Florence Avakian Thank You Banquet

​In this season of giving thanks, a celebratory and inspiring event initiated by the Eastern Prelate Archbishop Anoushavan Tanielian, and organized by the Eastern Prelacy took place on Sunday afternoon, November 17. It was joyfully festive, as well as significantly serious in its dedication to future commitments.

“We thank all our parishioners who have faithfully supported us over the last six decades in helping us to achieve our mission of service for the welfare of the Armenian community at home, in the diaspora and in the homeland”, said the Prelate.

This was the powerful theme of the Eastern Prelacy’s first annual Thanksgiving banquet. This special event honored the “St. Nerses the Great Charitable and Social Organization’s 25 plus One Anniversary” at Flushing, New York’s Terrace on the Park. It followed a Thanksgiving Divine Liturgy celebrated by Archbishop Anoushavan at St. Sarkis Armenian Church in Douglaston, New York.

This invaluable mission, the St. Nerses the Great Charitable and Social Organization (Medsn Nerses) named for Catholicos Nerses the Great (373 A.D.), had actually begun 31 years ago right after the 1988 catastrophic earthquake under the direction of then Prelate Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian, with its priority being to provide immediate help for earthquake survivors. Soon thereafter the Orphan Sponsorship Program emerged as a priority benefitting thousands of children. During the tenure of Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, Medsn Nerses was expanded with a new office in Yerevan.

The programs have grown and blossomed greatly, and now also include aid to orphanages, schools, students, the elderly, disabled servicemen, and a summer camp.

Before the banquet, held in the elegant flower-decorated ballroom, close to 200 attendees enthusiastically greeted each other during a sumptuous reception, renewing acquaintances, and making new friends.
Opening the banquet program, Archbishop Anoushavan offered a meditative invocation, after which the Pontifical Message of His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, was read by the Vicar of the Prelacy, Very Rev. Fr. Sahag Yemishian.

Master of Ceremonies Jack Mardoian, Chairman of the Prelacy Executive Council, warmly welcomed the crowd, and hard-working Banquet Chairwoman Susan Chitjian Erickson expressed appreciation to the committee members and all who had made this event possible.

Armenia’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Mher Margaryan, congratulated the Prelate, and expressed the Motherland’s deep appreciation for the Prelacy’s devotion to Armenia’s orphans and the other programs supported by the St. Nerses the Great Charity Organization.

We Are Hayasdan
Keynote speaker Dr. Herand Markarian, always a unique thinker, stated, “We Armenians know each other well. We are the same class, something big. We are Armenian reality.”

Explaining these words, he defined the thought saying that we Armenians are part of Hayasdan with its special spirit, with its “hayoutiune, and with our organizations. And all these elements are merged together,” he explained.

“And that is what our presence today means. It is this awareness that led the Prelacy, under the leadership of the late Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian of blessed memory, to establish Medsn Nerses. The same awareness led the subsequent prelates Archbishops Oshagan and Anoushavan to continue the task.”

Calling the orphan program a priority, he referred to them as the “soldiers who have become leaders. The orphans are the future. Only through them will we have our Armenia and our future.“

A soul-searing video was shown that revealed the many programs that are sponsored by the Prelacy and the St. Nerses the Great Charity.  The Artsakh war that resulted in 30,000 Armenian casualties and 300,000 homeless was an impetus that led Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian to expand the scope of Medsn Nerses.

Powerful Programs
The Orphan Sponsorship Program was established in 1993 to help the young children of fallen Artsakh fighters. His Eminence paid special tribute to the “thousands of courageous freedom fighters. The program today provides monthly stipends for all orphaned children in need.

During the past 26 years, this mission has been financed through individual sponsors, during which time more than 2,500 children have received a monthly stipend. Currently 700 youngsters are being helped.
The Happy Family program was begun in 2008 by Sarkis Arslanian and his family to help the families of disabled Artsakh veterans. Currently the program supports fifteen families.

The Noubarashen Home for Children supervised by Armenia’s Ministry of Education, provides a home for children with mental and physical disabilities. The Prelacy in 2004 began an extensive renovation of the 50-year old building through an endowment fund established by benefactor Edward Melconian.

The Yetvart Boyajian School, named in honor of the acclaimed diasporan writer and poet Yetvart Boyajian, was established soon after Armenia’s independence, and has been renovated extensively by the Medsn Nerses Organization.
In the last ten years, a Summer Camp for Orphans, organized and directed by Archpriest Fr. Aram Stepanian, flourishes through the donations of many donors as well as the parishes of the Eastern Prelacy.
And in the very needy Nor Malatya area of Yerevan, the Datev Music School provides some 40 youngsters with music education free of charge. Many of the talented students go on to the Yerevan State Conservatory to continue their education.

And in 80 communities, orphaned children, the elderly and needy families receive nutritional supplements, medicine, and new clothing, donated by a group of charities, and distributed by the St. Nerses the Great organization.

Young Talent
To the delight of the audience, the program continued with a group of young talented musicians who had been encouraged by the Prelate, and the Banquet Committee to participate.  They included Karina Vartanian and Anahid Indzhigulyan who proudly sang both the American and Armenian national anthems opening the program, as well two beloved songs – Gomidas’ “Chinar Es” by Vartanian, and “Yes Im Anoush Hayasdani” sung by Indzhigulyan.  Two other talents were violinist Aren Arakelian musically playing a Gomidas medley, and Siran Tchorbajian singing a heartfelt “Kele Kele” by Gomidas, and “Bjingo” by Chituni.

Green Sprouts Shooting Out
In his introduction of the Prelate, Jack Mardoian likened Anoushavan Srpazan to “green sprouts shooting and reaching out, and teaching us.”

The Prelate in his inspiring address before a spellbound audience, expressed his appreciation to all the organizations and people who joined and came together for this worthy event with their “talent, spirit, heart and donations.”

Speaking spontaneously in Armenian and English with heartfelt passion, he emphasized that though there have been other fundraising events, this “thank you” banquet is the first of its kind.

“As the fifth Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy, I am grateful to all who have guided me, as well as the Prelacy’s Religious and Executive Counsels in establishing this Thanksgiving event. I hope it will grow into a tradition to annually thank all the components of our Prelacy,” he said with his typical humility.
“And on this special anniversary, I thank all of our sponsors, both minor and major, whose donations and services after the 1988 earthquake eliminated the tears of the orphans, relieved the pain from the hearts of the widows, and filled the spirit of thousands of families with hope. As a matter of fact, through this action in love we are not just helping orphans, but rather we are paying our tribute to our freedom fighters, whose blood was shed.”

The Prelate also paid tribute to the staff and volunteers of the Prelacy, and related how groups had stayed long hours after their work hours had been completed, to finish the work needed for all the countless projects sponsored by the Prelacy over the decades.
Concluding his remarks, the Archbishop said, “I have you all in my heart.  We serve with joy, heart and love, and our eyes gaze at Mt. Ararat,” Srpazan declared to a long-standing ovation.

Following the Benediction, the audience joined together, singing “Giligia,” after which several attendees voiced their feelings.

For Ica Kouyoumjian, the participation of a large number of young people “was a blessing.”
Young musician Siran Tchorbajian “felt more connected to the church and looked forward to getting more involved.”

Dr. Arthur Kubikian, AAHPO Board of Directors Vice President, shared the feeling that “appreciation is the highest positive emotion.  We have to continue helping those in Armenia.”

Roland Telfeyan was “delighted to see everyone unified in this effort to contribute and support needy children in Armenia and in all our communities.”

And John Daghlian, Deacon of the St. Stephen’s Church in Watertown, was deeply grateful for “all the progress that the Prelacy has achieved during the last several decades for such worthy causes.”

Booklet Acknowledges Sponsors
The Booklet that was prepared for this occasion listed the names of orphan sponsors who have continued their commitment from the beginning of the program in 1993 to the present. Another list acknowledges the names of every orphan sponsor who participated for any length of time during the past 26 years.