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| ST. GREGORY OF DATEV INSTITUTE COMPLETES 30th ANNUAL SUMMER PROGRAM
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The 2016 graduates with His Grace Bishop Anoushavan, Vicar General, and Dn. Shant Kazanjian, Executive Director of AREC, left to right, Karina Bayrakdarian, Aleen Takvorian, Natalie Avedissian, Bishop Anoushavan, Dn. Shant, Arev Ebrimian, Armen Eghian.
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The St. Gregory of Datev Institute held its 30th annual Summer Program for youth ages 13-18 at St. Mary of Providence Center in Elverson, Pennsylvania, from July 3-10, 2016, with the participation of 38 students.
Sponsored by the Prelacy’s Armenian Religious Education Council (AREC), and directed by Rev. Fr. Nareg Terterian, the Institute graduated five students this year, students who have completed four weeklong programs, one week each year, in all receiving over one hundred hours of instructions in the elements of the Christian faith.
The Intructors of the Institute were: His Grace Bishop Anoushavan, Very Rev. Fr. Zareh, Rev. Fr. Antranig Baljian, Rev. Fr. Gomidas Baghsarian, Rev. Fr. Sarkis Aktavoukian, Rev. Fr. Nareg Terterian, Rev. Fr. Hrant Kevorkian, Dn. Shant Kazanjian, Dn. James Haddad, and Mrs. Maggie Kouyoumdjian.
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ARCHBISHOP OSHAGAN AND CAMECT LEADERS MEET WITH NEW YORK POLICE COMMISSIONER
On Tuesday Archbishop Oshagan and other memers of “Christian and Arab Middle Eastern Churches Together (CAMECT),” met with William Bratton, New York Police Commissioner and members of the New York Police Chaplains Unit. The initiative came from the police department as part of its “Police and Community Working Together,” program. This was the second meeting with the Commissioner and a third meeting will take place in September.
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Archbishop Oshagan with Commissioner Bratton and other invitees to the Police Department’s community initiative. Archbishop Oshagan is president of CAMECT, which is comprised of more than a dozen churches based in the Middle East.
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RELIGIOUS AND EXECUTIVE COUNCILS MEET
The Religious and Executive Councils met on June 30 at the Prelacy offices in Manhattan with Archbishop Oshagan presiding.
Council members met with Dr. Vazken Ghougassian, Executive Director, and heads of various Prelacy departments to examine programs and initiatives planned for the 2016-2017 fiscal year. Several new Council members, elected in May at the annual Assembly, had the opportunity to meet staff members.
The 2016-2017 Religious Council consists of: Archbishop Oshagan, Prelate; Bishop Anoushavan, Vicar General; Archpriest Fr. Nerses Manoogian, Rev. Fr. Nareg Terterian, and Rev. Fr. Mesrob Lakissian.
The 2016-2017 Executive Council consists of: Jack C. Mardoian, Esq., Chairman; Noubar Megerian, Vice Chairman; Susan Erickson, Secretary; Daniel A. Gulbenkian, Treasurer; Karen Jehanian, Mark Phillips, and Veh Bezdikian.
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CATHOLICOS ARAM I: CELEBRATING TWENTY YEARS OF SERVICE
The more than two decades of visionary leadership of His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Holy See of the Great House of Cilicia, will be marked on Sunday, October 9. The celebratory day will begin with a Pontifical Divine Liturgy at Sts. Vartanantz Church in Ridgefield, New Jersey, celebrated by His Holiness. In the afternoon a special cultural program prepared specifically for this occasion will take place at the Marriott at Glenpointe in Teaneck, New Jersey, that will be followed with a banquet and anniversary celebration at the same venue. This event will be the one and only celebration honoring His Holiness within the Eastern Prelacy.
A special commemorative booklet is being prepared on this occasion that will chronicle the many accomplishments of His Holiness in different fields of his distinguished service to church and nation.
His Holiness was consecrated Catholicos of Cilicia on July 1, 1995. During the past twenty-one years under his leadership a new page in the history of the ancient Holy See of Cilicia has been filled with many accomplishments that include new initiatives for educational religious and cultural programs, strengthening the Diaspora and the Homeland, promoting and supporting ecumenism and interfaith relations, defending the Armenian Cause, and nurturing the physical and spiritual growth of the Cilician See.
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BIBLE READINGS
Bible readings for Sunday, July 17, Third Sunday of Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ, are Isaiah 5:1-10; 1 Corinthians 6:18-7:11; Matthew 19:3-12.
When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.
Pursue love and strive for the spiritual gifts, and especially that you may prophesy. For those who speak in a tongue do not speak to other people but to God; for nobody understands them, since they are speaking mysteries in the Spirit. On the other hand, those who prophesy speak to other people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. Those who speak in a tongue build up themselves, but those who prophesy build up the church. Now I would like all of you to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. One who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up. (1 Corinthians 6:18-7:11)
For a listing of the coming week’s Bible readings click here.
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THE HOLY FOREFATHERS…AND MORE
Today, Thursday, July 14, the Armenian Church remembers as a group the Holy Forefathers, including: Adam, Abel, Seth, Enosh, Noah, Melchizedek, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, Eleazar, Joshua, Samuel, Samson, Jephthah, Barak, Gideon.
On Monday, July 18, we remember Saints Maccabees, Eleazar the Priest, Samona and her seven sons. On Tuesday, July 19, we remember the Twelve Holy Prophets: Hosea, Amos, Micah, Joel, Obadiah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Jonah, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi.
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SONS AND GRANDSONS OF ST. GREGORY The Armenian Church collectively remembers the sons and grandsons of St. Gregory the Illuminator this Saturday, July 16, namely, Saints Aristakes, Vrtanes, Housik, Grigoris, as well as Daniel, who was not related, but was a distinguished and beloved student. All of them continued the work of St. Gregory, preaching the word of Christ as great personal peril.
Gregory had two sons, Aristakes and Vrtanes. Aristakes, the younger son, succeeded Gregory as Catholicos and was martyred around 333 A.D. Aristakes represented the Armenian Church at the first ecumenical council of Nicaea in 325. It was at this council that the Nicene Creed, recited to this day during the Divine Liturgy, was written and adopted. Vrtanes—at this time over 70 years old—was called upon to become catholicos and served eight years until his death. Vrtanes had two sons, Grigoris and Housig. Grigoris preached in the northern provinces (present day Georgia) where he was martyred. Housig, although not a clergyman, was called upon to assume the catholicosal throne. He was martyred in 347. Daniel is included with the sons and grandsons because of his special close relationship with the family. Daniel was chosen to succeed Housig as catholicos, but never actually served as he too was martyred one year later in 348.
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THIS WEEK IN ARMENIAN HISTORY Prepared by the Armenian National Education Committee (ANEC)
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Sis in Cilicia - photo by Hrair Hawk Khatcherian
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The Council of Adana (July 18, 1316)
The Armenian state of Cilicia (1080-1375), which had become a kingdom in 1198, started a process of decline in the fourteenth century. The end of the Crusades in 1270 and the fall of the last Crusader bulwark in 1291 were combined with the rise of the Mamluks of Egypt and the Turkmens in Konia, as well as the end of the alliance with the Mongol Empire. As a result, the kingdom looked to the West for help, which was fueled by the pro-Catholic trends of part of the nobility and the ecclesiastics.
The fifth council of Sis (1307) examined the request of Pope Clement V (1305-1314), the beginner of the period of the Avignon Papacy (1307-1377). The Pope demanded that the Armenians adopted Catholicism in exchange for military help from Europe. The pressure exerted by King Levon IV (1301-1307), his father Hetum (the former King Hetum II), and the recently elected Catholicos Gosdantin III (1307-1322) forced the members of the council to adopt the doctrine and the ritual of the Catholic Church, as well as the sovereignty of the Pope. The new rules established, in practice, the union of the Armenian Church and the Catholic Church.
The strongly negative reaction of the public and the ecclesiastics from Greater Armenia led to the councils of Adana (1308) and the sixth council of Sis (1309), which declared null and void the resolutions of 1307.
However, the new King Oshin I (1308-1320) started persecutions against the participants in those councils, and many of them were jailed or exiled. Some 500 ecclesiastics were exiled to Cyprus, where most of them died.
In 1316 Pope John XXII asked Oshin I to restore the resolution of 1307. To that end, the king and the Catholicos called upon the second council of Adana on July 18, 1316, with the participation of 18 bishops, 7 archimandrites, and 10 princes, mostly from the dioceses of Cilicia. The participants confirmed the resolution of 1307, which was again refused by the people and the ecclesiastics of Greater Armenia. The court tried to impose the measures by force and met with an obstinate rejection, particularly in Armenia, and its attempts to do the same in Armenia only deepened the internal division and weakened the resistance against the external enemies.
The help from the West never came, and the eighth council of Sis (1361) declared definitively null and void the resolutions of 1307 and 1316. It was too late. The kingdom of Cilicia, reduced practically to Sis and its surroundings, would fall to the Mamluks in 1375. The last period of Armenian independence before the twentieth came to an end.
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| PLEASE DO NOT FORGET: SYRIAN ARMENIAN COMMUNITY NEEDS OUR HELP MORE THAN EVER The crisis in Syria requires our financial assistance. Please keep this community in your prayers, your hearts, and your pocketbooks. 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.
OR IF YOU PREFER YOU MAY MAIL YOUR DONATION TO: Armenian Prelacy 138 E. 39th Street New York, NY 10016 Checks payable to: Armenian Apostolic Church of America (Memo: Syrian Armenian Relief) Thank you for your help.
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| Two Monumental Books from Hrair Hawk Khatcherian:
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100: 1915—2015 By Hrair Hawk Khatcherian
“This slow but sure unveiling of history is rendered in the spectacular images of this publication, as captured by the talented photographer Hrair Hawk Khatcherian. Since 1997, Hawk has combed and scoured all the regions from the Bosphorus to the borders of present-day Armenia, in more than 30 separate expeditions. … Hawk has been able to assemble a dazzling display of Armenian architecture, including some splendid monuments, often ignored, which have somehow survived destruction. While the year 1915 will forever serve as a marker for the annihilation of an ancient and vibrant culture, the images from this publication serve as a rich and varied counterpoint, showing the vibrant life that the executioners have been unable to eradicate.” (From the Introduction written by Claude Mutafian)
516 pages in full color; Text in English, Armenian, French
$150.00 plus shipping & handling
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ONE CHURCH ONE NATION By Hrair Hawk Khatcherian The young photographer made a vow in 1993 to photograph every Armenian Church in every country in the world, a promise that gave birth to this volume. “His photographs speak to the tremendous resilience of the human spirit. For a people that has been as dispersed as the Armenians, this is a remarkable volume that brings—through the vision and intense curiosity of one man—a remarkable gift to the collective soul. This is a monumental achievement. Through the power of modern technology, an ancient people are once again united in their common faith,” writes Atom Egoyan.
360 pages in full color; Text in English, Armenian, French
$100.00 plus shipping & handling To place an order or for information contact the Bookstore by email (books@armenianprelacy.org) or by telephone (212-689-7810).
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| LISTEN TO THE PODCAST WITH FATHER NAREG THIS WEEK! ITS THE DATEV EDITION!!
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This week’s podcast features: - Faith and Nation at Datev
- Interview with Aram Hamparian, Exeutive Director of the Armenian National Committee of America
- Bible Reflections
- And more!
CLICK ON THE IMAGE ABOVE TO LISTEN!
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
July 16—Sts. Vartanantz Church Ladies Guild and ARS Ani Chapter, “A Hye Summer Night 10 Dinner Dance,” featuring Hachig Kazarian, clarinet; John Berberian, oud; Ken Kalajian, guitar; Jason Naroian, dumbeg; Khatchig Jingirian, vocals. Alpine Country Club, 251 Pippin Orchard Road, Cranston, Rhode Island. Dinner buffet $55 per person; dance only $30; students $30. For tickets/information: Joyce Bagdasarian (401) 434-4467; Joyce Yeremian (401) 354-8770.
July 16—Armenian Relief Society of Eastern USA, Annual Convention Banquet and Cultural Program, featuring Huyser Music Ensemble of St. Illuminator’s Cathedral and Duet performance by Maral and Megheri Tutunjian, at Park Ridge Marriott Hotel, 300 Brae Boulevard, Park Ridge, New Jersey. Donation: $50. For reservations: Marina Babikian 201-888-5818.
July 19—St. Sarkis Church, Dearborn, Michigan, Ladies’ Guild presents “A Pilgrimage to Ethnic Churches of Detroit.” A guided tour of five historic churches in Detroit, 9 am to 5:30 pm, $45 per person. For reservations: Amy Hecht (248) 683-7155 or Mary Bedikian (248) 645-1490.
July 30—Armenian American Night, Harry Chapin Lakeside Theater, Eisenhower Park, East Meadow, New York. Armenian entertainment at its best. Sponsored by Nassau County Department of Parks, Recreation and Museums. For information: 516-761-0042 or 516-572-0355.
August 14—Annual Picnic, Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield, New Jersey, at the Wild Duck Pond, Ridgewood, New Jersey, following the Badarak.
August 14—St. Sarkis Church, Dearborn, Michigan, Annual Church Picnic at Kensington Park, 4570 Huron River Parkway, Milford, Michigan 48380. Lunch beginning at 12 noon includes delicious kebabs and refreshments. Blessing of the Grapes at 3 pm. Armenian music, picnic games, kids area, and much more, rain or shine. For information: Church office (313) 336-6200.
August 14—Sts. Vartanantz Church, Providence, Rhode Island, Annual Picnic under auspices of Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, at Camp Haiastan, Franklin, Massachusetts starting at 12 noon. Shish, losh, and chicken kebob dinners served all day. Armenian pastries and choreg available. Frenchies popcorn and apples. Blessing of the Grapes and Madagh at 3:30 pm. Music by Mike Gregian and Ensemble with guest Joe Zeitounian. All New England churches and communities are invited to attend. Rain or shine. For information: church office (401) 831-6399.
August 22—St. Sarkis Church, Dearborn, Michigan, 41st Annual Golf and Tennis Classic at Tam-O-Shanter Country Club. Golf and dinner $250. Dinner only $125. For information: Church office (313) 336-6200.
September 11—Picnic Festival sponsored by St. Gregory Church, of Merrimack Valley, noon to 5:30 pm, 158 Main Street, North Andover, Massachusetts. Music by Leon Janikian, John Berberian, Jason Naroian, and John Arzigian. Celebrating Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Shish, losh, chicken kebab, vegetarian dinners, take-out; family games and activities. Information: www.saintgregory.org or 978-685-5038.
October 6—SAVE THE DATE. Shadoyan Fashion Show “Exclusive Collection” of Evening Gowns and “Reincarnation” Armenian National Costumes. Sponsored by ARS Eastern USA. Details to follow.
October 9—SAVE THE DATE. Special event celebrating the 20th anniversary of the enthronement of His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia. Details will follow.
October 22—SAVE THE DATE. Armenian Friends of America presents Hye Kef 5, a 5-hour dance, 7 pm to midnight with buffet; Andover Windham, 123 Old River Road, featuring musicians Onnik and Ara Dinkjian, Johnny Berberian, Mal Barsamian, Jason Naroian and Paul Mooradian, with proceeds benefiting area Armenian churches. Advance tickets before September 1, $55, call either John Arzigian (603) 560-3826; Sharke Der Apkarian, (978) 808-0598; Lucy Sirmaian, (978) 683-9121, or Peter Gulezian, (978) 375-1616.
November 4, 5, 6—Annual Bazaar and Food Festival of Sts. Vartanantz Church, 461 Bergen Boulevard, Ridgefield, New Jersey. Live entertainment Friday and Saturday; children’s activities; vendors; homemade Manti, Kufte, Sou Buereg, Choreg, and more. Traditional Khavourma dinner on Sunday. Extensive Messe and dessert menu for your Thanksgiving table available for take-out.
November 12 and 13—Armenian Fest 2016, Sts. Vartanantz Armenian Church, Providence, Rhode Island, presents Armenian Food Festival at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet, Broad Street, Cranston, Rhode Island. Chicken, losh, and shish kebab and kufta dinners. Armenian delicacies, dancing to live music, arts and crafts, flea market, gift baskets, children’s corner, country store, jewelry, hourly raffles. Armenian Dance Group will perform on Saturday and Sunday at 5 pm. Armenian food and pastry available all day. Saturday, noon to 9 pm; Sunday, noon to 8 pm. For information: www.armenianfestri.com or church office, (401) 831-6399.
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