PRELATE WILL TRAVEL TO ILLINOIS

Archbishop Oshagan will travel to the Chicago area this weekend where on Sunday, November 6 he will celebrate the Divine Liturgy, deliver the sermon, and ordain 27 altar boys and girls at All Saints Armenian Church in Glenview, Illinois. A luncheon will follow in Shahnasarian Hall celebrating the 73rd anniversary of the parish and the ordination of the acolytes.

PRELATE AND VICAR WILL ATTEND LUNCHEON HONORING HIS HOLINESS KAREKIN II

On Tuesday, November 8, Archbishop Oshagan and Bishop Anoushavan will attend a luncheon in honor of His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos and Supreme Patriarch of All Armenians, hosted by Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Supreme Head of the Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch and All the East, at the Archdiocese Center in Paramus, New Jersey.

The Catholicos is visiting the United States to preside over a number of events including the official opening and dedication of the new campus of the Saint Nersess Seminary in Armonk, New York, the consecration of the chapel, and the ribbon-cutting of the Karekin I Theological Center that will take place next weekend.

ARCHBISHOP OSHAGAN IN WHITINSVILLE

Soorp Asdvadzadzin Church in Whitinsville, Massachusetts, celebrated its 59th anniversary last Sunday with the presence of Archbishop Oshagan, who celebrated the Divine Liturgy, ordained sub-deacon Raffi Samkiranian to the rank of deacon, and delivered the sermon. Following the service, His Eminence presided over the parish’s 59th anniversary celebration at the Pleasant Valley Country Club. Dr. Andre Markarian was the Master of Ceremonies and Peter Bedigian, chairman of the Board, presented welcoming remarks. 

Archbishop Oshagan presented the Prelacy’s Certificates of Merit to three recipients: Charles Gigarjian, Joyce Torosian, and Dorothy Arakelian for their years of dedicated service to the church. Mrs. Carol Bedrosian, president of the Ladies Guild, presented the newly ordained Deacon Raffi Samkiranian with a gold cross pendant. In his message, Rev. Fr. Mikael Der Kosrofian, pastor, stressed that it takes “faith, love, and hard work for the church community to thrive; as long as we continue to worship His name our solid foundation will remain unshaken.”  

The children of the parish, ages 1 to 14, presented a charming dance choreographed by Mrs. Kristi Markarian. The celebration came to a conclusion after the remarks offered by Archbishop Oshagan, who congratulated the church community on its anniversary and prayed for the continued success and prosperity of the parish, and looked forward to celebrating the parish’s 60th anniversary next year.

Archbishop Oshagan and Rev. Fr. Mikael with deacons, acolytes, and choir members after the Liturgy.

The Prelate ordains Deacon Raffi Samkiranian during the Liturgy.

Children of the parish offered a dance performance.

PRELATE ATTENDS BENEFIT LUNCHEON

Archbishop Oshagan attended a benefit luncheon for Syrian Armenians last Thursday at Krichian Grill & Bistro in Paterson, New Jersey, hosted by the Aleppo Compatriotic Charitable Organization (ACCO). Opening remarks were offered by Mrs. Rachel Nadjarian and Mr. Sarkis Balkhian presented the organization’s humanitarian projects that benefit Syrian Armenians in Armenia. Archbishop Oshagan delivered his message and encouraged everyone to support this humanitarian cause.

BIBLE READINGS

Bible readings for Sunday, November 6, Ninth Sunday of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, are: Isaiah 24:1-13; Ephesians 5:15-33; Luke 8:49-56. 

While he was still speaking, a man from the ruler’s house came and said, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher anymore.” But Jesus on hearing this answered him, “Do not fear; only believe, and she shall be well.” And when he came to the house, he permitted no one to enter with him, except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the child. And all were weeping and bewailing her; but he said, “Do not weep; for she is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But taking her by the hand he called, saying, “Child, arise.” And her spirit returned, and she got up at once; and he directed that something should be given her to eat. And her parents were amazed; but he charged them to tell no one what had happened. (Luke 8:49-56). 

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart, always and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father. 

Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, be subject to your husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. As the church is subject to Christ, so let wives also be subject to everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleaned her by the washing of water with the word, that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. Even so husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no man ever hates his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one.” This is a great mystery, and I mean in reference to Christ and the church; however, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. (Ephesians 5:15-33)

For a listing of the coming week’s Bible readings click here.

ARCHANGELS MICHAEL AND GABRIEL

This Saturday, November 5, the Armenian Church commemorates the Archangels Michael and Gabriel. The word “angel” (hreshdag) means messenger. Archangel is a title given to an angel of high rank in the celestial hierarchy.

Michael (Hebrew meaning “Who is like God”) is the prince of all angels and the leader of the celestial armies. He is considered to be the protector of Christians in general and soldiers in particular, and the guardian of the orthodox faith and defender against heresies.

Gabriel (Hebrew meaning “Strength of God”) is one of God’s chief messengers. He was God’s messenger to Daniel to explain his vision (Daniel 8:16-26) and prophecy (Daniel 9:21-27). He foretold the birth of John the Baptist and was the messenger announcing the forthcoming birth of Christ (Luke 1:11-21).

Alenoush Terian, known as the “mother of contemporary astronomy in Iran,” broke the glass ceiling many decades before the term “glass ceiling” was ever used in English.
She was born on November 9, 1920, in Tehran. Her mother had studied in Switzerland and was a French teacher, while her father, native of Nor Jugha, the Armenian suburb near Ispahan, was a writer and became the director of the Sepah Bank for the last twenty years of his life.

Alenoush Terian graduated in 1947 from the Faculty of Science of the University of Tehran and went to work in the physics laboratory of her alma mater. A year later, she was name head of operations of the laboratory.

She tried to convince her professor, Mahmoud Hesabi, to help her get a scholarship to pursue studies in France. However, she was rejected because she was a woman. This did not deter her from going to Paris with her father’s financial support. She studied at the Faculty of Atmospheric Physics of the Sorbonne and obtained a master’s degree in 1956. She was offered a teaching job there, but she rejected it with the aim of bringing her services to Iran. She returned and became an assistant professor of Thermodynamics at the Faculty of Physics in Tehran University.

The situation had changed by 1959, when Western Germany offered a scholarship to Tehran University for studies in the observatory of solar physics for four months. Alenoush Terian was selected for the scholarship and went to Germany in March 1961. After finishing her stint, she returned to Iran. In May 1964 she received the grade of full professor, and became the first female professor of Physics in Iran.

In 1966 she became a member of the Geophysics Committee of Tehran University. Three years later, she was named chairman of the study group of solar physics at the Geophysics Institute of the university and went to work at the solar observatory, which she had helped found. She retired in 1979.

She did not marry, but devoted her entire life to her students. As one former student stated, “She always said that she had a daughter called moon and a son called sun.”
The Iranian TV made a documentary on her life, “Towards the Sun,” in 2003. She was decorated in 2006 by Iran’s former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Alenoush Terian passed away on March 4, 2011, after spending the last years of her life at a nursing home. In her will, she left her home to the Armenian community of Nor Jugha and to those students who do not have a proper living place.

Previous entries in “This Week in Armenian History” are on the Prelacy’s web site (www.armenianprelacy.org).

SECOND PRINTING OF PERSIAN EDITION OF HISTORY OF NEW JULFA DIOCESE

The Emergence of the Armenian Diocese of New Julfa in the Seventeenth Century, by Vazken S. Ghougassian, Executive Director of the Eastern Prelacy, was translated and published in Persian (Farsi) in April 2015. The first edition quickly sold-out and last month a second printing of the work was published in Iran. 

The book is based on Dr. Ghougassian’s PhD dissertation defended at Columbia University in April 1995 that was accepted with distinction. The book was published in 1998 by Scholars Press in the University of Pennsylvania Armenian Texts and Studies Series. The volume received glowing reviews and is considered a valuable source for the history of the New Julfa diocese. 

The Persian translation was done by Said Karimpur and published by Amir Kabir Publishers. The 430 page hardcover volume contains 32 full-color illustrations.

“TRUNK OR TREAT” IN GRANITE CITY

Some parishioners who participated in the Trunk or Treat event last Sunday, October 30, at St. Gregory the Illuminator Church, Granite City, Illinois.

IT’S TIME TO FALL BACK

We will be returning to Standard Time this weekend. So don’t forget to adjust your clocks back one hour this Sunday. 

TUESDAY IS ELECTION DAY

It’s been a long and hard road, but finally Tuesday is Election Day (sigh!). 

President Dwight D. Eisenhower offered the following “Prayer for Our Leaders,” in his inaugural address on January 20, 1953.

Almighty God, as we stand here at this moment my future associates in the executive branch of government join me in beseeching that Thou will make full and complete our dedication to the service of the people in this throng, and their fellow citizens everywhere. Give us, we pray, the power to discern clearly right from wrong, and allow all our words and actions to be governed thereby, and by the laws of this land. Especially we pray that our concern shall be for all the people regardless of station, race, or calling. 

May cooperation be permitted and be the mutual aim of those who, under the concepts of our Constitution, hold to differing political faiths; so that all may work for the good of our beloved country and Thy glory. 

Before all else, we seek, upon our common labor as a nation, the blessings of Almighty God. And the hopes in our hearts fashion the deepest prayers of our whole people. 

May we pursue the right—without self-righteousness. 

May we know unity—without conformity. 

May we grow in strength—without pride in self. 

May we, in our dealings with all peoples of the earth, ever speak truth and serve justice. 

And so shall America—in the sight of all men of good will—prove true to the honorable purposes that bind and rule us as a people in all this time of trial through which we pass.