Armenians worldwide celebrate the Feast of Vartanantz tomorrow, commemorating the war between pagan Persia and Christian Armenia in 451. The king of Persia ordered all Christians under his rule to abandon Christianity and embrace Zoroastrianism. The Armenian clergy and leaders refused to follow this command and took an oath to fight the enemies of truth. Before the two armies met on the battlefield on the morning of May 26, 451, Vartan Mamigonian, the leader of the Armenian forces, addressed his soldiers: “He who supposes that we put on Christianity like a garment, now realizes that as he cannot change the color of his skin, so he will perhaps never be able to accomplish his designs. For the foundations of our faith are set on the unshakeable rock, not on earth but above in heaven, yet by faith we are established in heaven where no one can reach the building of Christ not made by human hands.” 

Vartan was the leader of the Armenians in the decisive battle on the plains of Avarayr, and although outnumbered, the Armenians put up a fierce resistance against the mighty Persian Empire. Vartan and many of his soldiers died, but the Persians sustained even greater casualties, and they recognized the strong commitment the Armenians had to their Christian faith. With this battle the Armenians clearly demonstrated that Christianity had become a part of their national identity.

The resistance to Persian rule continued for more than thirty years, led by Vahan Mamigonian, nephew of Vartan. Vahan successfully negotiated the Treaty of Nvarsag, one of the earliest documents granting religious freedom and home rule.

The Armenian Church canonized the heroes of Vartanank as a group in the fifth century. In April 2015 our generation witnessed the historic collective canonization of the 1.5 million martyrs of the Armenian genocide. It was the first canonization by the Armenian Church since the 15th century when Krikor Datevatzi was granted sainthood.

“Newly wondrous crown-bearer and leader of the grave, you courageously armed yourself against death with the weapon of the Spirit, O Vartan, courageous warrior, you turned the enemy to flight and have crowned the Church with your rose-colored blood. …

Surrounded today by the host of these crowned warriors, we sing glory in praise to you, O Holy Trinity, and we thank you for the mercy shown by you to the Armenian churches brightly adorned by the martyrdom of these strugglers.”

(Sharagan to Saint Vartan and his companions, from the Liturgical Canons of the Armenian Church)

REQUIEM SERVICE FOR VICTIMS OF 1988 MASSACRES

Archbishop Oshagan has directed all parishes within the Eastern Prelacy to offer a requiem service this Sunday, February 26, for the victims of the massacres in Sumgait, Baku, and Kirovabad that took place February 26-28, 1988, that the renowned academician Andrei Sakharov described as “A real threat of extermination to the indigenous Armenian community within Azerbaijan and in the autonomous regions of Mountainous Karabagh.”

“The whole world knows that the genocide perpetrated against the Armenian people continued into our era when 29 years ago our innocent brothers and sisters were the targets of pogroms in Azerbaijan. Let us remember those who fell and pray for their souls this Sunday,” said Archbishop Oshagan.

ARS REMEMBRANCE DAY

Archbishop Oshagan announced that this Sunday (February 26) Prelacy parishes will observe Remembrance Day for the Armenian Relief Society. Requiem service for all deceased members and benefactors will be offered following the Liturgy. 

Remembered specifically will be the founder of the ARS, Agnouni (Khatchadour Maloomian), on the occasion of the 102nd anniversary of his death, and benefactors George and Beatrice Lazarian, Levon and Sophia Hagopian, Karekin and Virginia Siroonian, Samuel and Agnes Yeremian, Araxie Proodian, Haiganoush Garabedian, Doris Norian Lentzi, Alice Norian, Arpkes Kelerchian, Hagop Jacques Mouradian, Alice Haigazian Berman, Genevieve Yekeshian, Yervant and Helen Terzian, Albert and Takouhi Bagian, Giragos Vaporsiyan, Kourken Assaturian, and Margaret Assaturian. 

“This is a day for us to honor those who served the Armenian people for many decades in the field of education and humanitarian and social welfare. It is also an opportunity for us to express appreciation of the Armenian Relief Society’s noble service for more than 100 years,” said the Prelate.

PRELATE AT VARTANANTZ CELEBRATIONS IN

NEW JERSEY AND RHODE ISLAND

We have two parishes in the Eastern Prelacy named in honor of the Vartanank saints: in Ridgefield, New Jersey and Providence Rhode Island. Archbishop Oshagan will celebrate the Divine Liturgy and deliver the sermon tomorrow, Thursday, February 23, at Sts. Vartanantz Church in New Jersey. Following the Liturgy a luncheon will be hosted by the Parish’s Ladies Guild, and a special Vartanantz program will be presented by the students of the Hovnanian School. 

On Sunday the Prelate will travel to Sts. Vartanantz Church in Providence, Rhode Island where he will celebrate the Divine Liturgy, deliver the Sermon, ordain Garo Tarbinian to rank of Tbir, and preside over the Vartanantz Day dinner and program.

VICAR WILL CELEBRATE VARTANANTZ IN WATERTOWN

Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian will celebrate the Divine Liturgy and deliver the sermon at St. Stephen Church in Watertown, Massachusetts, tomorrow evening, February 23, at 6 pm, with the participation of the pastors of the Prelacy’s New England parishes. Sunday school students will participate in the celebration with a brief program at the end of the service.

BIBLE READINGS

Bible readings for Sunday, February 26, Poon Paregentan (Eve of Great Lent) are: Isaiah 58:1-14; Romans 13:11-14:23; Matthew 6:1-21.

“Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

“Thus, when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by men. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

“And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this:

“Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors; And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

“And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves beak in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matthew 6:1-21)

Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions. Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables. Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgment on those who eat; for God has welcomed them. Who are you to pass judgment on servants of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds. Those who observe the day, observe it in honor of the Lord. Also those who eat, eat in honor of the Lord, since they give thanks to God; while those who abstain, abstain in honor of the Lord and give thanks to God.

We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God.” So, then, each of us will be accountable to God.

Let us therefore no longer pass judgment on one another, but resolve instead never to put a stumbling block on hindrance in the way of another. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. If your brother or sister is being injured by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. Do not let what you eat cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died. So do not let your good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. The one who thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and has human approval. Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. Do not, but the sake of good, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for you to make others fall by what you eat; it is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that makes your brother or sister stumble. The faith that you have, have as your own conviction before God. Blessed are those who have no reason to condemn themselves because of what they approve. For those who have doubts are condemned if they eat, because they do not act from faith; for whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. (Romans 13:11-14:23)

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

COUNCIL OF CONSTANTINOPLE

This Saturday (February 25) the Armenian Church remembers the 150 Fathers of the Council of Constantinople, the second ecumenical council convened by Emperor Theodosius in 381. This council confirmed the work of the first council at Nicaea, and added five articles to the Nicene Creed regarding the Holy Spirit, the Church, Baptism, and Resurrection. The Council of Constantinople is one of the three ecumenical councils accepted by the Armenian Church.

POON PAREGENTAN

This Sunday (February 26) is Poon Paregentan, the eve of Great Lent (Medz Bahk). Poon means “real” or “genuine,” and distinguishes this paregentan from others in the liturgical calendar prior to other periods of fasting. Paregentan literally means “good living.” 

Poon Paregentan ushers the faithful into the Lenten period of fasting, penance, and reconciliation. During Lent the Church takes on a solemn appearance. The altar curtain is closed starting from the evening of Poon Paregentan, symbolic of the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. Holy Communion is not offered during Lent and the faithful are encouraged to use this periods leading to Easter as a time of prayer and meditation to strengthen their faith.

Paregentan Sunday is the last day before the start of Lent. It is marked with good and abundant food, merriment, entertainment, and festivities of various kinds. Traditionally, all the food in the house that is forbidden during Lent would be consumed on Paregentan or given to non-Christian neighbors. During Lent all animal products, including dairy and eggs, are forbidden. The earliest Armenian tradition was even stricter and was referred to as Aghouhatz (salt and bread) because of its stringent restrictions.

GREAT LENT BEGINS MONDAY

Great Lent (Medz Bahk or Karasnortkh) begins this Monday, February 27. Great Lent is the longest of the fasts in the liturgical calendar. It begins on the Monday immediately following Paregentan, and continues for 40 days until the Friday before the commemoration of the raising of Lazarus on the Saturday before Palm Sunday. A new period of fasting is observed during Holy Week. 

Great Lent, a time of prayer, penance, abstinence, and devotion, is a very personal spiritual journey that is based on the 40 days Christ spent in the wilderness following his baptism. “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward he was famished.” (Matthew 4:1-2)

SOCIAL EVENTS AND CELEBRATIONS DURING LENT

Because Lent is a time of prayer, meditation, and introspection in preparation of the resurrection of our Lord, social events and celebrations (including weddings) are not scheduled during Lent. Our faithful and all church affiliated organizations are urged to respect this tradition when planning events. 

SUMGAIT-BAKU PROTESTS IN NEW YORK

A demonstration on the anniversary of the Baku & Sumgait pogroms will take place on Friday, February 24, in front of the Azerbaijani Mission to the United Nations, corner of 1st Avenue and 48th Street in Manhattan, at 12 noon. The demonstration is organized by the ANC of New York to raise collective voices against Azerbaijan’s ongoing anti-Armenian attacks and demand justice for the victims of Sumgait and Baku massacres as well as over 400,000 Armenian refugees expelled from Azerbaijan, and support for the independent Artsakh Republic and peace in the region. For information: 718-578-9168.

WEEKLY REFLECTIONS

In a new initiative by the Prelacy, a series of weekly video reflections will be offered by clergy or altar servers. “The Prelacy Reflection Series,” was launched recently and will focus on different areas of our Christian faith. The topic could be about one of our saints, a Bible passage, a major holiday, a holiday unique to the Armenian Church, our sacraments, or on current social or ethical issues. To view the most recent reflection click here.

PRELATE VISITS CONNECTICUT PARISH

Last Sunday, February 19, Archbishop Oshagan visited St. Stephen’s Church of Hartford-New Britain, where he presided over the Divine Liturgy and delivered the sermon. After the service, His Eminence presented Certificates of Merit to Colonel Charlie Alex, Jennie Garabedian, Vartkes Khuzkian, and Rita Soovajian during a luncheon sponsored by the Ladies Guild. During the luncheon the parish priest Archpriest Fr. Aram Stepanian, and parishioners were pleased to learn from the Prelate that the Prelacy was donating $10,000 to the parish for much-needed renovations to the church’s front stairs and sidewalks.

A scene from the Liturgy.

Archbishop Oshagan and Archpriest Fr. Aram Stepanian with the four honorees.

MUSICAL ARMENIA

Since 1982 the Eastern Prelacy has presented the annual Musical Armenia concert bringing to the forefront many talented artists of Armenian descent. This year’s concert is expected to be one of the best in Musical Armenia history that is recognized for its outstanding quality of artists. The Prelacy is able to present this annual concert series as a contribution to the artistic achievements of the community thanks in large part to a group of dedicated patrons who offer their financial support each year in order to keep the price of tickets affordable.

The concert will take place on Friday, March 31, 8 pm, at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall in New York City. The cost of admission is only 25 dollars. Featured in the 2017 Musical Armenia concert are two outstanding artists: cellist Hasmik Vardanyan and violinist Haik Kazazyan. Accompanying them are two accomplished musicians: Hayk Arsenyan and Karen Hakobyan.

Hasmik Vardanyan has won a number of major competitions, including second prize in the Aram Khachaturian International Cello Competition in 2010. She has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in major concert halls, including the Paris Opera House, Tchaikovsky Music Hall in Moscow, Berlin Opera House, St. John Smith’s Square in London, and Munetsugu Hall in Japan.

Haik Kazazyan has performed as a soloist with many European and Russian orchestras, including the Orchestra of the Marlinsky Theatre, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Orchestre National de France, Russian National Orchestra, and the Moscow Philharmonic. He has won prizes at many international events, including the Tchaikovsky International Competition in 2015. Since 2002, he has been a soloist of the Moscow Philharmonic Society.

As noted above, throughout Musical Armenia’s more than three-decades-long history the price of admission has been kept low thanks to the support of dedicated sponsors. As a sponsor you can make a key contribution to the development of talented musicians as they strive for success in their various musical fields. All donations are acknowledged in the concert booklet. The categories of sponsorship are: Diamond ($1,000); Platinum ($500); Gold ($300); Silver ($200). Friend (any amount). Diamond, Platinum, and Gold sponsors will receive two complimentary tickets.

Click here to donate now online. Choose “Musical Armenia” in the designations list.
Or Click here for a Sponsorship Form that can be mailed with your donation to the Armenian Prelacy, 138 East 39th Street, New York, NY 10016.

For tickets and information contact: Carnegie Hall 212-247-7800 or Prelacy office 212-689-7810.

Minas Avetisian was one of the most important figures of Armenian painting in the second half of the twentieth century.

Minas (he is frequently named by his first name alone) was born on July 20, 1928, in the village of Jajur, near Leninakan (nowadays Gumri), in the family of a blacksmith. During the World War II years, he met by chance a local painter, Hakob Ananikian (1919-1977). This encounter became fateful for the future artist. In 1947 he entered the Panos Terlemezian Art School in Yerevan. Upon graduation, in 1952 he went to the Institute of Art and Theater, but a year later he moved to Leningrad (nowadays St. Petersburg), where he studied for the next seven years at the Ilya Rebin Institute of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture (the former Art Academy of St. Petersburg). In 1960 he returned to Yerevan.

He entered the art world in his early thirties, relatively late, but his brief and intense career would turn him into a symbol of Armenian modernist art. He would come to produce some five hundred small and big paintings during the next fifteen years, characterized by their strong chromatic contrasts, with lyrical and sometimes tragic expression. His childhood impressions from life in the village became one of the most powerful creative sources for him. His production included landscapes, portraits, still lifes, and frescoes. He was also the illustrator for several ballets and theatrical works, such as Aram Khachatourian’s “Gayaneh” ballet and Alexander Spendiarian’s “Almast” opera, and the movie “This green, red world,” directed by Yuri Yerzinkian and Ernest Martirosian (1975). His art was especially influenced by Armenian miniature painting and the art of the Italian Renaissance.

His first individual exhibition, in 1960, was met with skepticism. The painter had already shown an unusual artistic thinking. His true value emerged in the “Exhibition of Five” in 1962, along painters Lavinia Bazhbeuk-Melikian, Alexander Grigoryan, Arpenik Ghapantsian, and Henrik Siravian. He was admitted to the Union of Painters of the USSR in the same year.

In 1964 Minas married fellow painter Gayane Mamajanian. They had two children, Arman (1966) and Narek (1969), also a painter. Four years later, he was honored with the title of Emeritus Painter of the Armenian SSR. Also in 1968 he appeared in Mikayel Vardanov’s film The Color of the Armenian Land.

Between 1970 and 1974, Minas produced 20 frescoes in Yerevan, Gumri, and the surrounding villages of Azatan and Vahramaberd. Some of them were seriously damaged after the earthquake of December 7, 1988. The buildings that harbored them were destroyed or left in precarious situation. However, the collaboration of experts from Bulgaria and Italy over the past three decades helped restore some of the frescoes and save them. Some of them were moved to Gumri and Yerevan. The acclaimed fresco “Toros Roslin’s Birth” was moved from Gumri to Minas’ museum in his hometown Jajur. Two other frescoes were restored and moved from Gumri to the Government House in Yerevan.

A catastrophic fire in the painter’s atelier, on the night of January 1-2, 1972, caused the loss of all the works collected there, including those to be showcased at an individual exhibition in Paris (some 300 works, including 120 paintings), and his personal archive (letters, etcetera).

On February 16, 1975, Minas Avetisian was struck by a taxi driver in Yerevan, and passed away on February 24. The circumstances of his death have remained unclear to the present. Both the fire of 1972 and the death of the artist are said to have been the handiwork of the KGB, the Soviet secret police, but this remains a conjecture. He was a popular name, and also an art dissident, since his style was far removed from the official orthodoxy of Socialist Realism.

Minas was posthumously awarded the State Prize of Armenia (1975) and the Martiros Sarian Prize (1980). Two films were also dedicated to him: Minas Avetisian (Marat Varjapetian, 1975) and Minas: Requiem (Mikayel Vardanov, 1989). Two museums dedicated to his work were posthumously opened in Yerevan (1977) and Jajur (1982). The latter was destroyed in the earthquake of 1988 and reopened in 2005. 

The conjunction or may become a tricky one in Armenian. Unlike English, where you use or to give alternatives, the Armenian language has two different choices.

When someone gives you indications about where to look for something, the sentence is:

            You can look either here or there.

            Դուք կրնաք նայիլ հոս կամ հոն.

            Took gurnak nayil hos gam hon.

In this case, the word gam (կամ) marks the alternative.

However, let’s say that you are in doubt about where to look. In such a case, you would say:

            I did not know where to look: here or there?

Many people are inclined to use gam here, which is wrong, because it is only suitable for affirmative sentences like the previous one. If you are in an interrogative mood, the only correct answer is te (թէ):

            Չէի գիտեր ուր նայիլ՝ հո՞ս, թէ հոն։

            Chei kider oor nayil՝ hos, te hon?

All languages, including English and Armenian, have their subtleties. It takes time and effort to get used to them.

Previous entries in “The Armenian Language Corner” are on the Prelacy’s web page (www.armenianprelacy.org).

LINCOLN CENTER CONCERT WILL CELEBRATE

25TH ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIA’S UN MEMBERSHIP

The Armenian Mission to the United Nations will celebrate the 25th anniversary of Armenia’s membership in the United Nations with a concert at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall in New York City on Thursday, March 16. The musical event, described as “A Cultural Adventure,” will feature celebrated Armenian musicians in a performance that bridges the past and the present. The one-hour and twenty-minute program, presented without intermission, will revisit traditional Armenian folk and sacred music immersed in contemporary interpretations.  Attending the performance will be high-ranking officials from the United Nations, ambassadors, members of the diplomatic corps, and distinguished members of the public. 

Featured in the performance will be internationally acclaimed jazz and contemporary musicians, including duduk player Jivan Gasparian, Jr., saxophonist Armen Hyusnunts, cellist Artyom Manukyan, pianist Vahagn Hayrapetyan, pianist Vardan Ovsepian, bassist Joshua Davis, drummer  Karen Kocharyan, and the “Hover” State Chamber Choir under choirmaster Sona Hovhanissyan. In addition, famed visual artist Karen Mirzoyan, in collaboration with prominent American stage director Eric Hill, has developed images inspired by Armenia’s culture, history, and landscapes that will enhance the performance. 

Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, Armenia’s Ambassador to the U.N. said, “As we introduce the extraordinary talent of Armenia both to our own community and to an international audience, our hope is that we will further reinforce our global friendships and leave a lasting impact on our esteemed guests.” 

Tickets are priced at $90, $75, and $50, and can be secured through the Lincoln Center Box Office at 212-721-6500.

“SILVERSMITHS OF KAYSERI:”
LECTURE AT THE MORGAN LIBRARY & MUSEUM

A lecture on the Armenian Silversmiths of Kayseri by Sylvie L. Merian will take place at The Morgan Library & Museum, 225 Madison Avenue, New York City, on Friday, February 24 at 6:30 pm.

Specialists of silver liturgical objects, the 17th-18th century workshop of Armenian silversmiths in the town of Kayseri in central Anatolia, endured for almost ninety years. The Morgan is fortunate to own three sets of silver and enameled covers from this workshop, now on exhibition in Mr. Morgan’s Library. Sylvie Merian, scholar and Reader Services Librarian at the Morgan, will present a lecture discussing what is known about these silversmiths, and the Dutch woodcuts used as inspiration by some of the craftsmen featuring dozens of examples of these splendid objects now found in collections worldwide.

Tickets: $15; free for members and students with valid ID. Tickets include free museum admission for the day of program. Tickets can be purchased online at www.themorgan.org or by contacting the Box Office at 212-685-0008, ext. 560 or by email at tickets@themorgan.org.

2017 PRELACY RAFFLE CAMPAIGN

For many decades the Prelacy has sponsored an annual raffle drawing that benefits the Prelacy’s educational and religious programs. The drawing takes place in May during the annual National Representative Assembly. The top prize is $5,000, second prize is $2,000, and third, fourth, and fifth prizes are $1,000. It’s great to win, but we always like to point out that in this raffle there are no losers, because all of the money raised helps our youth programs. Please consider purchasing one or more tickets. Contact your local parish or the Prelacy office (email@armenianprelacy.org or 212-689-7810).

SIAMANTO ACADEMY —Meets every second Saturday of the month at the Hovnanian School, 817 River Road, New Milford, New Jersey. For information: anec@armenianprelacy.org or 212-689-7810.

Prelacy Lenten Program at St. Illuminator Cathedral, New York City at 7 pm.
March 1, Renewal in Christ by Dn. Shant Kazanjian, Director of AREC.
March 8, Parish Renewal by Ms. Karen Jehanian, member of Prelacy Executive Council.
March 15, An Introspective Guide for Renewing Ourselves, by Rev. Fr. Nareg Terterian, pastor of St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston, New York.
March 22, Cultural Renewal—Yesterday and Today (in Armenian) by Dr. Vartan Matiossian, Director of ANEC.
March 29, The Legacy of the 1915 Martyrs as Source of Renewal, Very Rev. Fr. Zareh Sarkissian, pastor of Holy Cross Church, Troy, New York and Outreach Clergy.
April 5, Armenian Church Traditions and Renewal, by Rev. Fr. Stephan Baljian, pastor of St. Gregory Church of Merrimack Valley, Massachusetts.

February 23—Feast of Sts. Vartanantz at Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield, New Jersey. Special presentation by students of The Hovnanian School.

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.

February 25—Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield, New Jersey, Sunday School Poon Paregentan /Good Living Party in Grand Hall featuring DJ Harout and performance by Hamazkayin Nayiri Dance Ensemble.

February 26—Vartanantz Sing-along program at St. Gregory Church, Granite City, Illinois.

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—“350th Anniversary of the First Armenian Printed Bible,” lecture by Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian, at St. Illuminator’s Cathedral, 221 East 27th Street, New York, NY. Organized by St. Illuminator Cathedral and Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society of New York.

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 9—The Mark Kyrkostas “Remember Me with Music” concert, will take place at the home where he grew up in Little Neck, New York. Featuring “The soul of Mark” pianist Ivy Adrian and Broadway star Michelle Mallardi. Due to limited space tickets must be purchased in advance. Tickets include a buffet dinner promptly beginning at 6:30 pm, and the program will follow at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $25 per person. For information / tickets: 718-428-5650.

March 16—Concert celebrating the 25th anniversary of Armenia’s membership in the United Nations, at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, featuring celebrated Armenian musicians in a performance that bridges the past and the present. Sponsored by the Armenian Mission to the United Nations. Tickets can be purchased by person at the box office or by phone (212-721-6500).

March 25—Hrant Dink Contemporary Oratorio, St. Vartan Cathedral, 630 Second Avenue, New York City, at 6:30 pm. Dinner will follow in the Haik and Alice Kavookjian Auditorium. Organized by the Constantinople Armenian Relief Society on the occasion of its 90th anniversary, and with participation of ten community organizations. Chorus and orchestra under the direction of Kris D. Kalfayan, Musical Director. Tickets: $40 for concert; $60 for dinner. For reservations /  information: 718-459-2757. 

March 26—Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield, New Jersey, Annual Membership meeting.

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 8—Premiere of  documentary, “They Shall Not Perish: The Story of Near East Relief,” at The Times Center, New York City. Watch for more details.

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.

April 23—Remembering the Armenian Genocide, Gathering at Times Square, 2 pm (43rd and Broadway, New York City). Sponsored by Knights and Daughters of Vartan; co-sponsored and with the participation of all major Armenian organizations. Free bus transportation to and from Times Square. For information: www.KOFV.ORG/MAIN/APRIL232017.

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