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South Florida Armenian Community Celebrates Very Rev. Fr. Dr. Nareg Berberian’s 20th Anniversary of Ordination to the Holy Priesthood
South Florida Armenian Community Celebrates Very Rev. Fr. Dr. Nareg Berberian’s 20th Anniversary of Ordination to the Holy Priesthood
H.E. Archbishop Barsamian Ordains New Deacons at St. David Armenian Church
Boca Raton, FL – On Saturday, January 21, around 250 members of the south Florida Armenian-American community gathered in Mardigian Hall at St. David Armenian Church to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Very Rev. Fr. Dr. Nareg Berberian’s ordination to the Holy priesthood. The celebratory banquet was widely attended by hundreds of Florida Armenians from across the state and many religious dignitaries from around the United States.
Guests enjoyed an eloquent and entertaining banquet over a fine three-course dinner, remarks from religious dignitaries and musical performances from local Armenian talents. Presiding over the banquet was His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America in New York. Joining him was H.E. Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, Diocesan Legate of the Armenian Church of America in Washington, DC, Rev. Fr. Mardiros Chevian, Dean of St. Vartan Cathedral in New York City, Rev. Fr. Mempre Kouzouian from Boston, Massachusets, Rev. Fr. Vartan Joulfyan of St. Mary Armenian Church in Cooper City, Florida, Rev. Fr. Nerses Jebejian, and Rabbi Robert Silvers of B’nai Israel Synagogue in Boca Raton and local clergy. Taniel Koushakjian, founder of Florida Armenians (www.FLArmenians.com), served as Master of Ceremonies.
Kicking off the program was Carol Norigian, Banquet Commemorative Committee Chair, who expressed her deep appreciation to Fr. Berberian and noted his hard work and many achievements over his decade-long tenure in the south Florida parish. Norigian spoke on behalf of committee members Beatrice Babgouni, Nadia Isguzar, Maral Kazandjian, Armen Melkonian, Rose Reynolds, Claudette Sarian, Nina Stapan, and Rose Tatarian who organized the evening’s festivities. Norigian also presented Fr. Nareg with a beautiful replicable Noah’s Ark, sent by renowned Armenian artist and designer Michael Aram, for his many accomplishments at St. David Armenian Church.
Several local talents performed for the packed hall to celebrate in Hayr Sourp Berberian’s 20 years of service in the Holy priesthood. St. David ACYOA talents Alique Mazmanian and Ani Manvelyan each sang Armenian songs and Alique joined Alex Crossley for a duet. Arman Avedyan, also from St. David ACYOA, inspired the crowd with his powerful performance of the classic Armenian opera Nessun Dorma. Later in the evening, St. Mary ACYOA violinist Sage McBride beautifully performed Aram Khatchadourian’s Groong. Following was local award-winning pianist Hratch Boghossian, who brought the crowd to its feet with his spectacular performance.
Very Rev. Fr. Dr. Nareg Berberian with family and Archbishop Khajag Barsamian and Archbishop Vicken Aykazian
Highlighting the banquet was the Very Rev. Fr. Dr. Nareg Berberian, who stated, “Today, I feel elated to have such a wonderful community, all of whom I value as my friends. It is unbelievable that 20 years have passed since my Ordination into the Holy Order of Priesthood, and ten years since you embraced me as your spiritual leader, your Pastor, here at St. David Armenian Church.” Fr. Nareg continued, “You are the Church, you are the mission, you are the ministry. Without you there would be no priesthood, without you there would be no vision. Thank you for making a positive difference in my life. God is working through each and every one of us. Let’s glorify His name and thank Him for bringing us closer to Him through the ministry of His Church.”
Fr. Nareg was also joined by his family who flew all the way from California. His niece, Joelle Awad, spoke eloquently about Fr. Nareg on behalf of his family. In addition, a special video message and film, showcasing photos of Hayr Nareg’s early life, was featured and is available below.
Concluding the banquet’s program was remarks from H.E. Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church. His Eminence spoke warmly about his friendly and professional relationship with Fr. Nareg, and reflected on his many years of service, having himself ordained Hayr Nareg twenty years ago. On behalf of the Armenian Church, Archbishop Barsamian presented Very Rev. Fr. Dr. Berberian with an award for his two-decade service to God and the Armenian-American community. Archbishop Barsamian’s passionate remarks and uplifting spirit was a wonderful conclusion to the evening’s celebration.
Then, on Sunday, January 22, H.E. Archbishop Khajag Barsamian led Archishop Vicken Aykazian, Very Rev. Fr. Dr. Nareg Berberian, Rev. Fr. Mardiros Chevian, Rev. Fr. Mampre Kouzouian, Rev. Fr. Nersess Jebejian and the south Florida Armenian-American community in Divine Liturgy (Holy Badarak). During Badarak, Archbishop Barsamian ordained two young St. David altar servers, Arlen Avedyan as a Deacon, and Gregory Merjian as Sub-Deacon, in the Armenian Church.
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Photo Caption 1 (L-R): Very Rev. Fr. Dr. Nareg Berberian with family and H.E. Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church in New York, and Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, Diocesan Legate of the Armenian Church in Washington, DC
Armenian Church of Southwest Florida Celebrates First Badarak Service of 2012
Armenian Church of Southwest Florida Celebrates First Badark Service of 2012
Bonita Beach, Florida – On January 15, the Armenian Church of Southwest Florida celebrated their first Badarak service of 2012. Over 100 parishioners from across southwest Florida were present to welcome Very Rev. Fr. Simeon Odabashian, Diocesan Vicar of the Armenian Church of America. Florida Armenian local Mr. Vartkes Karaian served as Godfather of the Cross during the Blessing of the Water. A delicious luleh kebab dinner followed the service where guests renewed old friendships and welcomed new parishioners to the growing Armenian community in southwest Florida.
Deacon Zaven Hartutian, The Very Rev. Fr. Simeon Odabashian, Deacon Allan Tossoonian, and Godfather of the Cross Vartkes Karaian
The next Badarak service will be held on Sunday, February 26, 2012 at 1:00 pm. Services are held at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Bonita Beach. For more information or to join our mailing list, please contact Carole at (239) 3804 or cmegh@comcast.net.
Photo caption (L-R): Deacon Zaven Hartutian, The Very Rev. Fr. Simeon Odabashian, Deacon Allan Tossoonian, and Godfather of the Cross-Vartkes Karaian.
Moral Considerations in the Art-Restitution Lawsuit Between the Armenian Church and the Getty Museum
Moral Considerations in the Art-Restitution Lawsuit Between the Armenian Church and the Getty Museum
By Michael Toumayan
FLArmenians Guest Contributor
On Nov. 4, a Los Angeles Times article, written by Mike Boehm, reported that in an effort to get back the Canon Tables of the 13th-century Zeyt’un Gospels from the Getty Museum, the Armenian Diaspora has inaudibly put its weight behind the Armenian Orthodox Church’s quest to repatriate the allegedly stolen illuminated manuscripts back to Armenia, where the rest is housed at the Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts.
In 1915, as Armenians were subjected to a genocidal campaign by the Ottoman Empire, the intact codex changed hands for safekeeping. The eight pages that were torn from the larger codex during the Armenian Genocide ultimately resurfaced with an Armenian American immigrant family in Massachusetts, which sold them to the Getty in 1994.
The Getty Museum
Church attorneys were initially asked by the Getty to come up with solutions, and no less than 16 were put forth, only to be rejected by the Getty. Clearly the content of a proposal for a solution is a critical component to any successful resolution of conflict, but equally necessary is the timing of the efforts. Resolution can only be achieved if the parties are sincere in negotiating.
One wonders whether the Getty was ready and sincere when it asked church attorneys to come up with solutions. However, for the sake of being aware of our cognitive biases, we should also question whether both parties were engaging in positional bargaining, a negotiation strategy that involves holding on to a position, rather than interest-based bargaining in which parties collaborate to find a “win-win” solution to their dispute.
Nevertheless, on Nov. 3, 2011 a Los Angeles Superior Court judge denied the museum’s motion to dismiss the plaintiff’s claim that the Canon Tables are “wrongfully in the possession, custody and control” of the J. Paul Getty Trust, in the Getty Museum. Instead, the judge ordered the parties to four months of mediation, scheduling a March 2 resumption if the case isn’t settled. Citing that it was “not clear” whether the case would fall within statute-of-limitations law, perhaps the judge’s ruling may create the necessary conditions for the dispute to be ripe, and both will perceive that there is a suitable way out.
With a murky history and 90 years later, one cannot rule out the Getty’s possible legal possession and title to the disputed manuscripts. Simultaneously, the Getty’s concern in the preservation of world artistic heritage should not confine itself to considering just the legal entitlement. In mediation, where context is pivotal, there is an ethical obligation that rests on the museum taking into account the moral strength of the church’s case based on the circumstances during times of turmoil. Now is the time for the museum to exhibit consistency with its own core ethical values while also demonstrating sensitivity to the sacred values of the Armenian nation in its quest for restorative justice.
For the mediation to be successful, both must enter into it willingly and away from a zero-sum mindset, through a cooperative approach. The potential benefits of mediation will outweigh the steep cost of litigation, but more importantly, the long-term outcome will be a healed and expanded relationship between the two. This may open the path for a joint restoration project where both can take part in repairing the lost gleam of the larger Zeyt’un Gospels and have them showcased with other extraordinary works of Armenian art from the vaults of the church.
Michael Toumayan is an independnt political commentator on the Caucasus and Middle East affairs. He holds a master’s degree in conflict resolution and mediation from Tel Aviv University in Tel Aviv, Israel. He resides in Delray Beach, Florida.
SOURCE: http://www.armenianweekly.com/2011/11/29/moral-considerations/
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