PHILADELPHIA, Pa.—From May 12-14, the Eastern Prelacy’s National Representative Assembly (NRA) convened in Philadelphia at St. Gregory the Illuminator Church.
St. Gregory’s new Founders Hall, which was the setting for the meetings, provided a comfortable and impressive environment for the Prelacy’s annual assembly. The clergy met one day earlier for their religious conference before joining the full Assembly.
The co-chairmen elected were Jack Mardoian, Esq. (Chicago) and Nayiri Baljian Bell (Watertown), becoming the first female NRA chair to be elected. Janet Haroian (Granite City) was elected English secretary and Rev. Fr. Karekin Bedourian (North Andover) was elected Armenian secretary. Concurrent with the NRA, the National Association of Ladies Guilds (NALG) also met.
The first session of the NRA began with an opening prayer offered by Archbishop Oshagan. The morning session was devoted to messages, including the welcoming words of Archpriest Fr. Nerses Manoogian, pastor of the host parish, and William Arthin, chairman of the Board of Trustees.
Delegates and guests viewed a video message by His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, who from his office in Antelias, Lebanon, wished the Assembly success in its deliberations and plans for the upcoming year. The Prelate’s entire message, in both Armenian and English, can be read online at www.armenianprelacy.org.
Keynote address
Archbishop Oshagan delivered the keynote address during the afternoon session on Thurs., May 12. His message, delivered in Armenian with English text distributed, focused on service and faithfulness. He began his comments by acknowledging the advancements made by a number of parishes during the past year. Included in his list was the host parish of St. Gregory that, last September, inaugurated its new Founders Hall as well as other improvements and additions.
The Prelate told the delegates, “We are gathered as volunteer servants of our centuries-old Holy Church, a God-established institution that besides being a fortress of Christian faith and instruction, was truly the backbone of the survival of our nation. With St. Gregory the Illuminator and King Drtad, Christianity became a national religion and established the source of the forming of the character of the Armenian people, the creation of language and culture, and the advancement of all kinds of artistic endeavors. It is not possible to speak of the history of the artistic mind of the Armenian nation without seeing there the solid presence of the Armenian Church.”
The Prelate paid tribute to the dedicated service of the early leaders of the Armenian Church in the United States, who remained faithful to the traditions and canons of the Church. He ended his message with a warning about the future of the church. Foreign influences have begun to cloud our life, he said. Church and community understanding is confused with business life and corporations. The church is a true home; it is not a business. The church is where our faith, hope, vision, and service are confined unchanged. The church is where our everlasting life is etched as God’s people and children of the Armenian nation. The church is the savior of the soul. The church highly recognizes the worthiness of our spiritual values, and nourishes the faithful with those values. Otherwise, we will become a materialistic institution that will one day rot and be lost.”
The following panels met during the Assembly and later reported to the full Assembly: the Armenian Religious Education Council (AREC), Armenian National Education Committee (ANEC), Technology, Audit and Budget, and Board of Trustees Workshop. The extensive reports presented by the Religious and Executive Councils were examined and discussed. Considerable time was spent on budgetary considerations, and the Prelacy Building Project.
Banquet
Friday evening’s banquet was well attended by delegates and the local community. Stephen Hagopian, the chairman of the Executive Council, served as the MC. A young parishioner, Mariam Sarkessian (who was later an honoree), beautifully sang the national anthems of the United States and Armenia.
A number of local parishioners were honored for their outstanding service and leadership. Certificates of Merit were presented to Kirk Karagelian, Noubar Yeremian, and the Founders Hall Construction Committee (Bill Arthin, Richard Keshgegian, Hagop Keshishian, Haroutiun Aghajanian, Arthur Selverian, and Jeffrey Selverian). Youth Leadership Awards were presented to Mariam Sarkessian and Taleen Yeremian. In a special presentation, Archbishop Oshagan presented the Eagle of the Prelacy (the highest award given by the Prelacy) to Stephen Selverian in appreciation for his leadership during the parish’s recent construction project. The Spirit of Armenia Award was presented to Congressman Chris Smith (D-N.J.) in appreciation of his ongoing support of issues of interest to the Armenian American community
An expertly crafted model of a proposed new Prelacy office building (on the current site) that was on display at the dinner drew much attention as people flocked to examine the detailed model.
Assembly concludes
The final session of the NRA that convened Saturday morning was devoted to the election of Executive Council members, the budget, and the Prelacy Building Project. Earlier, two members of the Religious Council were elected; they are Archpriest Fr. Aram Stepanian (re-elected, Whitinsville), and Rev. Fr. Mesrob Lakissian (New York). Re-elected to the Executive Council were Raffi Manjikian (Watertown) and John Daghlian (Watertown). Elected to the Council were Noubar Megerian (Philadelphia) and Armen Kourkounian (North Andover).
In his closing remarks prior to the Benediction, Archbishop Oshagan thanked the delegates for their service and told them they must now go to their home parishes and convey the decisions made by the NRA, and help implement those decisions. The real work starts now, he told them. He thanked Archpriest Fr. Nerses Manoogian, the auxiliary bodies, the Ladies Guild, and the entire Philadelphia community for their warm hospitality.
Prior to adjournment, the delegation from Sts. Vartanantz Church in Providence, R.I. invited the delegates to their city for the 2012 National Representative Assembly. The 2011 Assembly ended with a stirring rendition of “Giligia.”
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