The parishes throughout the Eastern Prelacy commemorated the 106th anniversary of the Genocide in different ways. For a photographic coverage of events, see here.
The commemoration in New York on Saturday, April 24, began in the morning with Divine Liturgy celebrated at St. Illuminator’s Cathedral by Rev. Fr. Vahan Kouyoumdjian and presided by His Eminence Archbishop Anoushavan, Prelate.
After the service, a crowd gathered on E. 27th Street to begin what has become a traditional march for justice through the borough of Manhattan. The marchers walked for about two miles from the St. Illuminator’s Cathedral to their destination at Washington Square Park.
The march and the subsequent gathering were collaboratively organized by the New York “Moush” and “Hyortik” AYF chapters. The gathering at Washington Square Park began with the singing of the American and Armenian anthems by Anahit Indzhigulyan.
Archbishop Anoushavan offered an empowering message in Armenian and English, followed by speeches by writer, teacher and activist Sam Armen; former marine, anthropologist and independent journalist Julian McBride; and radio journalist Dimitris Filippidis. Singer and actress Ani Djirdjirian performed an original song using excerpts from Paruyr Sevak’s poem “Badarak in Three Voices.”