SAINT SARKIS NAME DAY

Archbishop Oshagan will celebrate the Divine Liturgy and deliver the Sermon at St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston, New York, on the occasion of the parish’s name-day celebration, this Sunday, February 5. His Eminence will ordain acolytes and sub-deacons as part of the celebrations of the Feast of St. Sarkis. Acolytes to be ordained are: Hovsep Terterian, Vahan Gostanian, Gary Nercessian, Aram Nenejian, Levon Nenejian, and Alex Demirdjian. Sub-deacons to be ordained are: Razmik Nenejian, Raffi Nenejian, Haig Baghdassarian, Areg Pogosyan, and Shont Voskerijian. The community will honor Deacon Frank Kabarajian in appreciation of his 50 years of service to the Armenian Church. A reception and artistic program will follow the church services in the main hall of the church. 

CAMECT MEETS AT PRELACY

Christian and Arab Middle Eastern Churches Together (CAMECT) met yesterday at the Prelacy offices in New York City. Joining the member churches at the meeting were the Deputy Mayor of New York, Howard Miller; the Executive Director for the Center for Faith and Community, Jonathan Soto; and a representative of the Archbishop of New York, Cardinal Timothy Dolan. The major discussion centered on the current situation of the Christians in the Middle East.

ARAXIE BOYADJIAN, 97

We extend heartfelt sympathy to the family of the late Araxie Boyadjian, widow of the well-known Armenian Diaspora poet and writer, Yetvart Boyadjian. She was a retired educator of 40 years and taught in schools in Anjar and later in Aleppo, as well as schools in Beirut including Sourp Nishan School, Sourp Hagop School, and the Nishan Palanjian Djemaran. She is survived by her children Hrayr Boyadjian (Margaret) and Sylva Boyadjian-Haddad (Farid) and three grandchildren and two great grandchildren. A memorial service will take place at St. Gregory the Illuminator Church in Philadelphia on March 4 at 11 am. In lieu of flowers donations can be made in her memory to the “Yetvart and Araxie Boyadjian Literary and Educational Fund,” established by her and her children some years ago at the Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church, or to St. Gregory the Illuminator Church in Philadelphia. Asdvatz Hokeen Lousavoreh.

BIBLE READINGS

Bible Readings for Sunday, February 5, Fourth Sunday after Octave of the Nativity (Eve of the Fast of the Catechumens) are: Isaiah 61:10-62:9; 2 Timothy 2:15-26; John  6:15-21. 

When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were going. (John 6:15-21)

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth. Avoid profane chatter,  for it will lead people into more and more impiety, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have swerved from the truth by claiming that the resurrection has already taken place. They are upsetting the faith of some. But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this inscription: “The Lord knows those are his,” and, “Let everyone who calls on the name of the Lord turn away from wickedness.” 

In a large house there are utensils not only of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for special use, some for ordinary. All who cleanse themselves of the things I have mentioned will become special utensils, dedicated and useful to the owner of the house, ready for every good work. (2 Timothy 2:15-26)

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

A NOTE ABOUT THE READINGS

There are no Bible readings according to the Armenian Liturgical calendar four days next week, Monday to Thursday, February 6 to 9. These four days without designated readings coincide with the Fast of the Catechumens, which begins Monday and ends on Friday. There is only one Bible reading for Friday, February 10, the entire book of Jonah. This period is traditionally a time for reflection and repentance, and a time for the clergy and laity to witness their faith to the un-baptized who are preparing for baptism. The Fast of the Catechumens, which is unique to the Armenian Church, leads to the Church’s remembrance of the prophet Jonah, whose “entombment” in the belly of the whale represents the three-day burial of Jesus, and Jonah’s release represents the resurrection of our Lord.

SONS AND GRANDSONS OF ST. GREGORY THE ILLUMINATOR

This Saturday, February 4, we celebrate the sons and grandsons of St. Gregory the Illuminator, Aristakes, Vrtanes, Housik, Gregoris, and Daniel. Aristakes was the youngest son of St. Gregory. He served the church beginning at a very early age and represented the Armenian Church at the First Ecumenical Council at Nicea in 325 AD. Vrtanes was the first of St. Gregory’s two sons. He succeeded his brother to the patriarchal throne in 333 AD. He worked tirelessly to spread Christianity and the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout Armenia. Housik, the youngest son of Vrtanes, became Patriarch at a young age. He diligently defended the authority of the Church for which he was martyred in 347 AD. Daniel is neither a son nor grandson of St. Gregory. An Assyrian by birth, he spent many years in Armenia as a student and was a protégé of St. Gregory who looked upon him as a son. He was instrumental in the conversion of Armenia to Christianity.

EVE OF THE FAST OF THE CATECHUMENS

This Sunday, February 5, is the Paregentan or Eve of the Fast of the Catechumens. A catechumen is someone who is receiving instruction in the fundamentals of the faith while preparing for baptism. This occurs three weeks before Poun Paregentan (Eve of Great Lent) and ten weeks before Easter. The Fast of the Catechumens is five days of strict fast (dzom). Traditionally, the Catechumens were instructed for several hours daily and required to stand through every church service, separate from the baptized congregation. This continued until Easter when the catechumens were baptized and anointed and received their first communion.

Historian and philologist Hakob Manandian was one of the most respected names in the field of Armenian Studies during the first half of the twentieth century.

He was born in Akhaltskha (Javakhk, nowadays Georgia) on November 22, 1873. He had his elementary education in the Karapetian School of his birthplace (1880-1883). In 1883, after the death of his father, he moved to Tiflis, where he continued his education in the first gymnasium of the city.

In 1893 twenty-years-old Manandian went to Germany to pursue higher education. He entered the School of Philosophy of the University of Jena, while following the courses of Oriental studies and linguistics at the universities of Leipzig and Strasbourg. He studied with the best scholars of the time, including well-known names in Armenian Studies like Heinrich Hübschmann and Heinrich Gelzer. In 1897 he defended his doctoral dissertation in philosophy  about the identity of the author of History of Aghvank, the earliest source on the history of the region between Artsakh and the right bank of the river Kura. This dissertation was published in Leipzig in the same year (Beiträge zur albanischen Geschichte, 1897).

Manandian moved to St. Petersburg in the fall of 1897 and finished his studies in one year at the School of Oriental Studies of the local university with a diploma of doctoral candidate in Armenian and Persian philology. After a year spent researching Armenian manuscripts in the libraries and museums of London, Paris, Vienna, and Venice, in 1899 he accepted an offer from the Gevorgian Seminary of Holy Etchmiadzin and started a thirty year career as an educator. He became a teacher of classical Greek and German, Greek literature, and history of philosophy until 1905. Meanwhile, he was one of the editors of the short-lived Armenological journal Zeitschrift für armenische Philologie (1901-1903).

In 1905 Manandian settled in Tiflis, where he taught German, Armenian, Armenian literature, English literature, and other subjects in the Russian gymnasia (1905-1907) and the Nersesian School (1906-1907). In 1909 he graduated from the Law School of the University of Dorpat (Tartu, nowadays Estonia). In the 1910s he moved to Baku and taught at the Popular University (1911-1913) and the Commerce School (1915-1919).

When Armenia declared its independence in 1918, Manandian was not only a seasoned teacher with two decades of experience, but also a well-reputed scholar. He was invited by the University of Yerevan in December 1919 (officially opened in Alexandropol) and became acting dean of the School of History, Linguistics, and Literature. After the establishment of the Soviet regime, he remained at the university. In the next ten years, he became rector (1921-1922), dean of the schools of Oriental Studies and History and Literature (1921-1924), head of the chair of Armenian history (1921-1925), and professor of the same chair (1925-1931). He left the university in 1931 to devote himself to scholarship.

Among his more than 150 works in Armenian, Russian, and German, Manandian produced a string of Armenian books in the last twenty-five years of his life, which cemented his lasting contribution to Armenian Studies. The first one was his monograph The Philhellenic School and Its Periods of Development (Armenian, 1928), followed by The Trade and Cities of Armenia in Relation to Ancient World Trade (Russian, 1930, translated by Nina Garsoian into English, 1965), Weights and Measures in the Oldest Armenian Sources (Armenian, 1930), Feudalism in Ancient Armenia (Armenian, 1934), The Main Roads of Ancient Armenia (Armenia, 1936), and others. However, his main works in this regard were the seminal monograph Tigranes II and Rome (Armenian, 1940, translated by George Bounoutian into English, 2007), and his masterwork, the three-volume Critical Survey of the History of the Armenian People (Armenian, 1945, 1952, 1957). The latter was meant to be a comprehensive history of Armenia from the sixth century B.C. to the sixteenth century A.D., which nevertheless remained unfinished.

Manandian’s scholarly and educational work was recognized in his lifetime. He became an emeritus scientific figure of Armenia in 1935, and received a second doctorate in history, without defense of a dissertation, in 1938. A year later, he was elected member of the Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union and, in 1943, member of the newly founded Academy of Sciences of Armenia. His contribution was also recognized by the Soviet Armenian government with the order of the Red Banner of Labor. He passed away on February 4, 1952. A street in Yerevan was named after him in the 1990s.

Mike Connors (Krekor Ohanian) who achieved stardom in the TV series “Mannix” in the 1960s and 1970s died last Thursday at age 91. In the series he played the part of a handsome Joe Mannix, a Korean War veteran of Armenian descent who liked flashy cars and often cited Armenian proverbs. An obituary in the New York Times noted that “Mr. Connors used his fame from Mannix to publicize a then-underreported chapter in Armenian history by narrating The Forgotten Genocide, J. Michael Hagopian’s 1975 documentary about the killing of hundreds of thousands of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire during World War I.” He later narrated another Armenian-themed documentary, “Ararat Beckons,” also directed by Hagopian. He was always generous with his time and talent for Armenian organizations and causes. He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Mary Lou Wells, and a daughter, Dana, and a granddaughter. Rest in peace, Mike Connors.

February 12—47th  Anniversary celebration of St. Gregory Armenian Apostolic Church of Merrimack Valley; episcopal Divine Liturgy celebrated by Archbishop Oshagan followed by dedication of the new Thomas M. Vartabedian Memorial Library and unveiling of a new portrait of Tom Vartabedian created by Leo Sarkisian; banquet and commemorative program to follow in Jaffarian Hall, for tickets please contact Sossy Jeknavorian (978) 256-2538.

February 19 -  Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, the Prelate,  will be visiting St Stephen’s Armenian Church of Hartford/New Britain to present Merit Awards.  He will preside over the Divine Liturgy (Badarak) and deliver the homily.  Following the church service, the Ladies Guild will be providing a luncheon. Luncheon is free of charge. All are welcome! 

February 19—Presentation on St. Vartan and the Vartanantz Battles by Knights of Vartan Merrimack Valley Arakadz Lodge #35 at St. Gregory Armenian Apostolic Church of Merrimack Valley; members of the local Lodge will present the history of Vartanantz during the regularly scheduled coffee hour.

February 24—Lecture by Sylvie L. Merian, “Made by These Unworthy Hands”: The Armenian Silversmiths of Kayseri, at The Morgan Library & Museum,  225 Madison Avenue, New York City, at 6:30 pm. Tickets $15; free for members and students with valid ID. Tickets online at www.themorgan.org or 212-685-0008, ext. 560, or by email at tickets@themorgan.org.

February 25—St. Gregory Armenian Apostolic Church of Merrimack Valley's Sunday/Armenian School Poon Paregentan Celebration; 6 PM in Jaffarian Hall; delicious food, dancing, lots of fun & door prizes; Adults $15, Students $6; to RSVP please contact Karen Shahtanian (978) 689-8929 or Leslie Boloian (978) 502-6410.

March 4—121st  of ARF Lowell "Aharonian" Gomideh featuring a memorial tribute to Tom Vartabedian; St. Gregory Armenian Apostolic Church of Merrimack Valley Jaffarian Hall, 158 Main St., North Andover, Massachusetts 01845; Cocktails 6:00 PM, Dinner & Program 7:00 PM; proceeds to benefit The Armenian Weekly & Armenian National Committee of Merrimack Valley; for tickets contact Armen Jeknavorian (978) 256-2538 or Ara Jeknavorian (978) 251-4845; tables of 8 or 10 may be reserved in advance.

March 4—ARS Youth Connect Program at Columbia University, New York. Speakers include Sarah Leah Whitson (Human Rights Watch), Dr. Kim Hekimian  (Columbia University), Dr. Levon Avdoyan (Library of Congress), and YVP program coordinator Dr. Khatchig Mouradian (Columbia University).

March 5—Annual General Membership Meeting of St. Gregory Armenian Apostolic Church of Merrimack Valley, 12:30 PM in Jaffarian Hall; light luncheon will be served.

March 31—Eastern Prelacy’s annual Musical Armenia concert at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, New York City at 8 pm. Featuring: Hasmik Vardanyan, cello; Karen Hakobyan, piano; Haik Kazazyan, violin; Hayk Arsenyan, piano. For tickets ($25) and information call Carnegie Hall Box Office (212-247-7800) or Prelacy Office (212-689-7810).

March 31-April 2—Armenian Relief Society Eastern USA is hosting an Art Exhibit at St. Illuminator’s Cathedral, 221 E. 27th Street, New York City, of works of Arthur Pinajian to benefit the ARS Education Fund. Opening ceremony and reception on Saturday, April 1, 7 to 10 pm. Additional viewing Friday March 31, 4 to 10 pm; Saturday April 1, Noon to 4 pm; Sunday April 2, 1 to 4 pm. Selling Exhibition. Free admission. For information: Sonia 917-679-6992.

April 9—Annual Palm Sunday Dinner, ARS Merrimack Valley "Arax" Chapter, St. Gregory Armenian Apostolic Church Jaffarian Hall, 158 Main St., North Andover, Massachusetts 01845; dinner & program; Guest speaker: Mr. Robert Megerdichian, presenting the Metal Artworks of Abraham Megerdichian; Adults $15, Children 12 & under $8; to reserve tickets contact Sharke' Der Apkarian (978) 808-0598.

May 18-20—National Representative Assembly of the Eastern Prelacy hosted by All Saints Church, Glenview, Illinois.