From Sun., June 28 to Sun., July 5, about 50 young students from 10 Prelacy parishes and 11 instructors gathered at the St. Mary of Providence Center in Elverson, Pa., for the 23rd St. Gregory of Datev Institute Summer program, under the auspices of His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan, the Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
Approximately 20 of the participants began the annual summer program with a weekend retreat that started on Fri., June 26, under the directorship of His Grace Bishop Anoushavan, the Vicar General of the Eastern Prelacy.
Sponsored by the Armenian Religious Education Council (AREC) of the Prelacy, the institute provides an intensive week-long program for Christian formation, through Bible studies and discussions, prayer and worship services, communal activities, and fellowship. “Christian formation is not about memorizing a few Bible verses, or learning a few dates and facts about the Armenian Church and its history, or reciting one or two ready-made prayers, important though they are,” said Dn. Shant Kazanjian, director of AREC. “Christian formation is about living the mandate of the Gospel of Christ, wherever we may be. It is learning to ever more fully submit our lives to the lordship of Jesus Christ.”
Each day the program began with Morning Service from 7:15-7:45 a.m. Classes were held from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. In the afternoons, the students enjoyed recreational activities, such as volleyball, soccer, basketball, kickball, dodgeball, swimming, board games, and music. In the evenings, they participated in panel discussions from 7:30-8:20 p.m., followed by three concurrent Bible studies from 8:30-9:20 p.m. for different age groups. Each day came to a close with the Compline Service (Husgoom) from 9:45-10:30 p.m.
“I was extremely excited to come back for my second year of Datev,” said Erica Mengouchian from the St. Sarkis Armenian Church in Douglaston, N.Y. “Going to classes, having free time, and attending both morning and evening services allows us to balance our days,” she continued. “We are able to have fun and make new friends, all while learning about our faith and Armenian culture. I would never trade my experiences at Datev for anything. I look forward to my future years here and plan to return after my four years are completed as a post-grad student.”
The institute is a four-year program, with one week each summer. Students who complete the four-year program have the option of returning for post-graduate classes. Classes for all five levels of study take place concurrently. During the weeklong program, a hundred 50-minute classes were held, 20 per level, plus evening panel discussions and Bible studies, all conducted by 11 instructors and 3 guest instructors.
The instructors of the Datev Institute this year were Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian, Rev. Fr. Khoren Habeshian, Rev. Fr. Antranig Baljian, Rev. Fr. Nerses Manoogian, Rev. Fr. Sarkis Aktavoukian, Rev. Fr. Stephan Baljian, Dn. Shant Kazanjian, Dn. Bedros Kalajian, Dn. James Haddad, Denise Borekjian, and Jeanette Nazarian.
The distinguished guest instructors were Rev. Fr. Paul Tarazi, professor of Biblical studies and Biblical languages at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary; Michael Papazian, associate professor and chairman of the religion and philosophy Department of Berry College; and Edward G. Mathews, recurring visiting professor of early Christian languages and literature, and director of research at St. Nersess Armenian Seminary.
The curriculum for the first four years is the same, covering the traditional essentials of our faith, including the Bible, the sacraments with a particular emphasis on the Divine Liturgy (Soorp Badarak), feasts and worship, the Creed and Armenain Church history, the Ten Commandments, and contemporary moral issues. The post graduate curriculum changes every year, the classes providing further explanation on the elements of our faith. In addition to the clergy instructors, guest lecturers are invited to teach the post-graduate classes.
A popular guest lecturer at the Institute, Rev. Fr. Paul Tarazi, very much loved and respected by the Datevatsis, presented four sessions on the Letter of St. Paul to the Galatians. Fr. Tarazi also led a two-hour session on the same topic with the clergy instructors of the institute.
Prof. Michael Papazian presented two sessions on Stepanos Sunetsi’s commentary on the Gospels, an 8th-century Armenian theologian. Prof. Edwards G. Mathews presented two lectures on the Holy Translators’ Heritage, focusing on St. Ephrem the Syrian.
On June 30, His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan visited the institute and engaged the students in a lively open discussion. At the end of the session, to everyone’s pleasant surprise, His Eminence announced that next year in August, the Armenian Prelacy will sponsor a “youth pilgrimage.” He said that on the occasion of the 95th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, they will go on a pilgrimage to Der Zor, as well as to the Forty Martyrs’ Cathedral in Aleppo (which has recently become a place of pilgrimage for countless believers) and to Kessab, an Armenian village in Syria. It will then culminate with the visit to the Holy See of the Catholicossate of Cilicia in Antelias, Lebanon. This pilgrimage will be open to the upper level Datev students.
On July 4, the students enjoyed a 4th of July picnic, a day of copious delicious Armenian food and table fellowship, coupled with games and music and dancing, made possible by the generosity of Asdghig Kazanjian, the owner of “Armenian Delight” in Broomall, Pa.
The Datev Program came to a close with the celebration of the Divine Liturgy at St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Apostolic Church in Philadelphia on Sun., July 5, followed by a luncheon graciously hosted by the “Artemis” chapter of the Armenian Relief Society (ARS). The celebrant was His Grace Bishop Anoushavan. In his sermon, he spoke about the summer program, its goals and aims, and emphasized the importance of Christian formation, particularly in the formative years of youth. For that reason, he added, His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, has declared this year as the “Year of the Youth,” exhorting all of us to give this segment of our community greater attention in their religious development.
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The participants came from the following 10 parishes: 19 from Sts. Vartanantz Church in Ridgefield, N.J. (6 church servers); 12 from Sts. Vartanantz Church in Providence, R.I. (8 church servers); 7 from St. Gregory the Illuminator Church in Philadelphia, Pa. (4 church servers); 4 from Holy Trinity Church in Worcester, Mass. (2 church servers); 4 from Sourp Khatch Armenian Apostolic Church in Washington, D.C. (1 church server); 3 from St. Sarkis Church in Douglaston, N.Y. (1 church server); 1 from St. Illuminator’s Cathedral in New York; 1 from St. Stephen’s Armenian Apostolic Church in Watertown, Mass.; 1 from St. Stephen’s Church in New Britain, Conn. (1 church server); and 1 from St. Gregory Church in Indian Orchard, Mass. (1 church server).
For more information about the Datev Institute, visit the Prelacy website at http://www.armenianprelacy.org/datev.htm or call the AREC office at (212) 689 4481.
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