St. Gregory Armenian Apostolic Church

24 Pages·2013·3.34 MB·English

St. Gregory Armenian Apostolic Church

158 Main Street, North Andover, MA 01845 Tel/Fax: [phone]

Rev. Fr. Stephan Baljian

Summer 2013
Web: www.saintgregory.org E-mail: [email protected]
Page 2 of 24 AGHAVNI Summer 2013

Board of Tru stees:
Christine Kourkou nian, Chair
Joe Almasian, V ice Chair

Joanne Hidirsah, Treasurer
Nancy Vartabedian, Corre sponding Secretary
Sylvia Mahlebjian, Recording Secretary

John Saryan, Advisor

Vartkes Hovsepian, Advisor

Richard Shahtanian, Advisor
John Dagdigian. Advisor
Sossy Jeknavorian (Alternate)

Church Bookk eeper:
Olga Sarki sian

NRA Deleg ates:
John Kulungian

Armen Jeknavorian

Tom Vartabedian

Ladies’ Gu ild:

Sossy Jeknavorian

Men’s Cl ub
Armen Jekna vorian

Family Nig ht:
Sossy Jeknav orian

Avak Programs:

Nancy Vartabedian

Building Committee:

Richard Shahtanian

Sunday School /

Armenian School:
Sossy Jeknavorian
A Publication of
Choir Director:
St. Gregory Armenian
Knarik Nerkararyan
Apostolic Church

Newsletter Committee:
158 Main Street
Christine Kourkounian , Temporary Editor

North Andover, MA 01845 Sossy Jeknavorian, Martha Hananian, Tom Vartabedian,
Violet Dagdigian, Lisa Apovian.
[phone]

Web: www.saintgreg ory.org E-mail: [email protected]
AGHAVNI Summer 2013 Page 3 of 24

PASTOR’S MESSAGE

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. As your new pastor, I humbly come to you in
We bless you from the house of the Lord.” Psalm the name of Jesus our Lord and boldly proclaim him
118:26 blessed among his believers. I pray that his blessings
would be upon pastor and flock, as we share
Dear Parishioners of St. Gregory Church, abundantly in the ministry of the one Good Shepherd
of us all. By building up this “house of the Lord” in
The words of this Psalm verse foretell the our present age and predicament, may we be built into
coming of a great Messiah, one who comes with the an eternal house in the heavenly kingdom, where we
authority and charge of God himself. It is the most may give him unceasing praise unto all eternity!
often used Old Testament prophecy in the Armenian
liturgy describing the advent of God’s anointed one – I am grateful for this opportunity to serve as
or “Christ”- and reminds us that as the Father’s you pastor, and I look forward to all the joys and the
emissary, the Son comes “in the name of the Lord,” sorrows that we will learn to live through together, all
meaning in unity with the Father, worthy of the same the heights and depths we will aspire to scale and all
glory, enabled to act in His name and indeed even to the challenges and respites we will attempt to face.
share the very name “Lord,” along with the Holy The Armenian Apostolic Church is a sacred treasury
Spirit. This blessed one who came in the name of the of spirituality, equipping us with the tools of faith,
Lord is Jesus of Nazareth, who revealed the very wisdom and holiness in order to accomplish those
name of God as “Father,” and who suffered the shame things. By God’s grace, we will set out on our
of the cross, was raised in glory and ascended “to the journey together for the betterment of the North
Father, from where he came.” Andover church community and the greater glory of
God, remaining steadfast to the Holy Tradition of the
As Christians, we are also called to a blessed Armenian Church and in service to the Armenian
fellowship in Christ’s name, as his ambassadors who Community in our area.
come into the world “in the name of the Lord,” in
order to continue his divine mission of the Yeretsgin Alice and I, along with our two
regeneration of all Creation. We do this by being sons, Nishan and Hovhaness, look forward to joining
good stewards of the legacy he left us – remembering the St. Gregory Church family and getting to know
his sacrifice with thanksgiving in the Holy Eucharist, you all in the near future. Although we will be new to
praying for the salvation of the world and fasting in the Merrimack Valley area, we do feel as though we
mourning for its sinfulness, having compassion on the are coming “home” to Massachusetts, where we both
needy and to preaching the Holy Gospel – less so in hail from. We have much optimism for the future of
words than in deeds. this parish and we are grateful to be given the
opportunity to be a part of its yet-to-be-written
Therefore, as dedicated believers in his name, history!
we greet all who genuinely come in that very name
with blessings, and we all look to the “house of the Please know that we are always accessible to
Lord” (not the church building itself, but the Body of all parishioners, and that you should never hesitate to
Christ) for every kind of spiritual blessing and benefit reach out to us should the need arise!
that is necessary for a righteous and pure life, the way
that God intends for all his children. Fr. Stephan Baljian, Pastor
Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Theotokos

August, 2013
Page 4 of 24 AGHAVNI Summer 2013

MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

We hope that everyone is enjoying the summer this please consider donating to this phase of the project.
year – it certainly has gone by quickly and it was not At this time, I would like to thank specifically Richard
long ago where we were all together congratulating our Shahtanian and Joe Almasian and their entire
children at the commencement and hantess this past committee for getting this very important phase of the
May and saying farewell and best of luck and health to project off the ground.
Der Karekin as he begins his new mission at the
Western Prelacy. Perhaps the most exciting news that transpired this
spring was the confirmation from our Prelate, His
Since Der Karekin’s departure we have been having Eminence Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, that we
Morning Prayer services for the majority of Sundays. would be receiving a new pastor in the late summer
It is clear that we have been blessed to have the timeframe. On behalf of the Board of Trustees and our
dedication of our deacons, Arek Kalaydjian, John entire community, I would like to extend a warm
Saryan, and Avedis Garavanian who have helped us welcome to Der Stephan Baljian, Yeretsgin Alice,
continue our spiritual journey this summer. The Nishan and Hovhaness. We are looking forward to
services helped provide the continuity that we needed their arrival and particularly to Der Stephan’s
and we are grateful to them and thank them for their leadership and spiritual guidance. I hope you all take
unbridled enthusiasm and commitment to our church. the opportunity to welcome Der Stephan and his family
We also extend our thanks to His Grace Bishop in your own special way when he arrives.
Anoushavan Tanielian and Der Vasken Bekiarian who
joined us on the few Sundays this summer when we Der Stephan’s first Badarak at St. Gregory, by the
did have Badarak. introduction of His Grace Bishop Anoushavan
Tanielian, will be on Sunday, August 25. A lunch
As was in past years, we were blessed to have had two reception will follow the service. I encourage you all
very successful events both in the month of June – the to attend this very special Badarak as we celebrate his
Men’s Club sponsored Cigar Night, and the Ladies arrival and welcome him and his entire family to our
Guild sponsored Food Fair. Both events were well community.
attended and have helped us maintain a level of
financial stability that is always helpful and necessary We look forward to this period of renewal in our
for our church. In addition, both were opportunities for church and what better time than now to pray for our
fellowship with friends outside of our community that future. Pray for our church family as we embark upon
is so important to us. Special thanks to the Men’s a new journey with Der Stephan. Pray for our brothers
Club and the Ladies Guild once again for doing such a and sisters in Granite City, because we know all too
wonderful job. well the feeling of loss that occurs when a community
loses its pastor. Pray for Der Stephan, Yeretsgin Alice
It would be hard not to notice the changes that have and their family in that they get situated in our
been going on at St. Gregory. In mid June, demolition community and feel welcomed and at home so he is in
began for the classroom and office areas on the first the best place possible to provide us with his spiritual
floor. This phase of the building project renovation is guidance and leadership. Let us all be true partners
expected to be completed in the late fall timeframe. Of and walk with him as he begins his new mission here at
all phases, this, too, is one of the most exciting because St. Gregory.
it provides us the opportunity to focus on establishing a
clean, safe, and comfortable environment for our Lastly, let us always remember to give thanks to God
children as they learn about our Armenian Christian for all of the blessings bestowed upon us now and in
faith. We are so very grateful for those parishioners the future. Looking forward to seeing you all in
who have once again remained steadfast in committing church!
to the project financially during this phase.
Remember, any contribution is still worthwhile so Christine Kourkounian
Chairwoman, Board of Trustees
AGHAVNI Summer 2013 Page 5 of 24

A DIVINE HOMECOMING FOR REV. STEPHAN BALJIAN
By Tom Vartabedian
The affable cleric will be leaving his inaugural parish in The flip side is one heavily endowed with music and the
Granite City and heading east where he will pastor St. fine arts. Were it possible, he would conduct Holy
Gregory Church of North Andover beginning in Badarak with one hand and play the organ with another.
September. His resume with the musical world compares favorably
with that of his priesthood. At a time when the Boston
The parish he inherits from Rev. Karekin Bedourian is Symphony welcomes new conductor Andris Nelsons, it
about 30 miles north of Watertown where he was raised coincides with his appointment in North Andover. Both
and spiritually refined by his dad, Rev. Archpriest are 34 years of age.
Antranig Baljian, long-time pastor of St. Stephen’s
Church. “I thought it might be an interesting parallel,” he quickly
notes. “I’m also looking forward to attending concerts at
the Methuen Memorial Music Hall with its world-
famous organ.” His dexterity on the organ is matched
by his voice. An experienced choral singer, he has
enjoyed singing with the Springfield (MA) Symphony
Chorus, UMass Chamber Choir, Madrigal Singers and
Five College Early Music Collegium, along with the
Boston Symphony Orchestra Tanglewood Festival
Chorus and Newton Choral Society. Between 2008-
2013 when he was in the Metro St. Louis area, Fr.
Stephan sang with the St. Louis Symphony Chorus.

Rev. Fr. Stephan Baljian
“Father Karekin and I were in the seminary together in
Antelias and enjoyed a close friendship over our young
religious careers,” said Fr. Stephan. “He helped me quite
a bit in my knowledge of Armenian. We have very
similar lifestyles with young children. It’s ironic that we
should be changing churches at the same time across
country.” Fr. Karekin is now pastor at Church of the
Forty Martyrs in Orange County, Calif. He had served
Rev. Fr. Stephan Baljian, Yeretsgin Alice, Nishan (left),
the North Andover and Merrimack Valley community
Hovhaness (right)
for three years.
Being an avid fan of classical music and opera, he owns
The younger Baljian will be joined by his wife Alice, a
a collection of more than 2,000 compact discs, including
registered nurse, and two young children, Nishan and
many rare ones. He also enjoys history and geography
Hovhaness (Hovig), ages 2 and 3 months. Families from
and has a passion for culinary and visual arts.
both sides will be greeting them with open arms upon his
arrival. He married the former Alice Tchobanian in 2007, a
graduate of Northeastern University, Boston, who
Fr. Baljian has pastored St Gregory the Illuminator
actively pursues her vocation.
parish since 2008. During his tenure there, cultural and
educational events were conducted frequently.
Page 6 of 24 AGHAVNI Summer 2013
Fr. Stephan is excited to be reunited with his parents. His of the Great House of Cilicia. He graduated from the
mother’s family has roots in Merrimack Valley. She is Seminary in 2003.
the granddaughter of Megerdich Donoian and the niece
of Ara and Eva Donoian. Conjointly with his studies, he served part-time as
Pastoral Assistant at Sts. Vartanantz Church in
“We look forward to welcoming Father Stephan and his Ridgefield, NJ, and later held the same post at St.
wonderful family to our community,” said Christine Stephen’s Church in Watertown.
Kourkounian , chairwoman, Board of Trustees. “We
look forward to his spiritual guidance and the As part of his training, he successfully completed a
relationships he will forge and grow within our summer-long internship in Clinical Pastoral Education at
community and beyond. This is a time for great hope New England Baptist Hospital and is certified in
and renewal for our church as we move forward in Hospital Chaplaincy. He has also contributed to the area
building our future.” of Armenian Literary Scholarship.
Fr. Stephan was born in Indian Orchard in 1979, the Fr. Stephan is the youngest to ever graduate
youngest child of Archpriest and Mrs. Antranig Baljian. from the Prelacy’s St. Gregory of Datev Institute where
At the age of 6, young Nishan began serving by his he later joined the teaching staff. He has always held a
father’s side at the holy altar of St. Gregory Armenian fond association with AYF Camp Haiastan, serving as
Apostolic Church. Resident Chaplain, Associate Chaplain and Armenian
Studies instructor.
He was ordained there by the late Archbishop Mesrob
Ashjian, first to the minor orders and later to the Holy During his pastorate in Granite City, a major
Deaconate in 1996. After graduating from high school beautification project for the church sanctuary was
in 1997, he matriculated to UMass/Amherst where he undertaken in 2012. The small yet vibrant parish
studied voice with noted tenor Jon Humphrey and music achieved growth in membership and stability in average
competition with Robert Stern. attendance and participation under his direction.
He graduated in 2001 with a Bachelor of Music Degree He looks to inculcate similar values to his new church.
in Theory and Composition. That summer, Deacon

Nishan formally requested candidacy for the Holy
Priesthood within the Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian

Apostolic Church of America and was accepted by His

Grace Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan. In October of

that year, he left for Antelias, Lebanon, where he spent
the next two academic years at the Theological Seminary
AGHAVNI Summer 2013 Page 7 of 24
Page 8 of 24 AGHAVNI Summer 2013
CHURCH CHATTER

Congratulations to Melanie Saryan, daughter of Dr. awards in Jr. High level and Matt Kochakian 2nd
John and Debra Saryan on her graduation from place award in the High School level in an essay
Bentley University with a Bachelor of Science degree contest sponsored by the Armenian Genocide
in Marketing and Public Relations.
Commemorative Committee of Merrimack

Valley.
Congratulations to Dr. Diana (Saryan) Balekian,

daughter of Dr. John and Debra Saryan on her
* * *
graduation from her Pediatric Residency Program at

Mass General Hospital. Diana will start a Fellowship
The entire St. Gregory community extends deepest
in Allergy and Immunology at MGH in July.
condolences to Debra Ozoonian and her family in the
Congratulations also to Diana's husband, Dr. Diran
passing of her mother Mrs. Sylvia Ozoonian.
Balekian who graduated from his General Practice

Residency Program in Dentistry at Tufts University

School of Dental Medicine. He will practice in
The St. Gregory community also extends its deepest
Arlington and Nashua, NH.
condolences to Karen Aznoian and her entire family

in the passing of her father, Mr. Leonard Uzar.
Congratulations to Antranig Kalaydjian, son of

Deacon Arek Kalaydjian and Lisa Loosigian on his
* * *
graduation from U Mass Medical School in

Worcester with the degree of M.D. he will do his first
Thank you to all for all of the get well wishes during
year of residency in Internal Medicine at U Mass
my recent illness.
Medical Center and continue his internship in

Anesthesiology at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Boston.
Thank you, Nancy Vartabedian

Congratulations to Tim Kublbeck, son of Jane
* * *
Kublbeck on his graduation from Salem, NH High
The Ladies Guild members would like to express
School. Tim will be attending Nothern Essex College.
their gratitude and thanks to all parishioners and

friends who donated their time and helped with the
Congratulations to Greg Gregorian on his graduation
Food Fair on June 22nd.
from West Point as Second Lieutenant, United States

Military Academy.
Thank You, The Ladies Guild Executive

Congratulations to Armen Hovsepian and Anna
Shahtanian, recipients of the 2nd and 3rd place

LETTER FROM ONE OF OUR ORPHANS
Dear Sponsor,

My name is Tavit and I am from Sevan. I am attending the Medical School at the Yerevan State University. I
would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your benevolence and for sponsoring me. I wish you good
health and happiness and the best things in the world. I will always remember you and your good deeds.

Respectfully,
Tavit Movsisyan
AGHAVNI Summer 2013 Page 9 of 24
“A FRIENDSHIP THAT WILL NEVER VANISH IN SMOKE”
by Tom Vartabedian
If Greg Minasian is remembered for anything in his
afterlife, it would be the profitable and eclectic cigar
nights he organized for St. Gregory Church in his
Merrimack Valley community of North Andover.
He did this in the name of his good friend Rev. Vartan
Kassabian who pastored this church for six years
before joining the Lord in 2009.
No doubt when the two of them are reunited in the
hereafter, they’ll catch up on old news over a good
cigar and a glass of brandy. Except for God and
family, nothing relaxed the cleric more than a good
libration and a Cuban corona if he could get his hands
on one. He wasn’t fussy. The beloved Rev. Fr. Vartan Kassabian
and Greg Minasian
You could always count upon Der Vartan for a timely
Minasian’s idea received as much attention as a puff
sermon. He mesmerized the youth of his community
until they heard his plan. He would carry on in the
and endeared himself to the elderly. After 15 years of
best memory of his friend, Der Vartan, and bring
service, he was just getting started in his vocation.
people together for one night in an arena of fun and
In his spirit, some 140 guests gathered at his former frolic.
church for the annual cigar extravaganza. Included in
Let them smoke their cigars in the outside courtyard
the crowd were his Yeretskin Pauline and son Mgo, a
which is named in the priest’s honor. Give them a
chip off his dad’s block.
gourmet’s meal, open up the bar, and offer gifts for
Some years ago, with the renovation of a new both a live and silent auction. Build your stadium and
Jaffarian Hall, the church authorities decided to they will come.
dispense with Bingo. It wasn’t for the money or lack
Eat, drink and be merry. That’s the set formula here.
of it. After 35 years, they decided it was time to call
one last game and so, the fund-raiser had run its
Get people to donate. Contact the Boston sports teams
course.
and ask for memorabilia. Who wouldn’t pay top dollar
for an autographed Ted Williams photograph
So what would the church do for an alternative plan?
swinging a bat? Or Larry Bird going high above the
“Why not a cigar night?” proposed Minasian. net for a score?
A what?” came the chorus of surprised trustees. “You A coveted Michael Jackson disc with his photo would
want to turn this brand new church hall into a cloud of surely attract some fan. There may even be a tender
smoke. Perhaps we better bring back Bingo or look spot for a framed Disney caricature of Mickey &
into a Las Vegas night. Maybe a golf tourney would friends. Even Al Pacino could fetch a good bid.
be nice. Who smokes tobacco these days?”
While second-guessing myself initially, I hopped
In these days of exorbitant church finances, people are aboard the bandwagon. After seeing a capacity crowd
looking for innovative ways to secure revenue. Dues showing up year after year for these soirees, it didn’t
alone will not hack it, or the weekly collection plate. take much else to convince me. If it works once, don’t
Somehow, the annual budget needed some substitute kill it.
measures to account for a sudden $30,000 deficit.
Page 10 of 24 AGHAVNI Summer 2013
What became most obvious was the camaraderie that “You’re a heart patient,” he told me. “Nothing. Go to
surfaced with each encore. Even more conspicuous one of those old confectionary stores and maybe you
were the memories being shared for the affable priest can find a cigar made from bubble gum. Have a good
who left his community all too prematurely. time pretending.”
With Minasian cultivating the seed of fertility here, Like the others, you don’t need a cigar to join this
others joined along. A dynamic committee was club. Only a little esprit de corps.
formed that left no stone unturned. Women began to
show, not the smoking sort. Those who didn’t take Minasian was in his element this evening. He got a
their cigars outdoors were giving them to the little sentimental over an introduction he made about
relatively few smokers. his priestly sidekick. No doubt, the inimitable Der
Vartan was smiling down upon his flock. A little
I’m one of those who can no long indulge. For 40 fortification helped matters.
years, I smoked a pipe until my cardiologist read me
the riot act. When I mumbled something about “an Greg Minasian’s tribute to his late friend will always
occasional cigar,” he was relentless. burn slowly and evenly --- like a good cigar.

SCENES FROM CIGAR NIGHT 2013