ASTOR GUZELIAN, EASTERN PRELACY’S MAN OF THE YEAR
On Thursday, May 29, after the first session of the National Representative Assembly, a special Divine Liturgy was celebrated on the Feast of Ascension at St. Stephen’s Church of Watertown, Massachusetts, attended by clergy, delegates, and local parishioners. Rev. Fr. Taniel Manjikian, Visiting Pastor of St. Gregory the Illuminator Church (Granite City, Il.), celebrated the Divine Liturgy and delivered the sermon.
Following the Divine Liturgy, a banquet was held at the hall of St. Stephen’s Church. After dinner, a special program was held. After opening remarks by Sonya Hagopian, vice chairwoman of the Board of Trustees, Col. Aram Sarafian, Chairman, spoke on behalf of the Executive Council. Very Rev. Fr. Hrant Tahanian, Pastor of St. Stephen’s Church, thanked the Ladies Guild for their tireless work in the organization of the banquet and the Board of Trustees for their support to organize the Assembly, while acknowledging the presence of the delegates from different churches.
Afterwards, Very Rev. Fr. Hrant introduced the speakers who brought testimonies from different generations about Mr. Astor Guzelian, the Man of the Year of the Eastern Prelacy, who was one of the founders of the church and has been a pillar of it and a staunch supporter of the Prelacy for the past seven decades. The pastor himself, Charles Arslanian, Lucy Hoosian, and Aram Ouligian offered words filled with admiration and praise for a man who has been a model of dedication and sacrifice for St. Stephen’s. They recalled Mr. Guzelian’s words that his grandfather had expressed the common preoccupation, “Who will come after us?,” but generation after generation that worry has been overcome to this day, and his own grandchildren are today an active presence at the church.
Archbishop Anoushavan spoke highly of Mr. Guzelian as the godfather of the St. Stephen’s Church and praised his enormous contribution to its prosperity, as well as his continuing assistance and cooperation with the Prelacy.
Mr. Guzelian could not be present due to an illness and his son Michael, a delegate to the National Representative Assembly, delivered an emotive message on his behalf.