL, Abraham Foxman, over the Armenian issue. Crossroads readers will remember that Mr. Tarsy was fired in August after he publicly criticized the ADL’s refusal to use the term genocide to describe the massacres of Armenians. There was such an outcry of protests that Mr. Tarsy was reinstated and the ADL released a statement saying the killings were “tantamount to genocide,” but the national ADL stood by its refusal to endorse the congressional resolution on the Armenian Genocide. According to the Boston Globe, Steve Grossman, a former member of the ADL’s regional board, said that Mr. Tarsy “realized that he would have to make too many compromises that he was not prepared to make. I think he leaves with his integrity intact, with his head held high.” WORDS TO REMEMBER…. “What is a great man who has made his mark upon history? Every time, if we think far enough, he is a man who has looked through the confusion of the moment and has seen the moral issue involved; he is a man who has refused to have his sense of justice distorted; he has listened to his conscience until conscience becomes a trumpet call to like-minded men, so that they gather about him and together, with mutual purpose and mutual aid, they make a new period in history.” Jane Addams, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931
CALENDAR OF EVENTS 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. December 9—St. Stephen’s Church, Watertown, Massachusetts, 50th anniversary dinner dance, Marriott Hotel, Burlington. For information, (617) 924-7562. December 9—Family Christmas Concert sponsored by St. Illuminator’s Cathedral, featuring Maggie Tune (from California) and Gaghant Baba, 4:30 pm, at IS5 High School, 50-40 Jacobus Street, Elmhurst, New York. For information contact cathedral office, 212-689-5880. December 9—Town Hall style meeting in Jaffarian Hall of St. Gregory the Illuminator Church of Merrimack Valley, North Andover, Massachusetts. Immediately following Divine Liturgy. December 9—Christmas Boutique Sale, ARS Mayr Chapter of New York, at St. Sarkis Church, Pagoumian Hall, 38-65 234th Street, Douglaston, New York. For information 718-961-9550. December 16—St. Gregory Church (North Andover, Massachusetts), Children’s Christmas Pageant and Party following the Divine Liturgy. Luncheon buffet. 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. December 31—New Year’s Eve Dinner Dance, Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield, New Jersey, and ARF Dro Gomideh, The Sheraton Meadowlands, E. Rutherford, New Jersey. For information 201-943-2950. February 24, 2008—Annual Membership meeting, St. Gregory Church (North Andover, Massachusetts). March 2, 2008—Musical Armenia, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York City, featuring Aleksandr Nazaryan on viola and Karen Tchougourian on piano. June 7, 2008—Blessing of Holy Muron in Antelias, Lebanon. Details will follow. 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. August 15-17, 2008—International Gathering of Youth and Pilgrimage to Der Zor, organized by the Catholicosate of Cilicia. Details will follow.
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