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Western Prelacy News - 02/28/2014

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  • Western Prelacy News - 02/28/2014

    February 28, 2014
    Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
    H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate
    6252 Honolulu Avenue
    La Crescenta, CA 91214
    Tel: (818) 248-7737
    Fax: (818) 248-7745
    E-mail: [email protected]
    Website: www.westernprelacy.org


    PRELATE TO PRESIDE OVER DIVINE LITURGY AT
    ST. MARY'S CHURCH ON THE EVE OF GREAT LENT

    Sunday, March 2nd, 2014 is the Eve of Great Lent, or "Poon
    Paregentan".
    On this day, H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate, will
    preside over Divine Liturgy and deliver the sermon at St. Mary's Church in
    Glendale.

    ***

    GREAT LENT SUNRISE AND VESPER SERVICES

    Monday, March 3rd is the start of Great Lent.
    During the Lenten period, Sunrise and Vesper services take place in
    Prelacy Churches on Wednesday morning and Friday evenings respectively.
    Keeping with tradition, on Wednesday, March 5th, the Prelate will
    preside over the first Sunrise service of the Lent season at Holy Martyrs
    Church in Encino and will deliver his message. Ferrahian School students
    who will be in attendance. The service begins at 10:00 a.m.
    Following the service, the Prelate will attend the annual Great Lent
    luncheon organized by the local ARS "Anahid" Chapter at "Dikranian" Hall,
    during which His Eminence will convey his blessings and message.

    ***

    WESTERN PRELACY VARTANANTS CELEBRATION AT
    ST. SARKIS CHURCH IN PASADENA

    On Thursday, February 27, 2014, the legacy of the Vartanants saints
    was honored at St. Sarkis Church in Pasadena with Divine Liturgy presided
    over by H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate, and with the
    participation of Prelacy clergy members.
    Rev. Fr. Boghos Tinkjian celebrated Divine Liturgy and delivered the
    sermon with the theme, "Father, those who sacrificed their bodies for You,
    became crucified for Your Son, Jesus Christ," from the words of the
    Vartanants hymn. Fr. Boghos briefly went over the historical account of the
    battle from 451, stating that the heroes of Vartanants gave up their
    physical bodies for their faith in God, to receive spiritual crowns through
    their moral victory. Fr. Boghos urged the faithful to honor the memory and
    sacrifice of the Vartanants saints by following in their example and
    inspiration and defending our faith and identity from assimilation and
    secularism. Far away from our ancestral homelands, our church, preserved
    for centuries by the blood of St. Vartan, became a second homeland for us;
    in return, we must all become Vartans for our church, as the guardians of
    our faith, identity, and values, he concluded.
    Prior to the sermon, hymns dedicated to Vartanants were sung by the
    clergy, and Divine Liturgy concluded with the signing of nationalistic songs
    specific to this feast.
    After the service, the clergy were hosted to a reception by the
    parish Board of Trustees and Ladies Guild. Host parish pastor Rev. Fr.
    Boghos Baltayan welcomed the Prelate and his fellow clergymen. The Prelate
    commended the clergy as well as the parish pastor, Board members, and Ladies
    Guild.

    ***

    PRELACY CLERGY CELEBRATE THE
    FEAST OF ST. GHEVONTIANTS

    On Tuesday, February 25, 2014, all Prelacy clergy members gathered
    at Forty Martyrs Church in Orange County to collectively celebrate the Feast
    of St. Ghevontiants.
    The Prelate presided over all the day's services and events.
    The day began with morning service. At the end of the service the
    Prelate delivered the spiritual meditation on 1 Peter 3:8-13.
    Clergy then headed to Ghazarian Hall to convene the annual
    Ghevontiants clergy conference.
    In the afternoon clergy members gathered at Gugasian Hall for a
    Vartanants program presented by Ari Guiragos Minassian School students, at
    the conclusion on which the Prelate addressed the students.
    The clergy conference reconvened with a lecture by Rev. Fr. Karekin
    Bedourian on "Practical ministry in a pastor's daily life", followed by a
    lecture by Archpriest Fr. Vicken Vassilian on "Renewal of clergymen's vow
    through self-improvement".
    The conference concluded with the reading and discussion of the
    "Year of the Elder" Pontifical message.
    In the evening, Divine Liturgy was celebrated by Archbishop Yeprem
    Tabakian, who also delivered the sermon.
    The celebration came to a close with a reception at Gugasian Hall.
    In his address to the guests, the Prelate first introduced the
    clergy members and commended their service and devotion. He recalled the
    clergy who recently joined our Prelacy and also specifically remember the
    two recent pastors of Forty Martyrs Church, Archpriest Fathers Hrant
    Yeretzian and Nareg Pehlivanian, thanking them for their service on behalf
    of the community. His Eminence commended the parish pastor, Board of
    Trustees, and Ladies Guild for their dedicated service, and presented them
    all with mementos. The Prelate also commended the day's conference as
    organized, successful, and productive, and called on the parishes to
    exercise prudence and self-evaluation and improvement so that they fulfill
    their mission in a more organized and efficient manner.
    The day's St. Ghevontiants celebration came to a close with the
    Prelate's benediction.

    ***

    PRELATE PRESIDES OVER DIVINE LITURGY AT HOLY CROSS CATHEDRAL IN MONTEBELLO

    - REQUIEM FOR A.R.S. MEMBERS, LT. GURGEN MARGARYAN, AND SUMGAIT MASSACRE
    VICTIMS

    On Sunday, February 23rd, 2014, H.E. Archbishop Moushegh
    Mardirossian, Prelate, presided over Divine Liturgy and delivered the sermon
    at Holy Cross Cathedral in Montebello.
    By the ordinance of the Prelate and in coordination with the
    Armenian Relief Society Regional Executive, requiem was held in all Prelacy
    Churches for departed ARS members and benefactors. Requiem was also offered
    for the soul of Lt. Gurgen Margaryan on the 10th anniversary of his murder,
    and for the victims of the Sumgait, Baku, and Maragha massacres.
    The Prelate first greeted the faithful, among them Sunday School
    students. At the start of his sermon His Eminence reflected on the day's
    somber occasions. The Prelate spoke of the ARS as one of the most vital and
    beloved organizations in the life of the Armenian people and praised the
    organization's social, educational, health, welfare, and cultural mission
    across over two dozen countries around the world. "Today we remember
    departed ARS servants and benefactors who through their service and support
    contributed to the fulfillment of this organization's mission. We remember
    also Lt. Gurgen Margaryan, who was brutally murdered just for being
    Armenian, and the innocent victims of the Sumgait, Baku, Maragha, and other
    massacres, who were also targeted simply because of their ethnicity. May
    God grant peace to their souls and may their memory remain ever-blessed".
    The Prelate then turned to the day's reading from John 7:37-52 in
    which Jesus says, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who
    believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers
    of living water". Reflecting on the message of the passage, His Eminence
    stated that centuries later Jesus is and will always remain the source of
    true water, nourishing our souls and quenching a spiritual thirst that
    cannot be satisfied by anyone or anything else.
    His Eminence then spoke of the Ghevontiants and Vartanants feasts
    the Armenian Church would be observing in the week ahead honoring the
    indestructible faith, courage, dedication, patriotism, and sacrifice of our
    heroes in the name of God and our nation, to preserve our Armenian identity
    and religious freedom.
    At the conclusion of Divine Liturgy, the Prelate presided over the
    requiem service during which he noted the recent passing of benefactor
    Eleanor Dickranian and offered a prayer for the repose of her soul. The
    Prelate also contacted the benefactor's daughter, Laurel Karabian, to
    personally express condolences to her and family members on behalf of the
    Prelacy.

    ***

    PRELATE WELCOMES GOGUIKIAN FOUNDATION
    EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

    On Wednesday, February 26, 2014, H.E. Archbishop Moushegh
    Mardirossian, Prelate, welcomed the visit of Goguikian Foundation Executive
    Director Mrs. Soheila Hayek, who is currently in the U.S. to promote the
    Foundation's mission.
    Ms. Hayek reported that the Goguikian Foundation is a non-profit,
    apolitical foundation established in 2008 in Lebanon by Michel Goguikian,
    son of the late ambassador Jean Goguikian, with a mission to encourage young
    Lebanese Armenians to participate in the public sector by offering
    scholarships, financial aid, and classes. Lebanese citizens continue to
    face daily struggles such as water shortages, electricity outages, and
    general poverty, said Ms. Hayek, and so the Goguikian Foundation aims to
    improve the daily lives and overall standard of living of Lebanese citizens
    by encouraging the youth to enter the public sector and bring about positive
    changes for the country.
    The Prelate welcomed Ms. Hayek and conveyed his well wishes to Mr.
    Goguikian, who was unable to participate in the visit. Acknowledging that
    youth involvement is vital to a nation's future, His Eminence commended the
    Foundation's endeavors and wished them success in their important mission.

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