April 23, 2020
SIGNIFICANT DATES IN AN EXTRAORDINARY YEAR
Dear brothers and sisters,
 
The Dominical year 2020 will be recorded in the annals of History as one of the darkest due to the global pandemic caused by the coronavirus.
 
As American citizens, we are horrified by the daily escalation in the number of victims and the infected.
 
Thank God, as a nation, we have all rallied to overcome this pandemic.
 
This year marks the 105th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide planned and executed by the government of Turkey. An entire nation was exterminated with indescribable brutality and without regret.
 
This year also marks the centennial of the Treaty of Sèvres, followed by President Woodrow Wilson’s arbitral award, which defines the boundaries of Armenia. It is true that Armenia is a free and independent country, but it is still split. Nine tenths of our homeland, on the other side of the Arax river, including Mount Ararat, are still ruled by the very state that perpetrated the Genocide.
 
As descendants of the Genocide survivors, raised from the ashes like a phoenix, Armenians all over the world today raise their voices for justice.
 
We believe that the Republic of Turkey, by assuming full responsibility and agreeing to reparations for this inhuman cruelty, will serve as a role model to prevent future genocides and generate peace and prosperity in the region.  
 
We pray fervently and, by repeating the very words of the Psalm, we say, “Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet, justice and peace will kiss each other” (Ps 85:10).
 
ARCHBISHOP ANOUSHAVAN
Prelate, Eastern United States

OUR BATTLE FOR JUSTICE CONTINUES
Nobody can be blamed for seeing in the Armenian Genocide an uplifting history of redemption in these days of pain and massive loss of life. Much the same can be said of any other atrocity—the 20th century had its fair share of those—deadly disease or tragedy that an individual or a group has survived. All of that now has global projection, for the pandemic makes no distinction between rich or poor nations and individuals. The grim cloud of the coronavirus hangs invisibly over all of us.

Yet that is where the similarities probably end. For in the case of the Genocide we are talking about human agents that brought it about, not a virus.

We are not talking only about the Committee of Union and Progress that organized the extermination of our nation on its own homeland. We are also talking about the bandits that murdered powerless Armenians as they were being marched out of their homes and lands, to steal whatever little they had left, to kidnap and abuse their women, to wantonly murder their children. And behind them there was the murderous Turkish state, the same one that today denies the crimes of its Ottoman precursor.

This is an unbearable burden for us, the survivors. For we have two fights to wage: a spiritual one, which challenges us to tackle the mysteries of the life our Lord has graced us with; and a human one.

We may say that by the time that our 1.5 million martyrs were canonized by the Armenian Church in 2015, they had already sanctified themselves and their memory for a century for refusing to give up that which is most precious after life: their identity. That is what defines us. And they lived and were martyrized as Armenians and Christians, sacrificing themselves but passing on the torch that keeps our nation and faith alive.

Yet as we mark the 105th anniversary we Armenians are still restless. That is because we still have not obtained for our martyrs—now saints—human justice. We will keep holding Turkey accountable for the murder of our nation. And in these two fights we have to wage, as St. Paul’s says, “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm” (Ephesians 6:13). We cannot still take our armor off: our battle for justice continues. Yet we have to hold fast to our faith, founded on love: “It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7).

WHERE ARE THE WEALTHY MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITIES?
At this difficult time, I have been observing with great satisfaction the commitment and hard work of our prelates, communities, parishes, community organizations and associations as they respond to the urgent needs of our communities. Neither words of affection nor sentimental expressions of gratitude are enough to acknowledge their inspiring sacrifice.
 
Our benevolent workers not only are working hard to respond to the emergency needs of our people; they are also spending valuable time and energy raising funds and, out of necessity, even begging for contributions. In this regard, I would like to acknowledge those persons who have responded to this need and have contributed willingly and generously.
 
However, as I observe these pleasing acts to God, my heart fills with deep disappointment in respect to those wealthy Armenians, known and unknown, near and far, who are ignoring the needs of our people and who have forgotten what it is to be a Christian and a member of the Armenian community.
 
I ask, where are you? Can’t you share some of your wealth, the gift of God, with our needy and suffering people during these difficult times? Sharing is an unconditional human act, as well as a moral and spiritual obligation. The apostle has written: “How does God's love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?” (1 John 3:17).
 
I would like us to remember that we are all accountable to God both for our positive and our negative actions.
 
CATHOLICOS ARAM I
GREAT HOUSE OF CILICIA
THE NEW SUNDAY
THE PRELATE’S HOMILY 
Today, the eighth day of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to the Armenian Church calendar, is called the New Sunday. A newness which streams from the Empty Tomb and the Risen One, whose sacrificial love renewed the Creation, reconciled God with mankind and dawned the eternal Way, Truth and Life.

Today is also the invocation of a historical event which reflects once again Divine infinite love and human shortcoming. Following His resurrection, our Lord Jesus Christ appeared first to Mary Magdalene, then to two disciples on their way to Emmaus (Lk 23:15), and the same evening to the ten Apostles, who were gathered in the Upper Room (Jn 20:19). Thomas was deprived of this privilege for he was absent from this gathering. Hence upon his return when the Apostles told him about the appearance of their Master, sarcastically he replies, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe” (Jn 20:25). What a horrendous expression! We don’t know if the Only Begotten Son of God suffered more from His Chosen one’s disbelief than the pain of the soldiers who nailed his hands and pierced his side? That’s another mystery that only the Holy Spirt knows, “for the Holy Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God” (I Cor 2:10). For the time being let’s continue our reading of the Gospel of St. John.

IN MEMORIAM
YERETZGIN ARMENOUHI VERTANESIAN
1926-2020
His Eminence Archbishop Anoushavan and the Religious and Executive Councils express heartfelt sympathy on the passing of Yeretzgin Armenouhi Vertanesian (née Katmarian) who passed away on April 23, in Hamden, Massachusetts. 

Yeretzgin Armenouhi Vertanesian was born in 1926 in Latakia, Syria, to Stepanos and Zarouhi (Levonian) Katmarian, who were survivors of the deportations from Keutahia and Aintab during the genocide of 1915.

She was predeceased by her husband Rev. Arch. Sahag Vertanesian. Armenouhi was a teacher in the Armenian school when she met her husband, who was also a teacher at the time. They were married and had three daughters: Maro, Nora and Dzovig. They lived in Cyprus and then moved to the United States. Her husband was ordained a priest in the Armenian Apostolic Church in 1963 and they served the communities of Whitinsville, Massachusetts, Chicago, Illinois, Washington D.C. metropolitan area, and North Andover, Massachusetts, retiring in Springfield, Massachusetts. Armenouhi was always supportive of her husband in the church communities, especially sharing her Armenian cuisine specialties and knowledge of culture. She was a girl scout leader in her early years and a lifetime member of the Armenian Relief Society, as her mother was, and very active in the church.

Yeretzgin Armenouhi Vertanesian is survived by daughters Maro and Jacques Nalbandian, Nora and Taniel Varoujan Santourian, Dzovig and Brian Peterkin Vertanesian, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews, as well as siblings in different countries. 

The funeral will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to the Armenia Tree Project, the Armenian Relief Society, or to the church of one’s choice.

We extend condolences to her loving children, grandchildren, and other family members. May our risen Lord bless her righteous memory. Asdvatz hokeen lousavoreh.

ROUBEN SHOUGARIAN
(1962-2020)
The Armenian Prelacy has learned with sorrow of the untimely passing of Dr. Rouben Shougarian on Monday, April 20, at the age of 58. Dr. Shougarian was best known for his role as a well-respected diplomat. Born in 1962, he pursued higher education at Yerevan Brusov State Pedagogical University of Russian and Foreign Languages and at Yerevan State University. He served as the first ambassador of Armenia to the United States (1993-1999) and oversaw the opening of the embassy in Washington, D.C. He went on to become Deputy Foreign Minister (1999-2005) and then returned to active diplomatic service as ambassador to Italy, Spain, and Portugal (2005-2008). After 2008 he began to teach at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, where he was part of the Tavitian Scholars Program in Public Policy and Administration.

Dr. Shougarian authored West of Eden, East of the Chessboard: Four Philosophical Looks Upon the Unknown that encompassed his views on culture, literature, and an analysis of the social perceptions shaping the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. He also wrote Does Armenia Need a Foreign Policy? (2016). He was married to pianist Lilit Karapetyan-Shugaryan and had three children.

Armenia’s President Armen Sarkissian and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan mourned Shugaryan’s passing. In a statement, President Sarkissian noted: “A descendent of the family of intellectuals in many generations, an accomplished and refined individual, he left his unforgettable footprint in the history of the Third Republic of Armenia.” Prime Minister Pashinyan wrote on Twitter: “Mr. Shugaryan embodied the best attributes of an intellectual, with a broad worldview, active civic commitment and patriotism.”

BIBLE READINGS
A Note about the Readings : Beginning Monday (April 20) and continuing until Pentecost (May 31) each day the four Gospels are read in the following order: 1) Morning—Luke; 2) Midday—John; 3) Evening—Matthew; 4) Evening dismissal—Mark. By Pentecost the four gospels are read up to the passion.
 
Bible readings for Sunday, April 26 , Sunday of the World Church (Green Sunday) are: (1) Luke 6:12-49 ; (2) Acts 9:23-31; 1 Peter 2:1-10; John 2:23-3:12; (3) Matthew 8:18-9:8; (4) Mark 3:6-12.
1 Peter 2:1-10
 
Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
 
Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in scripture: “See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner,” and “A stone that makes them stumble, and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
 
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
 
***
John 2:23-3:12
 
When he was in Jerusalem during the Passover festival, many believed in his name because they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part would not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to testify about anyone, for he himself knew what was in everyone.
 
Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?”
For a listing of the coming week’s Bible readings click here.
FEAST OF THE HOLY MARTYRS OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Tomorrow the Armenian Church commemorates the Feast of the Holy Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide. With the canonization of the martyrs five years ago, the Armenian Church added a new Feast Day to the Armenian liturgical calendar— The Feast of the Holy Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide.

The Martyrs, like all other saints, are invoked to intercede for us; and the Church no longer conducts requiem services ( hokehankeesd ) for the martyrs of the Armenian Genocide. All feast days in the church are celebrated by singing hymns ( sharagans ) and reading selections from the Holy Scriptures. The Canon of Hymns dedicated to the Holy Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide was written and composed in 1990 by Archbishop Zareh Aznavorian, of blessed memory, a member of the Brotherhood of the Holy See of Cilicia. 

The Armenian Church canonized the Martyrs on April 23, 2015, in the centennial of the Genocide. “We canonize the Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide and declare April 24 to be the day of commemoration of the Holy Martyrs, who were killed during the Armenian Genocide for their faith and for their fatherland,” reads the declaration of the synod of bishops.

GREEN SUNDAY, SUNDAY OF THE WORLD CHURCH
Easter Sunday is followed by a period of fifty days ( Hinook ). This period from the Resurrection to Pentecost ( Hokekaloost ) is dedicated to the glorification of the Resurrection. Each of the seven Sundays of Hinook has a special name. This Sunday (April 26) is Green Sunday ( Ganach Giragi ), also called Sunday of the World Church ( Ashkharhamadoor ), that commemorates the establishment in Jerusalem of the first Christian church where Christ met with the Apostles in the upper room.
 
Green Sunday most probably originates from an ancient holiday celebrating spring. Our forefathers, seeing mother earth bloom after long winter months, glorified the Creator with an act of thanksgiving and celebrated by decorating the church and themselves with greenery. The reawakening of nature is symbolic of the Resurrection. Green is the color of life, freshness, and promise. After a barren winter and with the Resurrection we are filled with hope, life, and love.
 
Green Sunday is the perfect time for us to remember and strengthen our obligations as good stewards of the earth and caretakers of the gifts given to us by God.
 
You nations, made worthy to be called to give glory to Christ our God, come, sing to the Lord a new song, rejoice and praise his name with a new praise with the voice of Joy. O Christ, we who believe in you with true confession bless the mystery of your divine, life-giving economy glorifying your wonderful and awesome name, O Lord, Lord great over all the earth. Holy Church, bride initiated into the heavenly mystery, rejoice to the glory of the all-Holy Trinity who has adorned you with all its gifts and who is to crown you with glory the divine light with all his saints.
(Canon of Green Sunday, Sunday of the World Church, according to the Liturgical Canons of the Armenian Church)

PODCAST ON EXPLORING TOOLS FOR PRAYER
Archdeacon Shant Kazanjian, Director of Christian Education, is continuing his podcast on  Exploring Tools For Prayer . He is now discussing the Lord’s Prayer (the “Our Father”) phrase by phrase. He first discussed the introductory address—Our Father, highlighting the significance of addressing God as Abba, Father. He then expounded the first petition, “Hallowed be thy name.” This week he is looking at the second petition —“Thy kingdom come.” To hear previous podcasts,   please click here.

DATEV SUMMER PROGRAM ONLINE
Due to the circumstances created by the coronavirus pandemic, the Prelacy’s St. Gregory of Datev Institute will hold a condensed online Summer Program for youth ages 13-18 from June 29 to July 3, 2020, instead of its regular sessions at St. Mary of Providence Center in Elverson, Pennsylvania.

There will be an hour-long class (11 am to noon), Monday to Friday, which will include a brief church service, followed by mini-sessions on the Bible, Armenian Church history, and a panel discussion on current issues.

We invite our youth, and especially past Datevatsis, to take part in this unique Christian educational program.

Registration will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

To register, please send your contact information (name, address, phone number, email address, and DOB) to Dn. Shant Kazanjian at skazanjian.sk@gmail.com. If you have any questions, please contact Deacon Shant by email or at 212-689-7810.
SALT & LIGHT COORDINATORS DISCUSS FUTURE STEPS IN ONLINE MEETING
Salt & Light coordinators along with the Youth Ministry Director, Annie Ovanessian, met this week via Zoom to network and discuss ways to further adapt materials to meet the needs of our teenagers during these days of social distancing. The coordinators from across the Prelacy, meeting each other for the first time since the health emergency began, shared challenges and successes that their small groups are experiencing. They explored practical insights on how to further demonstrate God’s love and our commitment to our youth. Participants were left feeling inspired and encouraged to continue engaging our young adults, knowing they themselves are connected to a larger community of likeminded mentors.
The Prelacy’s Orphan Sponsorship program was established in 1993 and continues to be the central mission of the Prelacy’s projects in Armenia and Artsakh. As part of the program, letters are received regularly from sponsored children addressed to their sponsors. We are pleased to share some of these letters through Crossroads.

This week’s letter is from Astghik* who is sponsored by St. Stephen's Sunday School students (Watertown, Massachusetts).  
Dear Sponsor,
 
My name is Astghik and I am 12 years old. I was born on December 13, 2007.

I am a student at Gyumri’s middle school #25. I am already a 6 th grader. I am a good student. Lately I had some health issues and spent a long time in the hospital and that is why I got a little behind in my classes.

I also go to Tigranyan School of Music and am a 2 nd year student in the Vocal Division. On December 2 nd , we had a concert with the participation of students from 1 st to 4 th year . I also took part in it. It was my first concert on a real stage as a future singer. I walked on the stage for the first time in my life and was really nervous, but I had a very nice performance. The applauding public was the most emotional part for me. It was an evaluation of my performance.

I also do miniature painting and will soon participate in a competition in Belarus. For one year and a half I was also going to dance classes, but because of an increase in my homework, I decided to drop dancing. My mom is 32 years old. She is a student now and attends Shirak State University. My brother will turn 6 years old soon.

My brother and I love to play together with Legos, Lotto, and lots of developmental games .
This year I asked Santa Claus to bring me a piano or keyboard, because I need it a lot for my vocal classes. I also asked for two “Lego-Friends” and two very important books: one for writing essays and the other one, for dictation.

Thank you very much for sponsoring us.

* In order to protect the privacy of the children we use only their first names.
PLEASE CONSIDER SPONSORSHIP:
The St. Nerses the Great Charitable and Social Organization’s orphans’ sponsorship program now has two branches:
 
a.      Minors up to the age of 18.
b.     Orphans who upon turning 18 continue their studies at a higher education institution.
 
If you would like to sponsor a child on the waiting list of the Prelacy’s Sponsorship Program, please click here for quick and easy online sponsorship. Alternatively, for the sponsorship of both minors and university students you may also contact the Prelacy by email ( sophie@armenianprelacy.org ) or telephone (212-689-7810). 
FROM OUR SCHOOLS
HARVARD TALK ON BILINGUALISM NOW ON YOUTUBE
A video has now been uploaded of a panel discussion at Harvard University on March 5 on “Bilingualism: Challenges and Benefits of Learning and Living in Multiple Worlds,” co-sponsored by the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR)/Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian Lecture Series on Contemporary Armenian Issues, Harvard Armenian Student Association, and St. Stephen's Armenian Elementary School. The panelists were Dr. Lisa Gulesserian (Harvard University), Dr. Vartan Matiossian (Armenian Prelacy), and Dr. María Luisa Parra-Velasco (Harvard University), with Dr. Anna Ohanyan (Stonehill College) as moderator.

The video, recently uploaded by NAASR, can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/2TXw8CSHzho .
 
The program was met with great interest and a follow-up was already in the works before the COVID-19 pandemic struck with all its might. Segments from the St. Stephen's video documentary “Armenian Bilingualism in America: Preserving Language & Identity” were shown during the panel talk. The documentary can be viewed here:  https://youtu.be/a04TOB-Su2Q
“THE GRANDCHILDREN: THE HIDDEN LEGACY OF ‘LOST’ ARMENIANS IN TURKEY”

Ayse Gul Altinay
Fethiye Cetin
The Grandchildren  is a collection of intimate, harrowing testimonies by grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Turkey’s “forgotten Armenians”—the orphans adopted and Islamized by Muslims after the Armenian genocide. Through them we learn of the tortuous routes by which they came to terms with the painful stories of their grandparents and their own identity. The postscript offers a historical overview of the silence about Islamized Armenians in most histories of the genocide.
When Fethiye Cetin, one of the co-editors, first published her groundbreaking memoir in Turkey,  My Grandmother , she spoke of her grandmother’s hidden Armenian identity. The book sparked a conversation among Turks about the fate of the Ottoman Armenians in Anatolia in 1915. This resulted in an explosion of debate on Islamized Armenians and their legacy in contemporary Muslim families.

The Grandchildren  (translated from Turkish) is a follow-up to  My Grandmother , and is an important contribution to understanding survival during atrocity. As witnesses to a dark chapter of history, the grandchildren of these survivors cast new light on the workings of memory in coming to terms with difficult pasts.
Copies of this book may be purchased from the Prelacy Bookstore ( books@armenianprelacy.org   or 212-689-7810)
THE FIRST COMMEMORATION OF THE GENOCIDE IN SOVIET ARMENIA
 (April 24, 1965)

On April 24, 1926, the mourning bells sounded at the Holy See of Echmiadzin for the last time. The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Armenia resolved that year that all commemorations of the Armenian Genocide, should end. This followed the signature of the Soviet-Turkish non-aggression pact of December 1925.

The period going from the 1920s to the 1950s would be one of oblivion, with the exception of some literary works. After the demands for the return of Kars and Ardahan in 1945-1947, the Soviet Union officially renounced any territorial claims from Turkey on behalf of Armenia and Georgia.

On the eve of the fiftieth anniversary, the echoes of the commemoration plans underway and the imperative for active revindication coming from the Diaspora, as well as the delayed effect of Nikita Khrushchev’s “thaw” in Armenia, would become the catalysts for a commemoration of the victims of 1915 at an official level in Yerevan. An important role was played by Yakov Zarobian (1911-1980), First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Armenian Communist Party.

In 1964, after several consultations with important historians and other intellectuals, Zarobian had various meetings with the highest echelons of the Soviet political elite and managed to obtain consent for the commemoration.

Besides books and articles, programs of radio and TV, and various public events, in February 1965 the Central Committee approved the project for the construction of a memorial to the genocide victims. The architectural competition was announced in March 1965.

In the morning of April 24, Lenin Square (nowadays Republic Square) was filled with thousands of young people, who surprised the authorities with an unauthorized demonstration. The exhortations of various intellectuals to disperse went unheeded, as well as an attempt by the police. Later, the demonstrators started marching through the main streets of downtown Yerevan, shouting patriotic slogans, like “Our lands, our lands,” and carrying banners that demanded the return of Armenian occupied lands. The peaceful march was not disturbed by the authorities, and the demonstrators were able to lay a wreath at the tomb of Gomidas Vartabed in the Pantheon of Yerevan. There are various estimations of the number of participants in the demonstrations, ranging from 20,000 to 100,000.

In the evening, a big group moved to the Yerevan Opera, where an official event by invitation was being held. Attempts to enter by force ended in incidents and police intervention. A few young people managed to enter the theater and disrupt the event, leading to its interruption.

On the same day, the celebration of the Divine Liturgy and a hokehankeesd in Holy Echmiadzin had been allowed by the authorities. A memorial to the genocide was inaugurated in October 1965 in the courtyard of the monastery.

Following the demonstrations of April 1965, the new Soviet government, led by Leonid Brezhnev since late 1964, carried out a purge of the highest ranks of the Communist Party of Armenia in February 1966. Zarobian was replaced along with several party leaders and given a new position in Moscow.

The wave of national rebirth that had started in the late 1950s had reached its peak on April 24, 1965, and this renaissance continued its reflections in the following years. The memorial of the genocide in Tsitsernakaberd was inaugurated in November 1967.

Previous entries in “This Week in Armenian History” are on the Prelacy’s web site ( www.armenianprelacy.org ). 
LETTERS TO CROSSROADS
In spite of these trying times for us all, one constant and continued source of encouragement has been the several accessible live streamed services and daily reflections by the Prelacy. The guidance by Surpazan Anoushavan and all our clergy is to be commended! Thank you so much!
Dr. Alta Mekaelian

---

Thank you so much for the daily reflections. They are uplifting and very much needed, especially during these disturbing days.
May God keep you all healthy and safe.
Sara Mikaelian
Racine, WI

WRITE TO US
Crossroads welcomes your inquiries and comments (English and/or Armenian), as well as parish news, photographs, and calendar items. Remember that the deadline for submitting items is Tuesday evenings. Please write to crossroads@armenianprelacy.org.

ARTICLE ON COVID-19 PANDEMIC
In his new article about the coronavirus pandemic, Fr. Bedros Shetilian invites us to ponder the health emergency from a true Christian perspective. You may read it here .
APRIL 24: A CALL FOR JUSTICE
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
 ( Calendar items may be edited to conform to space and style )
April 24  —Commemoration of 105 th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide at the St. Illuminator’s Cathedral (New York). The Divine Liturgy will be celebrated by Rev. Fr. Mesrob Lakissian, Pastor, and the sermon will be delivered by Archbishop Anoushavan, Prelate. The Divine Liturgy will be livestreamed.

April 25  —Due to the health emergency, the Siamanto Academy will hold its class online on Saturday at 10:30 am. For information, contact ANEC Director Ms. Mary Gulumian at anec@armenianprelacy.org or call 212-689-7810. .
 
May 13-16  — POSTPONED —National Representative Assembly (NRA) of the Eastern Prelacy hosted by St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Apostolic Church of Philadelphia..
 
May 17  — CANCELED —Following Divine Liturgy, St. Illuminator’s Cathedral will host a talk by academic and author Rubina Peroomian.
 
May 31  — POSTPONED —Save the date. St. Sarkis Armenian Apostolic Church, Douglaston, New York, 30th Anniversary Banquet.
 
June 29—July 3  —St. Gregory of Datev Institute Summer Program online For information, please contact Dn. Shant Kazanjian at 212-689-7810 or s.kazanjian.sk@gmail.com.
 
September 26-27  —St. Gregory Church of Merrimack Valley (North Andover, Massachusetts), 50 th Anniversary, under the auspices of Archbishop Anoushavan, Prelate.
 
October 4 —Save the date. St. Stephen's Armenian Apostolic Church of New Britain, CT, 95th Anniversary Banquet.
 
October 17 —Hye Kef 5 Annual Dance, presented by the Armenian Friends of America, Inc.. Featuring: Steve Vosbikian Jr., Mal Barsamian, John Berberian, Ara Dinkjian and Jason Naroian. At the DoubleTree Hotel in Andover, MA. For details, visit ArmenianFriendsofAmerica.org or call Sharke at 978-808-0598.
 
November 15  —Save the date. The Eastern Prelacy's Annual Thanksgiving Banquet.
 
November 28  —Save the date. Sts. Vartanantz Armenian Apostolic Church 80th Anniversary Celebration, under the auspices of Archbishop Anoushavan, Prelate. Rhodes-on-the-Pawtuxet, Cranston, Rhode Island. 
Follow us on Social Media
The Armenian Prelacy 
Tel: 212-689-7810 ♦ Fax: 212-689-7168 ♦ Email: email@armenianprelacy.org

Visit the Catholicosate webpage at  http://www.armenianorthodoxchurch.org/en/