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ONE PRIEST'S INEXHAUSTIBLE MISSION IN ARMENIA
http://www.armenianweekly.com/2013/10/01/one-priests-inexhaustible-mission-in-armenia/
By Tom Vartabedian // October 1, 2013
WHITINSVILLE, Mass.-When it comes to performing mission work in
Armenia, look no further than Rev. Archpriest Aram Stepanian. In fact,
look again, and maybe several other times.
Rev. Archpriest Aram Stepanian and Yeretsgin Margaret perform a surplus
of missionary work in Armenia each year in addition to their duties
in Whitinsville, Mass.
The affable pastor of Soorp Asdvadzadzin Church has made the country
his second home and embraces the population he serves so religiously
and profoundly in the name of salvation. He visits it three to four
times a year, often with his wife Margaret and family by his side.
If it isn't operating a summer camp for orphans in July, it's taking
feeble tin shacks and turning them into respectable dwellings for
the indigent. Over the past 15 years, 175 homes have either been
constructed or refurbished.
"Lately, we've been purchasing flats and turning them into comfortable
living quarters to meet the pressing need," he says. "Donations are
often slow and volunteers are not easy to find but we somehow manage
through God's help."
Greenhouses are also built to supply resources and a livable standard
of life. His mantra may be "the Voice of the Armenian Church." In
reality, it's the actions of an individual who cares enough to do
his very best.
"The greenhouses were a complement," he concluded. "If you build a
resource, people will benefit."
And let's not forget the Agape meal in Etchmiadzin that he's been
serving up to the elderly for the past six years. The guest list ranges
from 70-75 and here again, volunteers kick in. More appropriately,
they call it the "love meal."
In the end, it's creating a better world for those who need it most.
"It's been a desperate calling to which I have answered as a
conscientious Armenian priest," says the 76-year-old. "Some people
might call it a mission. I refer to it as a labor of love."
The summer camp for orphans was organized four years ago. Each
July, the priest and his corps of volunteers take to a place called
Tsaghkadzor. Translated, it means "valley of flowers." It's located
50 kilometers north of Yerevan on the southern slope of the Teghenis
Mountains near Lake Sevan.
Rev. Archpriest Aram Stepanian (center) poses with 50 orphaned children
he directs each year at a summer camp in Armenia.
The area is known for its skiing prowess, a place where Olympic
athletes train and refine their skills. Somewhere in the miasma is
this camp operated by the University of Yerevan where 50 destitute
children arrive each year to spend a week of solidarity and comfort.
Their director is a guy who's affectionately called "Brother Aram." He
prefers the informality. To him, they're like his own kids.
The children range in age from 10-16 and more than half differ
from year to year. They are chosen by the Eastern Prelacy and are
desperately in need of care. Fun complements their enrollment.
The $10,000 it takes to fund the project annually is raised diligently
through the sister churches, private contributions, and businesses. No
shortfall is so big that it cannot be met through persistence.
"Because the children are coming from broken homes, with no father or
mother, we're able to create a big family atmosphere for them where
they would experience comfort, love, compassion, and care," he says.
"At the same time, we spread the word of God, teach them the Scriptures
and history of the church. Baptizing 15 children is only one of my
highlights. The gratitude shown is another," Der Aram adds.
Sixteen members of the Zartarian family of Boxboro, MA who helped
build a home in Armenia in memory of a loved one.
Two counselors were literally taken off the streets, served their
younger counterparts, and wound up becoming public accountants. Others
served with the military in Artsakh.
"I find myself getting motivated when I see lives being changed
drastically," he says. "They come to us under dire circumstances and
we get them back on track in God's world. The tears we shed are often
tears of joy and comfort."
One year, the good deed took a bad toll, sending him to the hospital.
Recovery was imminent and he was back on the job with barehanded
initiative.
They tell him there are no funds available. So he goes out and raises
his own. The cost of building supplies have soared over the years. No
matter. The priest finds a way.
It's only been 14 years before he was assigned a church out of
desperation. Since then, Soorp Asdvadzadzin has been his home. Prior
to that, he was a preaching deacon, traveling the world-yes,
universally-giving sermons and spreading the word of Christ.
Only when the hierarchy approached him with the need to take over a
pastor-less church did he relent.
One year, Der Aram took 22 volunteers from his community to Armenia.
Sixteen of them were from one family-the Zartarians of Boxboro. They
came with their grandmother, aunt, children, grandchildren, and in-laws
to personally help build the home, which was dedicated to the memory
of Garbis Zartarian.
"For 14 days, these energetic people worked diligently in the
oppressive 105-degree heat," he recalled. "So many times, I tried to
pull them aside to protect them from heat stroke. They wanted to be
left alone to finish their work."
One day, a hiatus had been scheduled from work. Instead of sightseeing
or relaxing, Der Aram's troops were mobilized on their own free will
and reported for duty.
The house they built was in memory of Peter Felegian. A third was
dedicated to the late Roy Talanian. Another was a condo purchased
for a single mother with two sons and an adopted niece.
The Stepanians are a year away from celebrating their golden
anniversary. They are parents to two children, Seta Mammola and Ara
Stepanian, and have two granddaughters.
It was at St. Stephen's Church in Watertown that Der Aram spent
37 years as a deacon and Sunday School superintendent before being
ordained in 1999 by Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, prelate.
Prior to that, his deacon years were shared with a working life. The
cleric worked as a car dealer and auto body mechanic. He sold cars
and ran a rental business. There was the electronics side and a dry
cleaning establishment.
The entrepreneur in him took a condemned building in Watertown and
transposed it into a state-of-the-art enterprise with seven employees.
It's been 14 years since he first arrived in Whitinsville, leading
a flock of 160 members best known for its eclectic picnics that
attract over 1,000. It's a parish that sponsors some 15 students
abroad through adulthood.
Much of his time is also rendered to the Northbridge Association
of Churches, working with 11 non-Armenian parishes. Together, they
perform all phases of charity work for a better community.
He was born in Der Zor, raised in Aleppo, and educated in Lebanon
and England before arriving here in 1961 and securing a degree from
Gordon-Conwell Theological School in Wenham.
"I remember bringing earthquake victims here for treatment and caring
for their needs," he recalled. "It's left an indelible image with me."
Not all has been bread and roses for Der Aram. Much as he hates to
admit it, the loyalty often gets put aside in favor of expatriation.
"I see talented people leaving Armenia and going to places like
Belgium, France, and Russia," he notes. "It's demoralizing the
population."
You never know what may transpire at customs. One day, he approached
the gate with bags of clothing and wares for the orphans when the
unthinkable occurred.
"They took all my packages away," he groaned. "I told them they
were for the orphans and they didn't care. Twenty-two children were
instantly deprived by callous individuals over-exercising their
authority. "It wasn't until I hooked up with an orphanage that I was
allowed free access."
Were there any other repercussions?
"Sometimes, you pay out of your pocket to customs," he reluctantly
admitted. "Whatever it takes, we manage to get the provisions through."
http://www.armenianweekly.com/2013/10/01/one-priests-inexhaustible-mission-in-armenia/
By Tom Vartabedian // October 1, 2013
WHITINSVILLE, Mass.-When it comes to performing mission work in
Armenia, look no further than Rev. Archpriest Aram Stepanian. In fact,
look again, and maybe several other times.
Rev. Archpriest Aram Stepanian and Yeretsgin Margaret perform a surplus
of missionary work in Armenia each year in addition to their duties
in Whitinsville, Mass.
The affable pastor of Soorp Asdvadzadzin Church has made the country
his second home and embraces the population he serves so religiously
and profoundly in the name of salvation. He visits it three to four
times a year, often with his wife Margaret and family by his side.
If it isn't operating a summer camp for orphans in July, it's taking
feeble tin shacks and turning them into respectable dwellings for
the indigent. Over the past 15 years, 175 homes have either been
constructed or refurbished.
"Lately, we've been purchasing flats and turning them into comfortable
living quarters to meet the pressing need," he says. "Donations are
often slow and volunteers are not easy to find but we somehow manage
through God's help."
Greenhouses are also built to supply resources and a livable standard
of life. His mantra may be "the Voice of the Armenian Church." In
reality, it's the actions of an individual who cares enough to do
his very best.
"The greenhouses were a complement," he concluded. "If you build a
resource, people will benefit."
And let's not forget the Agape meal in Etchmiadzin that he's been
serving up to the elderly for the past six years. The guest list ranges
from 70-75 and here again, volunteers kick in. More appropriately,
they call it the "love meal."
In the end, it's creating a better world for those who need it most.
"It's been a desperate calling to which I have answered as a
conscientious Armenian priest," says the 76-year-old. "Some people
might call it a mission. I refer to it as a labor of love."
The summer camp for orphans was organized four years ago. Each
July, the priest and his corps of volunteers take to a place called
Tsaghkadzor. Translated, it means "valley of flowers." It's located
50 kilometers north of Yerevan on the southern slope of the Teghenis
Mountains near Lake Sevan.
Rev. Archpriest Aram Stepanian (center) poses with 50 orphaned children
he directs each year at a summer camp in Armenia.
The area is known for its skiing prowess, a place where Olympic
athletes train and refine their skills. Somewhere in the miasma is
this camp operated by the University of Yerevan where 50 destitute
children arrive each year to spend a week of solidarity and comfort.
Their director is a guy who's affectionately called "Brother Aram." He
prefers the informality. To him, they're like his own kids.
The children range in age from 10-16 and more than half differ
from year to year. They are chosen by the Eastern Prelacy and are
desperately in need of care. Fun complements their enrollment.
The $10,000 it takes to fund the project annually is raised diligently
through the sister churches, private contributions, and businesses. No
shortfall is so big that it cannot be met through persistence.
"Because the children are coming from broken homes, with no father or
mother, we're able to create a big family atmosphere for them where
they would experience comfort, love, compassion, and care," he says.
"At the same time, we spread the word of God, teach them the Scriptures
and history of the church. Baptizing 15 children is only one of my
highlights. The gratitude shown is another," Der Aram adds.
Sixteen members of the Zartarian family of Boxboro, MA who helped
build a home in Armenia in memory of a loved one.
Two counselors were literally taken off the streets, served their
younger counterparts, and wound up becoming public accountants. Others
served with the military in Artsakh.
"I find myself getting motivated when I see lives being changed
drastically," he says. "They come to us under dire circumstances and
we get them back on track in God's world. The tears we shed are often
tears of joy and comfort."
One year, the good deed took a bad toll, sending him to the hospital.
Recovery was imminent and he was back on the job with barehanded
initiative.
They tell him there are no funds available. So he goes out and raises
his own. The cost of building supplies have soared over the years. No
matter. The priest finds a way.
It's only been 14 years before he was assigned a church out of
desperation. Since then, Soorp Asdvadzadzin has been his home. Prior
to that, he was a preaching deacon, traveling the world-yes,
universally-giving sermons and spreading the word of Christ.
Only when the hierarchy approached him with the need to take over a
pastor-less church did he relent.
One year, Der Aram took 22 volunteers from his community to Armenia.
Sixteen of them were from one family-the Zartarians of Boxboro. They
came with their grandmother, aunt, children, grandchildren, and in-laws
to personally help build the home, which was dedicated to the memory
of Garbis Zartarian.
"For 14 days, these energetic people worked diligently in the
oppressive 105-degree heat," he recalled. "So many times, I tried to
pull them aside to protect them from heat stroke. They wanted to be
left alone to finish their work."
One day, a hiatus had been scheduled from work. Instead of sightseeing
or relaxing, Der Aram's troops were mobilized on their own free will
and reported for duty.
The house they built was in memory of Peter Felegian. A third was
dedicated to the late Roy Talanian. Another was a condo purchased
for a single mother with two sons and an adopted niece.
The Stepanians are a year away from celebrating their golden
anniversary. They are parents to two children, Seta Mammola and Ara
Stepanian, and have two granddaughters.
It was at St. Stephen's Church in Watertown that Der Aram spent
37 years as a deacon and Sunday School superintendent before being
ordained in 1999 by Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, prelate.
Prior to that, his deacon years were shared with a working life. The
cleric worked as a car dealer and auto body mechanic. He sold cars
and ran a rental business. There was the electronics side and a dry
cleaning establishment.
The entrepreneur in him took a condemned building in Watertown and
transposed it into a state-of-the-art enterprise with seven employees.
It's been 14 years since he first arrived in Whitinsville, leading
a flock of 160 members best known for its eclectic picnics that
attract over 1,000. It's a parish that sponsors some 15 students
abroad through adulthood.
Much of his time is also rendered to the Northbridge Association
of Churches, working with 11 non-Armenian parishes. Together, they
perform all phases of charity work for a better community.
He was born in Der Zor, raised in Aleppo, and educated in Lebanon
and England before arriving here in 1961 and securing a degree from
Gordon-Conwell Theological School in Wenham.
"I remember bringing earthquake victims here for treatment and caring
for their needs," he recalled. "It's left an indelible image with me."
Not all has been bread and roses for Der Aram. Much as he hates to
admit it, the loyalty often gets put aside in favor of expatriation.
"I see talented people leaving Armenia and going to places like
Belgium, France, and Russia," he notes. "It's demoralizing the
population."
You never know what may transpire at customs. One day, he approached
the gate with bags of clothing and wares for the orphans when the
unthinkable occurred.
"They took all my packages away," he groaned. "I told them they
were for the orphans and they didn't care. Twenty-two children were
instantly deprived by callous individuals over-exercising their
authority. "It wasn't until I hooked up with an orphanage that I was
allowed free access."
Were there any other repercussions?
"Sometimes, you pay out of your pocket to customs," he reluctantly
admitted. "Whatever it takes, we manage to get the provisions through."