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| CENTRAL RELIGIOUS COUNCIL MEETS IN ANTELIAS The Plenary meeting of the Central Religious Council of the Holy See of Cilicia began today, Thursday, January 23, in Antelias, Lebanon, under the Presidency of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I. Archbishop Oshagan is participating in the meeting as a member of the council. The 13-member committee is comprised of representatives of resident members of the Cilician Brotherhood and the Prelates serving the worldwide Prelacies under the jurisdiction of the Holy See of Cilicia. Topics discussed and studied include: Christian education; Sunday Schools; Religious publications; Programs for the youth; Ecumenical relations; Reform of the Church; The Seminary; Forthcoming Meeting of the Brotherhood in April; Armenian Church University Students Association; Armenian Church University Alumni Association; Concerns, questions and proposals.
GHEVONTIANTZ CLERGY GATHERING The annual clergy gathering on the occasion of the Feast of St. Ghevont and the Priests will take place February 24 to 26. Clergy from the Eastern and Canadian Prelacies will be meeting jointly this year at Holy Cross Church in Troy, New York.
SAVE THE DATES FOR NRA The 2014 National Representative Assembly (NRA), along with the Clergy Conference, and the Conference of the National Association of Ladies Guilds (NALG), will take place May 13-17, hosted by St. Sarkis Church, Dearborn, Michigan. Watch for details.
ARCHPRIEST FR. ANTRANIG BALJIAN VISITS SENIORS Archpriest Fr. Antranig Baljian, pastor of St. Stephen’s Church, Watertown, Massachusetts, performed the water blessing service and offered communion to the residents of the Armenian Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. Der Antranig spoke with the residents and ushered in the Year of the Seniors, as proclaimed by His Holiness Aram I.
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 | Archpriest Fr. Antranig Baljian offers communion to the residents of the Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. | |  | Der Antranig performs the Blessing of the Water service, after which the residents partook the holy water. | |
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| REUNION OF RESCUE TEAM IN 1988 EARTHQUAKE Board of Trustee members of Soorp Khatch Church, Bethesda, Maryland, Dr. Zareh Soghomonian together with his wife, Emma, and Dr. Dikran Kazandjian, along with his wife Dr. Haykouhi Kazandjian, met with the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, Virginia Task Force 1, the emergency rescue team that was deployed from the United States to Armenia immediately after the 1988 earthquake. The Armenia mission was the first rescue deployment for the Task Force, and many lessons were learned that were helpful for subsequent rescue missions. Members of the Task Force acknowledge that the Armenia mission remains the most spiritual and symbolic for them. The Task Force is recognized throughout the United States and the world as a premier leader in the provision of training in catastrophic event mitigation, readiness, and response and recovery techniques. The team expressed its gratitude for the decades-long warmth and hospitality it has received from the Washington area Armenian community. Rev. Fr. Sarkis Aktavoukian, pastor of Soorp Khatch Church, and the Board of Trustees are planning to organize a seminar to reintroduce the team to the Armenian community, especially to the younger generations who do not remember the devastating earthquake that occurred 25 years ago, and the unprecedented worldwide response.
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 | The original team in 1988. | |  | The team reunited in 2014. | |
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| BIBLE READINGS Bible readings for Sunday, January 26, Second Sunday after Nativity, are: Isaiah 58:13-59:7; 1 Timothy 4:12-5:10; John 3:13-21. No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God. (John 3:13-21) For a listing of the coming week’s Bible readings
click here.
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HOLY FATHERS ATHANASIUS AND CYRIL This Saturday, January 25, the Armenian Church remembers the Holy Fathers Athanasius and Cyril. Athanasius was a bishop and doctor of the church. He was born and died in Alexandria. While a deacon he attended the Council of Nicaea in 325, where he was a strong opponent of Arianism. He served as Bishop of Alexandria for 46 years; about 17 of those years were spent in exile because of disagreements with the emperor. Much of his writings have survived, as well as some of his letters. Athanasius is one of the four great Greek doctors of the church, along with Basil the Great, John Chrysostom, and Gregory of Nazianzus. Cyril of Alexandria, a father and doctor of the church, was born in Alexandria, and was the nephew of the patriarch of that city. He presided over the third Ecumenical Council at Ephesus. He wrote treatises that clarified the doctrines of the Trinity and the Incarnation. He was a brilliant theologian of the Alexandrian tradition and highly respected by the Church of Armenia.
VAHAN OF GOGHTN Today, Thursday, January 24, the Armenian Church remembers Vahan Goghtnatzi. As a young child he and other children of Armenian nobility were taken to Damascus for education. When they reached adulthood, the Arab overlords granted them permission to return to Armenia. Vahan promised his overlord he would return. Vahan married and established himself over his father’s lands; however the Arab overlords demanded his return. After fleeing from place to place, Vahan surrendered and expressed his desire to remain in Armenia and practice his Christian religion. He was imprisoned and martyred. It is believed that the melody and words of the sharagan (hymn) dedicated to Vahan (Zarmanali e ints) were written by his sister. Your sighs and cries of repentance are more pleasant to me than songs or music. O blessed lord Vahan, God chosen one. Arousing all the powers of my soul, it even more urges me to compose in your honor not a sad elegy, but a hymn that is spiritual, joyful, of praise which calls others to walk in your footsteps. O blessed lord Vahan, servant of Christ.
(From the sharagan dedicated to Vahan of Goghten, from the Liturgical Canons of the Armenian Church)
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| NEWS FROM THE CATHOLICOSATE
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| WCC GENERAL SECRETARY AND CATHOLICOS MEET The General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit and staff responsible for the Middle East, met with His Holiness Aram I upon his arrival in Geneva, to discuss the agenda of the WCC Ecumenical and International meeting on Syria, the contribution of His Holiness, and possible outcomes to be communicated to the UN Geneva 2 Conference on Syria. His Holiness and the General Secretary also discussed the 10th Assembly and ecumenical priorities. His Holiness shared his vision with Rev. Dr. Tveit based on his fifteen-years of experience at Moderator of the WCC.
CATHOLICOS PARTICIPATES IN INTERNATIONAL CONSULTATION His Holiness Catholicos Aram participated in consultations that took place at the headquarters of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Geneva, Switzerland. Participants included religious leaders from Syria and the Middle East Council of Churches, representatives from churches from countries of the Action Group for Geneva 1, and other international ecumenical organizations. The General Secretary of the WCC, Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit, welcomed the distinguished participants and explained that the purpose of the meeting was to prepare a common Christian response to be presented to the UN-Arab League Special Representative, Lakhdar Brahimi, on the final day of the consultation. The Catholicos proposed nine points that were adopted as the basis of the common statement of the consultation that was presented to Mr. Brahimi.
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| THIS WEEK IN ARMENIAN HISTORY
(Prepared by the Armenian National Education Committee[ANEC])
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| Birth of Paruyr Sevak (January 26, 1924) Paruyr Sevak was the successor of Yeghishe Charents in Soviet Armenian poetry, and was widely admired during his lifetime. Both had a short life, tragically cut off, although under different circumstances. Paruyr Ghazarian was born in the small village of Chanakhchi (now Zangakatun), in the district of Ararat, in Armenia. His parents were humble villagers. He attended the local school and graduated with honors in 1940, moving to Yerevan to study at the philological faculty of Yerevan State University. He had written his first poetry at the age of thirteen, and three of his poems appeared for the first time in the monthly Sovetakan Grakanutiun in 1942, with the signature Paruyr Sevak. The editor of the monthly, Ruben Zarian, was a literary scholar fond of Rupen Sevag, a fine poet who had been killed together with Taniel Varoujan in the Armenian genocide, and thought of perpetuating his memory by using his name as a pseudonym for the 18-year-old beginner. Sevak graduated in 1945 and started postgraduate studies of Armenian literature at the Manuk Abeghian Institute of Literature of the Armenian Academy of Sciences. However, he had to cut his studies short in 1948. In the same year, he published his first book, The Immortals Command. He married linguist Maya Avagian and had a son, Hrachia. In 1951 he moved to Moscow to study at the Maxim Gorky Institute of World Literature. There he met his future second wife, Nelly Menagharishvili, who would give him two more sons, Armen and Koriun. He graduated in 1955 and worked there from 1957-1959 as an instructor at the chair of Literary Translation. Meanwhile, during the eight years of ostracism, he had managed to publish poetry, translations, and literary criticism in the Soviet Armenian press. His three books of poetry, however (Uncomprising Intimacy, 1953; Love Road, 1954; and With You Again, 1957), failed to unleash his entire potential. His long poem of 1959, The Unsilenced Belfry, dedicated to the life of Komitas Vardapet, made his name instantly known by Armenian readers throughout the world. The book earned him the National Prize of Armenia in 1966. Sevak went back to Yerevan in late 1959, and returned to the Manuk Abeghian Institute of Literature as a scholarly researcher from 1963-1971. He served as secretary of the Board of the Writers Union of Armenia from 1966-1971. In 1968 he was elected a representative at the Supreme Soviet of the Armenian SSR. During the sixties, Sevak became the most powerful voice of Armenian poetry, and his articles on literary and public issues were widely read. In 1963 he published a groundbreaking collection of poetry, The Man in the Palm, which marked the return to the path of modernism that had been closed since the death of Charents a quarter of a century before. In 1966 the poet and scholar defended a doctoral dissertation on the life and work of Sayat-Nova, the popular troubadour of the eighteenth century. After a defense of his dissertation that lasted four hours, his work was so highly esteemed that he was conferred with a second doctorate degree when the dissertation was approved and published in 1969. Paruyr Sevak was not a dissident, but, as many intellectuals under the Soviet regime, some of his work clashed with censorship. This was particularly notorious when his last collection of poetry, Let There Be Light, was printed in 1969, but because of censorship issues, the entire edition of 25,000 copies remained undistributed until his death on June 17, 1971, in a car crash, while driving back to Yerevan. His wife also died in the crash, and only his two children survived. The circumstances of the accident were suspicious, and they have given fodder to lingering doubts about foul play by the Soviet regime. The 47-year-old poet and his wife were buried in the backyard of his home, in Chanakhchi, which later became a museum. The village was renamed Zangakatun after the independence of Armenia in honor of his poem The Unsilenced Belfry (Անլռելի զանգակատուն, Anlreli zangakatun). Previous entries in “This Week in Armenian History” are on the Prelacy’s web site (www.armenianprelacy.org).
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| A NEW AND IMPORTANT RELEASE
THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Evidence from the German Foreign Office Archives, 1915-1916
Wolfgang Gust, editor
Translated from the German, this volume of more than 800 pages provides irrefutable evidence of the Genocide of the Armenians. The book contains hundreds of telegrams, letters, and reports from German consular officials in the Ottoman Empire to the Foreign Office in Berlin describing in detail the unfolding genocide of the Armenians. The documents provide evidence of the genocidal intent of the Young Turks, as well as the German government’s official acquiescence and complicity. Wolfgang Gust, the editor, is an independent scholar based in Germany. For many years he was Foreign News Editor and Correspondent with the German news magazine Der Spiegel. He is the author of two previous books and several articles about the Armenian Genocide and the Ottoman Empire. 814 pages, hard cover
$90.00, including shipping & handling
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A SPECIAL “GIVE-AWAY” SALE FOR CROSSROAD READERS PURCHASE A COPY OF THE RECENTLY PUBLISHED
HISTORICAL ATLAS OF ARMENIA This 110 page Atlas includes 30 maps, 174 photographs, and an accompanying CD with all of the maps. A great educational resource for everyone.
$40.00 plus shipping & handling
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AND RECEIVE FREE:
Armenia in Ancient and Medieval Times
By Robert Bedrosian
A 94-page soft cover book suitable for students aged 9 to 13. OR The following five workbooks FREE.
1. Elements of Armenian Church Architecture;
2. The Land of the Armenians;
3. My Origins: Discovering and Recording Family History;
4. Khatchkars: Armenian Stone Crosses;
5. Medieval Armenian Costumes: Paper Cut-Outs to color and display.
To take advantage of this special offer, or order baptismal towels contact the Prelacy Bookstore by email (books@armenianprelacy.org) or telephone (212-689-7810).
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| 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 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
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| January 31—Memorial Program dedicated to Sos Sargsyan, Armenian actor, playwright, people’s artist, and political activist, organized by Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society of New York, featuring Karine Kocharyan, Voice of Armenians TVNY, at the Armenian Center, 69-23 47th Street, Woodside, New York. Suggested donation: $7.00. For information: 718-565-8397. February 1—Valentine’s Day Dinner Dance, St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston, New York. February 2—St. Sarkis Men’s Club, Dearborn, Michigan, presents Super Bowl Party, at Lillian Arakelian Hall. February 6—Avak luncheon, noon, St. Gregory Church, 158 Main Street, North Andover, Massachusetts; p4rogram, Joe Almasian’s 20th anniversary representing Armenia in World Olympic Games at Lillehammer, Norway. February 9—St. Sarkis Church, Dearborn, Michigan, Book Presentation by Deacon Shant Kazanjian following the Divine Liturgy at Lillian Arakelian Hall. February 9—Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield, New Jersey, Bishop Anoushavan will celebrate the Divine Liturgy and deliver the sermon. Following the services, His Grace will make a presentation commemorating the 50th anniversary of the passing of Catholicos Zareh I, and the 30th anniversary of the passing of Catholicos Khoren I. February 24-26—Annual Clergy Ghevontiantz Gathering hosted by Holy Cross Church, 255 Spring Avenue, Troy, New York. March 1—St. Sarkis Sunday School, Dearborn, Michigan, Poon Paregentan Costume Party for everyone, at Lillian Arakelian Hall. March 26—St. Sarkis Ladies Guild, Dearborn, Michigan, Mid-Lenten Luncheon following the Lenten morning service, Lillian Arakelian Hall. March 28—Musical Armenia Concert presented by Eastern Prelacy and Prelacy Ladies Guild, at Carnegie Hall, Weill Recital Hall, 8 pm. March 27-April 6—Third Annual Online Auction hosted by Armenian Relief Society, Eastern USA, Inc. Auction items include Weekend Getaways, Unique Gifts, Restaurants, Hotels, Spa and Salon Services, Jewelry, Electronics, Artwork, Sports Memorabilia, and more. To view and bid on auction items during the auction dates: www.biddingforgood.com/arseastusa. To contact the ARS Auction committee: arseusaauction@gmail.com. May 13-17—Clergy Conference and National Representative Assembly, and Annual Conference of the National Association of Ladies’ Guilds (NALG) of the Eastern Prelacy, hosted by St. Sarkis Church, Dearborn, Michigan. June 1—Ladies Guild Annual Brunch, St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston, New York. June 1—St. Sarkis Church, Dearborn, Michigan, Toronto Children’s Choir concert in the church sanctuary.
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| 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@armenianprelacy.org 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: info@armenianprelacy.org
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