Armenian Prelacy Celebrates 25th Anniversary of the Annual Sts. Ghevontiants Clergy Conference
Armenian Reporter International [Paramus] 01 Apr 2000: 14.
Antranig Baljian
Twenty-five years ago, in February of 1975, the Prelate Archbishop Karekin Sarkissian of blessed memory (later Catholicos of Cilicia and, even later, of All Armenians), conceived and organized a gathering of clergy from throughout the Prelacy to observe the Feast Day of Sts. Ghevontiank. This very first gathering of its kind took place at St. Gregory Armenian Apostolic Church in Indian Orchard, Massachusetts. For twenty-five years, this annual event has been observed in various communities throughout the Prelacy. This year, by arrangement of His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan, Prelate of the Armenian Apostolic Church of the Eastern United States and Canada, this observance was again held in the parish where it all began twenty-five years ago.
The keynote speaker for the conference was Mr. Hratch Tchilingirian, who has been involved in many church-related and national organizations. His topic was "The Challenges Facing the Armenian Apostolic Church in the Twenty-first Century," focusing on what the church's mission should be in today's world.