Invocation delivered by
His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan
Prelate, Armenian Apostolic Church of America
94th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide
Times Square
Sunday, April 26, 2009

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Almighty God, creator of the world and fountain of life, once again we are assembled here in the crossroads of the world to give thanks to you for your deliverance and salvation after the cruel experience of genocide. We render our tribute and gratitude to the life-giving memory of the one and one half million Armenian martyrs who were victims of that genocide.

Ninety-four years ago the Armenian people endured the cruelest degree of inhumanity. Our nation lost one and one half million innocent men, women and children. Beyond this catastrophic human toll, we lost our mother soil, which we had defended with our blood and cultivated with our sweat for nearly three millennia.

We confess before you Lord and in the presence of the few remaining survivors, that our hearts are heavy with sadness. We are disheartened that our president in his otherwise powerful statement did not honor his promise to recognize the truth of the Armenian Genocide.

Some may ask: “Why is it necessary to remember even after 94 years?” It is necessary and essential because a crime against humanity cannot ever be forgotten. To forget such an atrocious act would be another crime, just as to deny the truth of the event is also a crime—a further crime against the victims and a crime against their children, grandchildren and all of their descendants.

The blood of the martyrs, as predicted by a noted writer of the time, produced a “heroic posterity.” New generations of Armenians stand by their obligations not only by remembering the past and honoring the martyrs, but also by dedicating themselves to the pursuit of justice for the Armenian nation and for other suffering people.

We thank you for having preserved the Armenian people from total annihilation. We gratefully recognize the glorious rebirth and revival of the Armenian nation. Each succeeding generation stands in solidarity with the survivors, because in a greater sense we are all survivors. It is that survival that nullifies genocide and guarantees that the words “not in vain” are the pride of those who survived and the epitaph of those who perished.

Make us worthy of our Christian faith and mission. Help us to serve your kingdom in the same spirit of faithfulness as our forefathers. Make us mindful that humanity’s struggle against inhumanity demands not retribution or revenge but repentance and redemption.

Bless this gathering—all of the organizers and the thousands who came from near and far. Spread your special grace and protection upon the remaining survivors who continue to hope and pray that justice will prevail.

Bless the inhabitants of the United States of America and the Republic of Armenia. Help us to live with hope and to know that the future is ours.

We faithfully praise your name through Christ our Lord, who is the way, the truth and life. Amen.