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Crossroads E-Newsletter - October 1, 2009

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  • Crossroads E-Newsletter - October 1, 2009

    October 1, 2009


    IN MEMORIAM: KEVORK HOVNANIAN

    Archbishop Oshagan expressed his deepest condolences to the family of
    Kevork Hovnanian, humanitarian,
    philanthropist, and business leader, who died on September 24 at New
    York Presbyterian Hospital. He was 86.
    The Prelate described Mr. Hovnanian as a true gentle man who quietly
    supported causes close to his heart
    with no expectations of recognition and honors.
    "The Armenian Church and nation have lost a true patriot, and the
    world has lost a compassionate and
    generous benefactor. His name can never be erased from our collective
    memory. His image will always remain alive and radiant," the Prelate
    said.
    Private funeral services took place on Monday, September 28, at
    St. Stepanos Church in Elberon, New Jersey,
    which Mr. Hovnanian built in honor of his mother. A public memorial
    service will take place this Saturday, October 3, at 2 pm at
    St. Vartan
    Cathedral, New York City.
    The Prelate and Religious and Executive Councils extend their
    heartfelt sympathy to the entire Hovnanian family, including his
    brothers


    and sisters, and especially to his wife, Sirvart, their children
    Sossi,
    Esto, Ara, Lucy, and Nadia and their grandchildren.
    May he rest in eternal peace with our Lord whom he served with so much
    love and dedication.


    PRELATE WILL TRAVEL TO DEARBORN ON SUNDAY

    Archbishop Oshagan will travel to Dearborn, Michigan, this Sunday,
    October 4. His Eminence will celebrate the Divine Liturgy and deliver
    the sermon
    at St. Sarkis Church and will preside over the parish's anniversary
    banquet following church services.
    PRELATE MEETS WITH ARMENIA'S FOREIGN MINISTER

    On Monday evening, Archbishop Oshagan met with Armenia's Foreign
    Minister Edward Nalbantyan at the Prelacy. Also present were Armenia's
    ambassador
    to the United States, Tatul Markarian, and the representative to the
    United Nations, Karen Nazarian. The dinner meeting focused on the
    recent
    situation regarding Turkey and Armenia.
    PRELATE WILL ATTEND COMMUNITY MEETING WITH PRESIDENT

    On Saturday, October 3, Archbishop Oshagan will join other community
    leaders in meeting with Armenia's president, Serzh Sargsyan, who is in
    the
    United States to meet with leaders to discuss the Armenia-Turkey
    protocols.
    PRELATE WILL DELIVER INVOCATION AT ACAA EVENT

    Archbishop Oshagan will deliver the invocation at the third annual
    banquet hosted by the Armenian Cultural Association of America
    (Eastern Region),
    this Saturday, October 3, at Espace, 635 West 42nd Street, New York
    City. U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) will be presented with the
    2009
    Freedom Award. The 2009 Vahan Cardashian award will go to Mrs. Melanie
    Kerneklian and Mr. Bedros Bandazian. Mark Geragos, Esq., is a special
    guest.
    The MC is David Krikorian, Congressional candidate from Ohio.
    VICAR WILL TRAVEL TO OHIO

    Bishop Anoushavan will travel to Ohio where this Sunday he will
    celebrate the Divine Liturgy and deliver the sermon at Holy Cross
    Armenian Church,
    North Royalton, Ohio.
    VICAR WILL ATTEND WCC MEETINGS IN GREECE

    Bishop Anoushavan, the Ecumenical Officer of North America, will leave
    for Athens, Greece, this Monday where from October 6 to 14 he will be
    attending the World Council of Church's Faith & Order Plenary
    Commission, "Called to be the One Church," at the Orthodox Academy of
    Crete. As the
    representative of the Oriental Orthodox Church he will chair the 9th
    session on "Tradition and Traditions."


    "LINKED IN" YOUTH WORKSHOP


    The Prelacy's second annual Linked In workshop weekend took place last
    weekend from Friday to Sunday, at the Holy Virgin Mary Spiritual
    Vineyard,
    Charlton, Massachusetts. Forty-one young professionals and college
    students from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and
    Rhode
    Island attended. The weekend was filled with education, spiritual
    enrichment, and bonding with peers.

    In recognition of the declaration by His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos
    of the Holy See of Cilicia, designating 2009 as the "Year of the
    Youth," the
    workshops focused on the role of the youth in the leadership of the
    Armenian Church and spirituality and mission in the lives of the
    Armenian
    youth.

    Presentations were made by Professor Michael Papazian, Associate
    Professor of Philosophy at Berry College, Rome, Georgia, regarding the
    leadership structure in the Armenian Church and participation by the
    youth in that structure; Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian provided an
    understanding
    of the Armenian Church's place within the larger Christian community
    with a presentation regarding the similarities and differences between
    the
    Armenian Church and the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic Churches. To
    help the youth understand how they may use their faith to stand as
    pillars of
    both the Armenian Church and of their own Armenian families,
    Archpriest Fr. Antranig Baljian spoke about the difficulties faced by
    the younger
    generations living in today's society and ways to implement Christian
    values in our home lives to counteract those difficulties. Yeretzgin
    Margaret Stepanian, focused on both the philanthropic missionary work
    the youth may participate in and the


    A photo of the participants and lecturers.


    A small discussion group.


    Bishop Anoushavan and Hagop Khatchadourian, chairman of the Prelacy
    Executive Council, with
    participants from Rhode Island.





    inner mission to strengthen our Christian faith in our daily lives.
    Besides the enlightening lectures, the participants engaged in small
    group discussion, a Bible study session
    conducted by Rev. Fr. Stephan Baljian, a spiritual fellowship hour
    with sharagans and contemporary Christian songs led by Denise
    Borekjian, and
    meditations by Ani Nalbandian, Tamar Harutunian, and Jeanette
    Nazarian.
    Before the Divine Liturgy on Sunday which was celebrated by Rev. Fr.
    Stephan Baljian, Bishop Anoushavan
    presented a slide presentation on "Bible, Theology and Art in the
    Divine Liturgy."


    CLERGY MEDITATIONAL RETREAT

    For the second year the clergy of the Prelacy came together for a
    retreat The retreat began last Sunday evening and continued through
    Wednesday,
    following the Linked In weekend for young adults at the same location,
    Holy Virgin Mary Spiritual Vineyard in Charlton, Massachusetts. The
    general
    discussion focused on Holy Week. The days were filled with fellowship
    as well as prayer services, meditations, and Bible readings.


    Clergy at Retreat in a group photo and during
    discussion.


    MIDWEST REGIONAL CONFERENCE

    Last Saturday, St. Sarkis Church in Dearborn, Michigan hosted the
    Mid-West Regional Conference. Archbishop Oshagan attended and presided
    over
    the conference which was successful and well-received. Parishes
    participating were: St. Sarkis (Dearborn, MI), All Saints (Glenview,
    IL), St.
    Gregory the Illuminator (Granite City, IL), St. Paul (Waukegan, IL),
    and St. Hagop (Racine, WI).

    Presentations were made on the following topics: Spiritual Awakening
    by V. Rev. Fr. Daniel Garabedian; Administrative Duties by John
    Daghlian;
    Sunday School/AREC by Deacon Shant Kazanjian; Armenian One Day School
    by Dr. Mary Olson; Role of the Prelacy by Raffi Ourlian, and Board of
    Trustees Guidelines by Stephen Hagopian.

    "The purpose of the regional conferences is to strengthen parish and
    prelacy communication and enhance parish development. This was the
    second Mid-West


    conference within the past year. The discussions resulted in many good
    ideas and good suggestions were presented that the Executive Council
    will review and decide on implementation," said Raffi Ourlian,
    treasurer
    of the Prelacy's Executive Council.


    MID-ATLANTIC REGIONAL CONFERENCE IN OCTOBER

    The Mid-Atlantic regional conference will be hosted by Sts. Vartanantz
    Church, Ridgefield, New Jersey, on Saturday, October 10.
    TELEPHONE CONVERSATION BETWEEN ARAM I AND PRESIDENT SARGSYAN

    His Holiness Aram I and H.E. Serge Sargsyan, the President of the
    Republic of Armenia, held a telephone conversation on September
    26. The President
    will be visiting Lebanon in the coming weeks and will have a private
    meeting with His Holiness.

    Earlier in the week, His Holiness sent a letter to the President
    expressing his concerns about the Turkey-Armenia protocols and urging
    the
    President to engage the entire Armenian nation in this critical
    pan-national issue.
    BIRDS NEST ORPHANAGE

    The historic orphanage established by Danish missionaries during the
    Genocide and later given to the Armenian Church continues to serve the
    changing
    needs of the community in the Diaspora. Sam Boyadjian was recently
    appointed as the new director of the institution.

    The Birds Nest is one of two Diasporan Armenian institutions (the
    other is in Aleppo, Syria) that provides shelter for children who are
    orphaned,
    abandoned, or whose parents are unable to care for them. It is an
    unending project because it constantly reinvents itself to best serve
    the needs of
    the children. The board members supervise and monitor the upkeep of
    the buildings, the quality of living conditions, and the level of
    education
    given to the children. The Women's Guild provides assistance as
    volunteers.
    GUROIAN KEYNOTE SPEAKER AT ST. VLADIMIR'S SEMINARY SATURDAY

    Vigen Guroian, professor of Religious Studies in Orthodox Christianity
    at the University of Virginia is the keynote speaker at St. Vladimir's
    Seminary this Saturday, October 3. Dr. Guroian is participating in the
    Seminary's Orthodox Education Day 2009 which is devoted to "God's
    green
    earth: Ecology and Theology." Dr. Guroian will speak at 1 pm on the
    topic "Ecological blessings from the Garden." He has written two books
    on this
    subject, Inheriting Paradise: Meditations on Gardening and The
    Fragrance of God, both of which are available at the Prelacy's
    bookstore.

    St. Vladimir's is located at 575 Scarsdale Road, Yonkers, New York
    10707-1659.
    DAILY BIBLE READINGS

    Bible readings for today, Thursday, October 1, 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 coming week's Bible readings click here
    (http://www.armenianprelacy.org/images/prelac y/PDF/dbr2009-10.pdf).
    PRINCES SAHAK AND HAMAZASP

    Today, Thursday, October 1, the Armenian Church commemorates the lives
    of two princes: Sahak and Hamazasp. The two holy princes lived during
    the
    reign of Emperor 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, Sahak 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.
    72 HOLY DISCIPLES OF CHRIST

    This Saturday, October 3, 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 he speaks of 70 nations
    of the world.
    GORKY RETROSPECTIVE AT PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM

    The Philadelphia Museum of Art will present a major traveling
    retrospective celebrating the extraordinary life and work of Arshile
    Gorky
    (1904-1948). The first comprehensive survey of the work of this artist
    in nearly three decades, Arshile Gorky: A Retrospective will
    premier
    at the Museum on October 21 and continue there until January 10,
    2010. The exhibition will then travel to the Tate Modern, London
    (Spring 2010) and
    The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (Summer 2010).
    OCTOBER IS CULTURAL MONTH

    October is a special month for Armenians. In the beginning of the
    month (October 10) we celebrate the memory of the Translators of the
    Holy
    Bible.

    In a message delivered October 10, 1982, by His Holiness Karekin II,
    Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, he noted:

    "Translators, in the precise and historical sense of the word, refer
    to St. Sahag and St. Mesrob and their immediate disciples of the 5th
    century
    who translated the Holy Scriptures from Greek into Armenian.... But,
    the word translators has acquired a wider sense in our Armenian
    understanding; it refers to all such Church Fathers who in the course
    of the past centuries made a marked contribution to the growth of
    Armenian
    culture taken in its entirety. It has become now a symbolic name which
    is applied in this broadest sense to all those who translate God's
    Word to
    God's people particularly through their literary activities and
    cultural services.

    "This is why October has been proclaimed as The Month of Culture
    (Meshagouytee Amees). This means that we are called to focus our
    thinking on the value of culture in human life within our Armenian
    communities around the world."
    PRELACY MARKS CULTURAL MONTH WITH
    INAUGURATION OF ONLINE COURSE IN ARMENIAN

    Next week we will inaugurate an On-Line Course in Modern Western
    Armenian which will be available to everyone. The on-line course was
    developed by
    Dr. Tom Samuelian with partial financial support from the Eastern
    Prelacy. It will be accessible through our web page and can be used as
    is or
    combined with Dr. Samuelian's pioneering textbook, A Course in Modern
    Western Armenian, published by the Prelacy's Armenian National
    Education Committee, which was out of print but is now again available
    at the Prelacy's Bookstore. We will give you full information in next
    week's
    Crossroads.
    CALENDAR OF EVENTS
    October 1--Sts. Vartanantz Church (New Jersey), presents 7th annual
    Golf Outing at River Vale Country Club, River Vale, New Jersey. $175
    includes lunch, dinner, golf and contests. Come out and enjoy a great
    day and
    support the church. For information contact Mark, 201-483-3200.
    October 10--Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference for Pastors, Boards of
    Trustees, and NRA delegates at Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield,
    New Jersey.
    October 11--84th anniversary banquet of St. Stephen's Church, New
    Britain/Hartford, Connecticut at Indian Hill Country Club, 111 Golf
    Street, Newington, Connecticut, at 12:30 pm. For information contact
    the
    church office at 860-229-8322.
    October 15-18--Soorp Khatch Church, Bethesda, Maryland, Food Festival
    and Bazaar.
    October 16-17--Annual Fall Fair Bazaar, St. Gregory Church, North
    Andover, Massachusetts, Jaffarian Hall, 10 am to 8 pm.
    October 17--National Association of Ladies Guilds (NALG) annual
    conference at the Prelacy offices in New York City. Details will
    follow.
    October 18--St. Gregory Church, Philadelphia, Intercommunal Cultural
    Celebration at Holy Trinity Church, Cheltenham, PA.
    November 1--St. Gregory Church, Philadelphia, Sunday School Halloween
    Party.
    November 6--"On the Road," by Levon Shant, presented The Theater Group
    of Hamazkayin, New York, directed by Dr. Herand Markarian. Sponsored
    by the Armenian Relief Society Mayr Chapter, this performance is a
    benefit for
    St. Illuminator's Armenian Day School. Performance begins at 8:35 pm
    at the Armenian Center, 69-23 47th Ave., Woodside, New York. For
    tickets
    ($25)
    contact Sonia at 718-961-9550 or Alice at 516-676-6167.
    November 6-7--St. Gregory Church, Philadelphia. Food
    Festival.
    November 6-7--St. Stephen's Church, Watertown, Massachusetts, 53rd
    annual bazaar, 10 am to 9:30 pm at the ACEC, 47 Nichols Avenue,
    Watertown. Delicious lamb, losh and chicken kebab, kheyma, kufta and
    yalanchi. Meals
    served from 11:30 am to 8:30 pm. Armenian pastries, gourmet foods,
    arts & crafts, auction, raffles, and more.
    November 7--Christmas Holiday Craft Fair, St. Gregory Church, North
    Andover, Massachusetts, Jaffarian Hall, 10 am to 4 pm.
    November 7 & 8--Sts. Vartanantz Church, Providence, Rhode Island,
    largest Armenian Fest in New England. Saturday from 12 noon to 10
    pm. Sunday 12 noon to 8 pm. Rhodes-on-the-Pawtucket, 60 Rhodes Place
    (off
    Broad
    Street), Cranston, Rhode Island. Kebobs and kufta dinners, pastry,
    raffles and more. Performance by the Armenian school dance group. Live
    Armenian
    music * dancing. For information, 401-831-6399.
    November 14--Soorp Khatch Church, Bethesda, Maryland, 45th anniversary
    celebration.
    November 20-21--Holy Trinity Armenian Church, Worcester,
    Massachusetts,
    Fall Fest 2009, Friday, November 20, 5 pm to 8 pm; Saturday, November
    21, 10 am to 5 pm. Armenian delicacies and dinners. For information
    508-852-2414.
    November 20, 21, 22--Sts. Vartanantz Church (Ridgefield, New Jersey)
    Annual Bazaar and Food Festival. Saturday night dancing with "Onnik
    Dinkjian"; Sunday traditional kavourma dinner.
    December 5--Soorp Asdvadzadzin Church, Whitinsville, Massachusetts,
    annual bazaar. Come one, come all.
    December 20--St. Gregory Church, Philadelphia. Sunday School
    Christmas
    Pageant.
    December 31--St. Gregory Church, Philadelphia, Seroonian Community
    Center New Year's Eve celebration.
    December 31--Sts. Vartanantz Church (Ridgefield, New Jersey), New
    Year's Eve Dinner-Dance. Details to follow.
    Web pages of the parishes can be accessed through the Prelacy's web
    site.
    To ensure the timely arrival of Crossroads in your electronic mailbox,
    add [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) to
    your address book.
    Items in Crossroads can be reproduced without permission. Please
    credit Crossroads as the
    source.
    Parishes of the Eastern Prelacy are invited to send information about
    their major
    events to be included in the calendar. Send to:
    [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])
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