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Crossroads E-Newsletter - December 5, 2013

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  • Crossroads E-Newsletter - December 5, 2013

    PRESS RELEASE
    Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apost. Church of America and Canada
    H.E. Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan
    Prelate, Easter Prelacy and Canada
    138 East 39th Street
    New York, NY 10016
    Tel: 212-689-7810
    Fax: 212-689-7168
    Web: http://www.armenianprelacy.org/



    TENTH ANNIVERSARY REQUIEM SERVICE FOR ARCHBISHOP MESROB ASHJIAN THIS
    SUNDAY

    Archbishop Oshagan will celebrate the Divine Liturgy and deliver the
    Sermon this Sunday, December 8, at St. Illuminator's Cathedral in New
    York City. Following the Liturgy His Eminence will officiate over the
    Solemn Requiem Service in remembrance of Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian,
    Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy of the United States and Canada from
    1978 to 1998. Archbishop Mesrob passed away ten years ago, on December
    2, 2003, during a visit to the United States.

    A Baptismal Font dedicated to the loving memory of the late Prelate
    will be blessed. The Font is a gift from the Ashjian, Seropian,
    Yessaian, and Papazian families.

    Our generation has been chosen to be part of one of the most
    difficult, but also most exciting, eras in Armenian history. More than
    ever we need the vision to recognize and act on the responsibilities
    that have been placed on our shoulders. If we recognize and act on our
    responsibilities, if we live our faith, then I believe that the future
    of the Armenian nation is bright.

    Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian `A Message for the New Year' (1996)

    IN MEMORIAM DIRAMAYR BULBUL BARSAMIAN

    Last Tuesday, November 26, His Grace Bishop Anoushavan,
    Rev. Fr. Hovnan Bozoian, and Rev. Fr. Mesrob Lakissian attended the
    funeral service for Diramayr Bulbul Barsamian, mother of His Eminence
    Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Armenian Church of America
    (Eastern). The funeral service took place at St. Leon Church in Fair
    Lawn, New Jersey. May her memory be ever blessed.

    VICAR'S SCHEDULE

    Tomorrow evening, December 6, Bishop Anoushavan will attend a concert
    of religious music performed by the Shnorhali Chorale, at Holy Martyrs
    Armenian Church in Bayside, New York

    On Saturday, December 7, he will attend a banquet organized by the
    Erebuni Chapter of the Armenian Relief Society to honor the Mother of
    the Year, at St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston, New York.

    On Sunday, December 8, the Vicar will attend the Divine Liturgy,
    Requiem Service, and Dedication of the new Baptismal Font in memory of
    Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian, of blessed memory, at St. Illuminator's
    Cathedral in New York City.

    Bishop Anoushavan visited with parishioners of Holy Trinity Church,
    Worcester, Massachusetts, on Saturday, November 23, and joined with
    them in supporting the parish's annual Food Festival. The Vicar is
    seen here with parishioners and Archpriest Fr. Vazken Bekiarian and
    V. Rev. Fr. Sahag Yemishyan.

    Rev. Fr. Mesrob Lakissian with Dr. Svetlana Amirkhanian, President and
    Founder of Direct Help for Armenian People.

    REV. FR. MESROB REPRESENTS PRELATE AT CONCERT

    Rev. Fr. Mesrob Lakissian, pastor of St. Illuminator's Cathedral in
    New York City, represented Archbishop Oshagan at the 5th Annual
    Armenian Youth Talent (AYT) Concert at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital
    Hall last Sunday. The event, organized by Direct Help for Armenian
    People,' was dedicated to the 110th anniversary of the birth of
    composer Aram Khachaturian and the 5th anniversary of the AYT.

    LEBANESE INDEPENDENCE DAY

    Last Friday Bishop Anoushavan, Vicar, and Chris Parnagian, Esq.,
    member of the Prelacy's Executive Council, attended a celebration
    marking the 70th anniversary of Lebanese independence. Lebanon became
    an independent state on November 22, 1943, when it was released from
    the French Mandate.

    Bishop Anoushavan and Chris Parnagian with the Lebanese Consul General
    Majdi Ramadan (center) at the celebration of Lebanese Independence
    Day, November 22, in New York City.

    CATHOLICOI ZAREH AND KHOREN REMEMBERED

    Last Sunday Bishop Anoushavan celebrated the Divine Liturgy and
    delivered the sermon at St. Stephen's Church in Watertown,
    Massachusetts. Following the Liturgy, His Grace offered the special
    presentation he has prepared commemorating the 50th anniversary of the
    passing of Catholicos Zareh I and the 30th anniversary of the passing
    of Catholicos Khoren I. His Grace has been invited to make this
    presentation by a number of parishes.

    Bishop Anoushavan with Archpriest Fr. Antranig Baljian (right), pastor
    of St. Stephen's Church, and Archpriest Fr. Vazken Bekiarian, with
    altar servers and choir following the celebration of the Divine
    Liturgy.

    The clergy with members of the St. Stephen Chorus who performed during
    the program that followed the Liturgy.

    GRANITE CITY PARISH MARKS 59TH ANNIVERSARY

    Bishop Anoushavan celebrated the Divine Liturgy and delivered the
    sermon at St. Gregory Church in Granite City, Illinois, and joined the
    parish in marking the 59th anniversary of the church. The Board of
    Trustees recognized the deacons, altar servers, and choir members for
    their dedicated service, especially during this period when the parish
    is without a permanent pastor. The Board also recognized Mr. Benjamin
    Mkrtychyan for his paintings in the church. In appreciation of his
    work, a special booklet, `The Sacred Artwork of Benjamin Mkrtychyan'
    was printed and distributed. The book was prepared by Rev. Fr. Stephan
    Baljian before his recent transfer to North Andover. The Board
    expressed thanks to Der Stephan for his work that resulted in a
    beautiful booklet. A portion of the proceeds from the anniversary
    event is being donated to the Fund for Syrian Armenian Relief.

    Bishop Anoushavan with parishioners of St. Gregory Church in Granite
    City, Illinois. Four members of the `90-plus Club' are seated in the
    front row near the Vicar.

    The Vicar with Janet Haroian, chairman of the Board of Trustees, and
    Benjamin Mkrtychyan who was recognized for his dedication to the
    church and sharing his talent and art with the church family.

    15th ANNIVERSARY OF THEATRICAL GROUP

    Rev. Fr. Mesrob and Yn. Ojeen Lakissian, attended the Tekeyan Cultural
    Association's Mher Megerdchian Theatrical Group's 15th anniversary by
    special invitation. The event took place on Sunday, November 24, at
    St. Thomas Church in Tenafly, New Jersey. Der Mesrob offered the
    opening prayer. The artistic program included a performance by
    St. Illuminator Cathedral's `Huyser' Ensemble.

    BIBLE READINGS

    Bible readings for Sunday, December 8, Third Sunday of Advent, (Eve of
    the Fast of St. James (Hagop) are: Isaiah 37:14-38; 2 Thessalonians
    1:1-12; Luke 14:12-24.

    To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord
    Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord
    Jesus Christ.

    We must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters, as is
    right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of
    everyone of you for one another is increasing. Therefore we ourselves
    boast of you among the churches of God for your steadfastness and
    faith during all your persecutions and the afflictions that you are
    enduring.

    This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, and is intended to
    make you worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also
    suffering. For it is indeed just of God to repay with affliction those
    who afflict you, and to give relief to the afflicted as well as to us,
    when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in
    flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on
    those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will suffer
    the punishment of eternal destruction, separated from the presence of
    the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes to be
    glorified by his saints and to be marveled at on that day among all
    who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. To this
    end we always pray for you, asking that our God will make you worthy
    of his call and will fulfill by his power every good resolve and work
    of faith, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you,
    and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus
    Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:1-12)

    For a listing of the coming week's Bible readings click here
    (http://e2.ma/click/kkizd/4f4cee/0gmo6).

    FEAST OF THE CONCEPTION OF THE HOLY VIRGIN MARY

    Monday, December 9, is the Feast of the Conception of the Holy Virgin
    Mary. This is one of the eight feast days devoted to the Holy Virgin
    Mary in the Armenian Church's Liturgical Calendar. This feast is
    always on December 9, and is part of the Church's preparation for
    Christmas. The faithful rejoice in the event that celebrates Mary's
    conception in fulfillment of the prayers of her parents and nurtured
    to become the mother of the Messiah. Bible readings for the Feast of
    the Conception are: Song of Songs 6:3-8; Malachi 3:1-2; Galatians
    3:24-29; Luke 1:39-56.

    EVE OF THE FAST OF ST. JAMES

    This Sunday, December 8, is the eve (paregentan) of the Fast of
    St. James (Hagop) of Nisibus. This five-day fast, Monday to Friday,
    leads us to the Feast of St. James, which is next Saturday, December
    14. Traditionally the entire fifty day period of Advent was a period
    of fasting, similar to Great Lent. In modern times, three week-long
    fasts are observed during Advent, namely, Fast of Advent (Hisnagats
    Bahk), Fast of St. James (Sourp Hagopeh Bahk), and the Fast of the
    Nativity (Dznuntyan Bahk).

    ST. NICHOLAS, THE WONDERWORKER

    This Saturday, December 7, the Armenian Church remembers St. Nicholas
    the Wonderworker, a fourth century Bishop of Myra, Lycia in Asia Minor
    (modern-day Turkey). He was a defender of orthodoxy and because of
    many miracles attributed to his intercession he is called `the
    wonderworker.' He was a secret gift-giver and is believed to be the
    model for Santa Claus.

    THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT

    This Sunday, December 8, is the third Sunday of Advent. Advent is a
    season of waiting for the coming of Christ that gives us reason to
    live in hope regardless of the many challenges and vicissitudes facing
    us. John the Baptist is the greatest Advent figure (read Matthew,
    Chapter 3 and Luke, Chapter 3).

    Advent is a good time to think of the needs of others, near and
    far. Sometimes just a telephone call or a visit can boost the spirits
    of a friend, neighbor or relative. During Advent we always like to
    remind you of the need for sponsors for children in Armenia and
    Artsakh. There are countless appeals especially at this time of the
    year and this year the plight of the Syrian Armenian community is
    prominent. We are fortunate to live in a country of bountiful
    blessings. Even in current sluggish economic times, we have everything
    we need. And as the admonition rooted in the Gospels, tells us,
    =80=9CTo those whom much is given, much is expected.' In that spirit,
    during this season of Advent we ask you read the next two items and
    search your heart for the true meaning of Christmas.

    NEEDED: SPONSORS FOR ORPHANS

    During the last two decades, one of the most pervasive tragedies felt
    by Armenia as a consequence of natural disaster and war was the
    emergence of a large orphan population. The 1988 earthquake, the war
    in the defense and liberation of Artsakh, resulted in an orphan crisis
    on a scale that was unprecedented since the 1915 Genocide. The
    continuing economic hardship that has faced the vast majority of
    Armenian families in Armenia and Artsakh has compounded the problem.

    More than 20 years ago the Eastern Prelacy began its Orphan
    Sponsorship Program. In the early years the orphans were all children
    of soldiers who died or were seriously wounded. Later the program was
    expanded to include any needy child in Armenia or Artsakh who had lost
    one or both parents.

    We currently have a list of children waiting for sponsors. Once a
    child is accepted he or she remains in the program until age 18. The
    annual donation is $225 per child. Sponsors are provided with names,
    addresses, and other pertinent information about their sponsored child
    and are encouraged to maintain communications.

    During this joyous season when we celebrate the birth of our Lord,
    what better gift could there be than helping a child? Please consider
    becoming a sponsor. You can do it online through the Prelacy's web
    page (www.armenianprelacy.org). Go to `Departments' and then to
    =80=9CArmenia Projects.' Or if you prefer to talk to a real person,
    contact the Prelacy at 212-689-7810 and ask for Sophie.

    HELP FOR SYRIAN ARMENIANS

    Financial help for our Syrian Armenian community is needed more than
    ever. Do not be fooled by the fact that news reports are no longer on
    the front page. As winter descends on the area, the suffering of the
    people grows more desperate. Fighting continues, as do
    kidnappings. The situation is particularly dire for the Christian
    communities. Mortar shells have fallen in the courtyard of Armenian
    schools, killing children. The Armenian Catholic Church has been
    heavily damaged. Homes have been destroyed. Food and water are in
    short supply. Please give as generously as possible. As it has been
    said, what is being asked is not charity, it is humanity.

    PLEASE DO NOT FORGET OUR ONGOING RELIEF EFFORTS FOR THE ARMENIAN
    COMMUNITY IN SYRIA WHERE CONDITIONS ARE BECOMING INCREASINGLY MORE
    DIFFICULT. THE NEED IS REAL. THE NEED IS GREAT.

    DONATIONS TO THE FUND FOR SYRIAN ARMENIAN RELIEF CAN BE MADE ON LINE.
    TO DONATE NOW CLICK HERE (http://e2.ma/click/kkizd/4f4cee/g9mo6) AND
    SELECT SYRIAN ARMENIAN RELIEF IN THE MENU.

    The Fund for Syrian Armenian Relief is a joint effort of: Armenian
    Apostolic Church of America (Eastern Prelacy); Armenian Catholic
    Eparchy; Armenian Evangelical Union of North America; Armenian Relief
    Society (Eastern USA, Inc.); Armenian Revolutionary Federation.

    Thank you for your help.

    SUNDAY SCHOOL STUDENTS AT ST. GREGORY IN PHILADELPHIA DEMONSTRATE THE
    REAL MEANING OF THE HOLIDAYS

    Sunday school staff and students at St. Gregory the Illuminator Church
    in Philadelphia, demonstrated the true meaning of Thanksgiving and
    Christmas when on Sunday, November 24th they presented to The
    Salvation Army a check for more than $1,500 to help feed the hungry on
    Thanksgiving. Major Robert W. Dixon and Major Hester E. Dixon were on
    hand to accept the check with immense thanks.

    The students take part every year collecting non-perishable food to
    donate, but this year they decided to do even more. They asked the
    Board of Trustees if they could pass an extra collection plate for
    five Sundays specifically for this charitable project.

    An acknowledgement letter from the Salvation Army noted: `This letter
    represents hundreds of hugs and kisses sent on behalf of the 700 plus
    families who will enjoy a delicious Thanksgiving dinner this year
    because of your support. The $1558.00 dollars that was raised and the
    food that was collected will put a great big dent in the cost for
    those dinners. AWESOME! Thank you for this offering of love, as well
    as the prayer support that helps to sustain us as we continue to spend
    and be spent for the sake of the kingdom of God in Jesus Name!'

    Congratulations to the students, teachers, staff, and parishioners who
    supported this effort.

    Sunday school students and their teachers with Archpriest Fr. Nerses
    Manoogian and representatives of the Salvation Army who accepted the
    monetary and food donations raised by the initiative of the students.

    NEWS FROM THE CATHOLICOSATE

    ELEVATIONS TO RANK OF VARTABED

    V. Rev. Fr. Housig Mardirossian and V. Rev. Fr. Magar Ashkarian were
    elevated to the rank of Vartabed (doctor) last weekend at the
    Catholicosate of Cilicia in Antelias, Lebanon. The two celibate
    clergymen were elevated after successfully presenting and defending
    their theses to His Holiness Aram I and members of the brotherhood.

    In his thesis V. Rev. Fr. Housig analyzed the correspondence of
    Catholicos Sahag II during the years of 1914 to 1936, from the
    Genocide and the exile of the Catholicosate of Cilicia from Sis to its
    resettlement in Antelias, Lebanon. In his thesis V. Rev. Fr. Magar
    studied the Armenian patristic writings on the `Ever Virginity of the
    Theotokos.'

    His Holiness granted them the degree of Vartabed and recommended that
    they rewrite their theses for publication in a style accessible to lay
    readers.

    During the Liturgy on Sunday, December 1, at the Cathedral of
    St. Gregory the Illuminator, the celebrant Archbishop Sebouh
    Sarkissian, Prelate of Tehran, blessed the new Vartabeds and explained
    the new responsibilities and expectations that accompany the title.

    CATHOLICOS ARAM AND PATRIARCH JOHN X MEET

    His Holiness Aram I and His Holiness John X Yazigi, the Patriarch of
    Antioch and All The East, met last night, December 4, at Balamand
    Monastery, near Tripoli, Lebanon.

    The two church leaders conferred on topics of mutual interest
    concerning the situation in the Middle East, and especially the
    situation in Syria and the efforts to bring about peace and begin the
    process of reconstruction and reconciliation. They pledged to keep in
    close contact both on a personal and communal level. Accompanying
    Catholicos Aram were His Eminence Archbishop Shahe Panossian, Prelate
    of Lebanon, and His Grace Bishop Norair Ashekian.

    Patriarch John X was born in Latakia, Syria. He was elected Patriarch
    of Antioch in December 2012 after the death of Patriarch Ignatius IV.

    THIS WEEK IN ARMENIAN HISTORY(Prepared by the Armenian National
    Education Committee[ANEC])

    Birth of Hagop Oshagan (December 9, 1883)

    When Hagop Oshagan, one of the foremost Armenian writers of the
    twentieth century, passed away at the age of 65, he left many
    thousands of pages of published works in newspapers and many more that
    were unpublished. In Beirut alone, 33 volumes of published or
    previously unpublished works bearing his name were published after his
    death, between 1958 and 2013.

    He was born Hagop Kufejian in the village of Sölöz, near Brusa, in
    Asia Minor. He was a dropout from school and an autodidact, who read
    voraciously the classics of the nineteenth century, including
    Dostoyevsky, his inspiration for his novels. He published his first
    story in 1902, but his literary career started after 1909 in
    Constantinople. By 1914 he was already known by his literary criticism
    and his short stories. He became, along with Gostan Zarian, Kegham
    Parseghian, Taniel Varoujan, and Aharon, the founder of the
    short-lived monthly Mehyan, with the hope of starting a literary
    movement among Western Armenians that was cut short by the genocide.

    He was on the Turkish list of targeted intellectuals, but he managed
    to escape persecution and arrest, and lived in hiding in
    Constantinople until early 1918, when he surreptitiously crossed the
    border into Bulgaria, where he married Araksi Astarjian. They would
    have three children, Vahe, Anahid, and Garo, of which the first two
    would be writers. (Vahe Oshagan would become one of the leading
    intellectuals of the Diaspora in the second half of the twentieth
    century.) They returned to Constantinople after the
    Armistice. Kufejian started to use the name Hagop Oshagan around 1920
    in the newspaper Jagadamard. He became a teacher and continued his
    literary production. In 1922 he published another short-lived journal,
    together with Zarian, Vahan Tekeyan, Shahan Berberian, and Kegham
    Kavafian, but the new attempt at a literary revival was cut short by
    the retreat of the Allied forces from Constantinople and the victory
    of the Kemalist movement in Turkey. He left the city, as many other
    Armenian intellectuals and much of the community did, and moved back
    to Bulgaria. After 1924, Oshagan worked as a teacher, first in Cairo,
    then in Nicosia, at the Melkonian Educational Institute, and finally,
    after 1934, at the Seminary of Jerusalem. He forged his reputation as
    a charismatic literature teacher, and a demanding literary critic.

    Oshagan published two collections of short writings in the early
    1920s, but then he focused on his novels. His literary life was
    defined by the Catastrophe (he practically coined the term Aghed to
    name the event that had swept over Western Armenian culture in 1915),
    as he shifted into the literary reconstruction of the lost world. His
    magnum opus, Mnatsortats (The Remnants), a three-volume novel
    published in 1932-1934, depicted the life of a Western Armenian family
    and the complicated Turkish-Armenian relationship on the eve of the
    Catastrophe. However, he was unable to write a projected final volume
    where he intended to represent the deportation itself. The first
    volume of this novel has just been translated into English by
    G. M. Goshgarian.

    He also wrote the `novel of Western Armenian literature,' Panorama of
    Western Armenian Literature, a monograph that encompassed the period
    1850-1915 in ten volumes, of which only the first was published at the
    time of his death, and the last nine were published in the next
    quarter of a century.

    Hagop Oshagan passed away in Aleppo on February 17, 1948, on the eve
    of a planned visit to the killing fields of Der Zor. He was buried at
    the Armenian Cemetery of the city, in an imposing funeral attended by
    some 20,000 people.

    Previous entries in `This Week in Armenian History' are on the
    Prelacy's web site (www.armenianprelacy.org).

    THE ARMENIAN LANGUAGE CORNER (Prepared by the Armenian National
    Education Committee[ANEC])

    How Do You Call Him?

    You call someone. This means that you tell someone to come to your
    side, you give an invitation to someone, or you name someone.

    These three meanings of the English word call are all covered by its
    Armenian equivalent Õ¯Õ¡Õ¶Õ¹Õ¥Õ¬ (ganchel).

    There is a fourth meaning, very common in English American usage, as a
    synonym of `to telephone.' Thus, if we mean to say `I called my
    brother' in Armenian, we should simply say `ÔµÕ½ Õ¥Õ²Õ¢Õ¡ÕµÖ=80Õ½
    Õ¯Õ¡Õ¶Õ¹Õ¥Ö=81Õ«' (Yes yeghpayrs ganchetsi) and end of the story.

    It sounds perfectly right: English call, Armenian ganchel. But it is
    perfectly... wrong.

    Why? The English word is the shortened version of `to call over the
    phone,' but we do not have this expression in Armenian: we do not say
    Õ°Õ¥Õ¼Õ¡Õ±Õ¡ÕµÕ¶Õ¸Õ¾ Õ¯Õ¡Õ¶Õ¹Õ¥Õ¬ (herratzaynov ganchel), but
    ... Õ°Õ¥Õ¼Õ¡Õ±Õ¡ÕµÕ¶Õ¥Õ¬ (herratzaynel `to telephone/to phone'). This
    being the case, we are not allowed to shorten an inexistent expression
    in Armenian (herratzaynov ganchel) and turn it into... ganchel.

    You will find yourself before amusing, and confusing, situations. For
    instance, someone might say in reference to a friend who has been
    missing for a long time:

    `Ô¹Õ«Ö=82Õ¨ Õ£Õ¿Õ«Ö=80 Õ¸Ö=82 Õ¯Õ¡Õ¶Õ¹Õ§, Õ-Ö=85Õ½Õ«Õ¶Ö=84' (Tivuh
    kdir oo gancheh, khosink, `Find the number and call him to talk')

    How would you understand this gancheh? Would you phone him to talk or
    . . . invite him to come to talk? If your interlocutor had said
    Õ°Õ¥Õ¼Õ¡Õ±Õ¡ÕµÕ¶Õ§ (heratzayneh) instead of gancheh, there would be no
    confusion.

    Some people may think that this mistaken usage is only common in
    Armenian American speech, but, in fact, the same fourth meaning exists
    in other languages (French appeler, Spanish llamar, for
    instance). Therefore, you may find ganchel inaccurately used in many
    other corners of the Diaspora. Don't think that because someone knows
    Armenian better than you, that then he necessarily speaks better than
    you.

    Previous entries in `The Armenian Language Corner' are on the
    Prelacy's web site (www.armenianprelacy.org).

    NEW ON THE WEB PAGE (www.armenianprelacy.org)

    CELEBRATING THE YEAR OF THE MOTHER OF THE ARMENIAN FAMILY

    Click here (http://e2.ma/click/kkizd/4f4cee/w1no6) for press release.
    View the photo gallery on Facebook
    (http://e2.ma/click/kkizd/4f4cee/cuoo6) or Google+
    (http://e2.ma/click/kkizd/4f4cee/smpo6). Click here for booklet
    (http://e2.ma/click/kkizd/4f4cee/8eqo6).

    SPECIAL EXHIBITION AT ST. ILLUMINATOR'S CATHEDRAL OPENS DECEMBER 15

    `Lost and Found: The Pinajian Discovery.' Click here
    (http://e2.ma/click/kkizd/4f4cee/o7qo6).

    25th ANNIVERSARY OF EARTHQUAKE

    This Saturday, December 7, is the 25th anniversary of the earthquake
    that devastated parts of northern Armenia on December 7, 1988. It does
    not seem possible that twenty-five years have passed since that day
    when Armenia was in the international headlines for months.

    Let us remember and pray for the more than 25,000 souls lost, the
    thousands injured, and the thousands more who still live in turmoil.

    The photo on rthe left of Marineh Nuroyan and her children became the
    symbol of the 1988 earthquake. The photo on the right is Marineh with
    her grandchildren today.

    Was the message of the earthquake merely to evoke the benevolent
    offerings of a sympathetic world, or was the true message to the
    Armenians themselves? The world offered charity to a small and foreign
    people in a faraway corner of the globe. For the Armenians the message
    should be to offer charity, Christian charity, to each other. Perhaps
    the message is, `Begin, at long last, to behave like one nation, to
    come together to provide each other with the help, comfort, refuge,
    and solace that a divided people so sorely needs after centuries and
    centuries of tragedy after tragedy.' Perhaps the message was one
    directed to the Armenians themselves. This time the Armenians cannot
    ask, `Where were you, God?' He was in Armenia.

    Excerpt from an editorial/commentary entitled `Where Were You God?'
    OUTREACH, January 1989

    CALENDAR OF EVENTS

    October 24 to December 19-St. Paul's Letter to the Romans, an 8-week
    Bible study program beginning Thursday, October 24, and continuing on
    Thursdays up to December 19 (no session on Thanksgiving, November
    28). Sessions will be presented by Dn. Shant Kazanjian, Executive
    Director of the Armenian Religious Education Council (AREC). Sessions
    will take place at St. Illuminator's Cathedral, 221 East 27th Street,
    New York City, 7:15-8:00 pm, Presentation; 8:00-8:45 pm, Q/A &
    Discussion. Registration is required. Register at
    www.armenianprelacy.org or contact the Prelacy 212-689-7810, or the
    Cathedral at 212-689-5880.

    December 6-Anniversary celebration by Lowell `Aharonian' Gomideh, 6:30
    pm, St. Gregory Church, North Andover, Massachusetts; dinner and
    program honoring 50-year members Steve Dulgarian and Joe Dagdigian;
    remembering the 25th anniversary of the earthquake in Armenia; soloist
    Nina Hovsepian, accompanied by Mary Barooshian. Donation: $20 adults;
    $10 students.

    December 7-Annual Church Bazaar of St. Asdvadzadzin Church,
    Whitinsville, Massachusetts, will take place at Christian Reform
    Church, 25 Cross Street, Whitinsville. For information: 508-234-3677.

    December 7-Annual Holiday Bake Sale, St. Paul Church, 645 S. Lewis
    Avenue, Waukegan, Illinois, 9 am to 3 pm. Enjoy authentic Armenian &
    American pastries and plan to stay for lunch at St. Paul Café. For
    information or pre-orders, 847-244-4573.

    December 7-ARS New York Erebouni chapter presents dinner & dancing
    honoring the Mother of the Armenian Family, St. Sarkis Church, Main
    Hall, 38-65 234th Street, Douglaston, New York, 8 pm. Featuring Steve
    Karageozian and his Band. Full mezze and dinner. Donation $60 adults;
    $20 children age 5 to 12; under age 5 free. For tickets and
    reservations: Nayda, 516-739-0805 or Vicky 516-365-0971.

    December 7-St. Hagop Church, 4100 Newman Road, Racine, Wisconsin,
    Annual Holiday Food Fair, 11 am to 4 pm. Come and enjoy Armenian food
    prepared by the parishioners including pilaf, hummus, cheese puffs,
    katah, choreg, sari bourma, khurabia, pulled beef sandwiches, plus
    many other delicious Armenian delicacies. For information contact
    Denise Lansing 261-672-9265.

    December 8-Requiem Service marking the 10th anniversary of the passing
    of His Eminence Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian, at St. Illuminator's
    Cathedral, 221 East 27th Street, New York City. His Eminence
    Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan will celebrate the Divine Liturgy, deliver
    the sermon, and preside over the Requiem Service.

    December 8-Luncheon Fundraiser to benefit the Armenian community in
    Syria hosted by the ARS New York Mayr Chapter, 2 pm at Almayass
    Restaurant, 24 E. 21st Street, New York City. Donation: $75; children
    under 12, $25. Includes full lunch, wine, and soft drinks. All
    proceeds will benefit Syrian-Armenian relief efforts. Seating is
    limited. For reservations: Anais (718-392-6982) or Houri
    (917-690-3060).

    December 12 to 22-`Lost and Found: The Pinajian Discovery,' a special
    exhibition from the extraordinary discovery of paintings by Arthur
    Pinajian that were rescued and preserved will take place at
    St. Illuminator's Cathedral, 221 East 27th Street, New York City. The
    limited run exhibition of 25 paintings will feature the artist's
    lyrical landscapes and mid-century abstractions. An afternoon
    reception hosted by St. Illuminator's Cathedral and Archbishop Oshagan
    Choloyan will take place on Sunday, December 15, from 1 to 4 pm. Art
    historian Peter Hastings Falk will discuss the discovery and the art.

    December 15-Simply Christmas Concert, St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston,
    New York.

    January 5, 2014-St. Sarkis Church, Dearborn, Michigan, Christmas Eve
    Concert following the Jerakalouyts Badarak. Concert features
    Farmington Community Chorus. Reception follows.

    January 6, 2014-Ladies Guild of St. Sarkis Church, Dearborn, Michigan,
    presents Annual Christmas Luncheon and Program in Lillian Arakelian
    Fellowship Hall.

    February 1, 2014-Valentine's Day Dinner Dance, St. Sarkis Church,
    Douglaston, New York.

    February 2, 2014-St. Sarkis Men's Club, Dearborn, Michigan, presents
    Super Bowl Party, at Lillian Arakelian Hall.

    February 9, 2014-St. Sarkis Church, Dearborn, Michigan, Book
    Presentation by Deacon Shant Kazanjian following the Divine Liturgy at
    Lillian Arakelian Hall.

    February 24-26, 2014-Annual Clergy Ghevontiantz Gathering hosted by
    Holy Cross Church, 255 Spring Avenue, Troy, New York.

    March 1, 2014-St. Sarkis Sunday School, Dearborn, Michigan, Poon
    Paregentan Costume Party for everyone, at Lillian Arakelian Hall.

    March 26, 2014-St. Sarkis Ladies Guild, Dearborn, Michigan, Mid-Lenten
    Luncheon following the Lenten morning service, Lillian Arakelian Hall.

    March 28, 2014-Musical Armenia Concert presented by Eastern Prelacy
    and Prelacy Ladies Guild, at Carnegie Hall, Weill Recital Hall, 8 pm.

    May 13-17, 2014-Clergy Conference and National Representative Assembly
    of the Eastern Prelacy, hosted by St. Sarkis Church, Dearborn,
    Michigan.

    June 1, 2014-Ladies Guild Annual Brunch, St. Sarkis Church,
    Douglaston, New York.

    June 1, 2014-St. Sarkis Church, Dearborn, Michigan, Toronto Children's
    Choir concert in the church sanctuary.

    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] 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]



    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
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