Weekly News – October 26, 2012

97TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE OURFA RESISTANCE
TO BE COMMEMORATED IN LA CRESCENTA

On Sunday, October 28, 2012, the 97th anniversary of the heroic Ourfa resistance will be commemorated with requiem service and a memorial luncheon at the Prelacy “Dikran and Zarouhie Der Ghazarian” Hall,.

The day will begin with Divine Liturgy presided over by H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate, who will also deliver the sermon.

At the conclusion of Divine Liturgy, requiem service will take place for the souls of fallen heroes of Ourfa. The service will be followed by a memorial luncheon under the auspices of the Prelate and organized by the Armenian Compatriotic Union of Ourfa.

The luncheon features opening remarks by Lt. Col. John Keusseyan, guest speaker Mr. Levon Parian, keynote speaker Dr. Minas Kojayan, and entertaintment by Mr. Khatchig Tankian.

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PRELATE WELCOMES ARCHBISHOP OSHAGAN CHOLOYAN

On Friday, October 26, 2012, H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate, welcomed H.E. Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, Prelate of the Eastern U.S., who is currently on a brief visit to the Western U.S.

The two Prelates discussed general issues of concern to both Prelacies and collaborative efforts under the umbrella of the Holy See of Cilicia, the efforts of their respective Prelacies with regards to providing aid to the Syrian-Armenian community, and the commemoration of the Genocide Centennial.  They also discussed the Ghevontiants Clergy Conference which the Western Prelacy host early next year with the participation of the three North American Prelacies.  Each Prelacy holds a clergy conference annually on the Feast of Ghevontiants, and every two years the three Prelacies hold a joint conference with the participation of their respective Prelates and clergy members.

By the invitation of the Prelate, on Sunday, October 28, Archbishop Choloyan will deliver the sermon at St. Gregory Church in San Francisco.

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CONSTRUCTION PROGRESSING RAPIDLY ON
ST. GARABED CHURCH OF LAS VEGAS

We are pleased to announce that construction on St. Garabed Church and Cultural Center of Las Vegas is progressing at a rapid pace.

The construction project began in June of 2012 with the demolition of the existing structure and the placing of the foundation.  Presently, late October, the church structure has already been erected thanks to the diligence of the Parish Council and Building Committee.

Once completed, the complex will serve as the spiritual and cultural hub for the Armenian community of Las Vegas and for visitors alike.

This project is being realized thanks to the generosity of benefactor Mr. Larry Barnes and contributions by the Dream Fund at UCLA.

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PRELATE TO DELIVER INVOCATION AT THE
ANC-WR ANNUAL BANQUET

On Sunday, October 28, the Prelate will deliver his message at the Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region annual banquet, which will be held at the Beverly Hills Hilton.  This banquet is the largest annual gathering of Armenian-American public policy leaders and is attended by prominent members of Congress, State Legislators, and community leaders.

This year’s honorees are Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Revered Joe Matossian, historian Dr. Rubina Peroomian, author Chris Bohjalian, and entrepreneur Varant Melkonian.

The Prelate was among last year’s honorees.  He was bestowed with  the first ever “Khrimian Hayrig” award for his decades of spiritual leadership and efforts as an advocate of truth, justice, and human rights.

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SYRIAN ARMENIAN RELIEF FUND BENEFIT DINNER

On the evening of Friday, October 26th, the Prelate will attend a fundraising dinner at the Pasadena Armenian Center to benefit the Syrian Armenian Relief Fund.

The evening features entertainment by Harout Pamboukjian, Shahe Sakayan, Koko Hayitian, and the Bel Canto String Quartet.

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IN CELEBRATION OF THE “YEAR OF THE ARMENIAN BOOK”

PRESENTATION OF ALICE NAVASARGIAN’S LATEST BOOK
THE IMMORTALS

In celebration of the “Year of the Armenian Book”, on Thursday, October 18, 2012, the second in a series of literary luncheons was held at the Prelacy “Dikran and Zarouhie Der Ghazarian” Hall under the auspices of H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate, and organized by the Prelacy Ladies Auxiliary.

The event featured the presentation of author Mrs. Alice Navasargian’s latest book The Immortals: A Pictorial Anthology of Historiographic Works and a Brief History of Armenia and Armenians in Persia.  This is the author’s third book devoted to Armenian contributions to the arts.

Prominent scholar and author Mr. Stepan Topchyan presented the book.

Among the guests in attendance were Crescenta Valley Pastor Rev. Fr. Ghevont Kirazian, Executive Council Chair Mrs. Rima Boghossian, sponsors, friends, and representatives of sister organizations.

The event began with welcoming remarks delivered by Ladies Auxiliary Chair Mrs. Salpi Srourian, who then invited the Prelate for the invocation and the blessing of tables.  Continuing her remarks, Mrs. Srourian noted that the day’s event is among those organized by the Ladies Auxiliary in celebration of the “Year of the Armenian Book” as proclaimed by H.H. Catholicos Aram I.  She concluded by giving a brief overview of Mrs. Navasargian’s literary accomplishments, among them her third book The Immortals.

After lunch there was a brief cultural program during which Mrs. Srourian recited a poem by Barouyr Sevag.  She then invited the day’s keynote speaker to present the book.

Mr. Topchyan began by commending the book, noting that in addition to having historical and cultural significance, Mrs. Navasargian’s latest book is of importance to the present day.  He reflected on certain portions of the book which relate to our cultural losses in the past and in modern times, stating that as it was centuries ago, today also Armenia finds itself under the influence of outside powers, and it shapes its life and new history in that environment while Azerbaijan and Turkey continue their efforts to obliterate our cultural heritage, specifically noting the recent destruction of ancient stone-crosses in the Jugha cemetery of Nakhichevan.  Mr. Topchyan highlighted that The Immortals is a reflection of greatness of the Armenian people, a greatness that came about through immortals such as those found in the book.  In conclusion, Mr. Topchyan focused on portions of the book that are devoted to the contributions of Iranian-Armenians to our cultural and national life, which our people are generally not too familiar with, and closed his remarks by once again commending Mrs. Navasargian for bringing to life the message of our immortals.

Following the presentation, Mrs. Srourian invited the Prelate to deliver his message.

The Prelate first highly commended the Ladies Auxiliary for organizing important events such as this presentation.  His Eminence then reflected on the book’s important subject matter and the author’s praiseworthy work in the preparation of the book.  The Prelate continued his message by citing passages from one of Barouyr Sevag’s poems, the message of which is that in our collective life it is not the “individual” but rather the individuals that make up the “collective” which brings about progress.  It is not the “I” but the “We” that is important.  This book, stated the Prelate, brings together individuals and represents their story as a collective.  This colossal work is in itself an immortal work, bringing to life the message of the martyrs and heroes who built our history, and it can be regarded as a guidebook for the familiarization and preservation of our religious and national values, and an example to think and serve not in terms of “I” but in terms of “We”, the collective good.  The Prelate highly commended Mrs. Navasargian for her work, which shows that she not only compiled in one volume the lives and stories of our immortals, but revealed the true depth of their message and legacy.  “As we read and learn about our immortals, we must apply their message and build our national and religious legacy, be the preachers of those values and live our lives led by their example, with humility, the spirit of service, and love”, concluded the Prelate.

Mrs. Navasargian was then invited to deliver her remarks on this occasion.  The author first conveyed her thanks and gratitude to the Prelate and Ladies Auxiliary for their initiative to organize this event and for the successful outcome of the event.  She also thanked Mr. Topchyan for his apt presentation, expressed appreciation to all those who contributed to the preparation of her latest book, and hoped that through this book she will have contributed to the familiarization and preservation of the Armenian history and heritage. In conclusion, she thanked the guests for the appreciation and encouragement of our culture and values they demonstrated by their attendance.

At the conclusion of the official program, the Prelate presented Mrs. Navasargian with a memento, and the Ladies Auxiliary presented the author with a bouquet of flowers.

Guests then had the opportunity to converse with Mrs. Navasargian and purchase signed copies of her book, the proceeds of which the author donated to the Prelacy.

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