National, International, Armenia, and Community News and Opinion

The Armenian Reporter | April 4, 2009 19
Commentary
Living in
Armenia
The stories we have yet to tell
by Maria Titizian
Every Armenian family has a story to tell. I
know that in my own particular family there
are many fascinating stories, treasures that
have been once told or perhaps tucked away
to be told for a later time, that are now fading
into the foggy memories of the elders of the
family. Some stories have forever been wiped
out, some have died with our grandparents.
How many times have I heard from a friend
or acquaintance that they never got around
to asking their parents or grandparents
about particular episodes in their lives that
coincided with sweeping historical events;
the stories of their lives.
I have made some weak attempts at writing
about my paternal grandfather whom
I never met, based upon a bond we shared
through letters, now long lost. About my
maternal grandparents, I have written
nothing because even while acknowledging
the significance of their lives in the
national mosaic of our people’s history, I
know very little. I know that my maternal
grandfather was born in Urfa, sent on to
the deportations with his family and ended
up in an orphanage in Aleppo. He was told
and believed that the rest of his family had
been killed.
At the age of 14, escaping from the orphanage
he makes his way to Beirut. Years
later (the details of which continue to elude
me) his older sister, who had also somehow
survived, finds him through ads placed in
Armenian newspapers of the day. They are
miraculously reunited only to be separated
once again in 1946 when his sister repatriates
to Soviet Armenia. They parted in pain
and disagreement, and never spoke to one
another again.
I met my maternal grandfather’s nephew,
his sister’s son, in Yerevan in 2001. He was
an old, broken and bitter man. Exceedingly
handsome, even at an advanced age, there
was a constant and enduring rage that emanated
from him that was at once frightening
and at once familiar. That generation,
whether in the diaspora or in the homeland,
had seen so much pain and suffering. They
had lived through abject poverty, sometimes
illiterate, with very little tools to protect
themselves against the harsh realities of
life and against the memories that tortured
them. They were survivors or children of survivors.
Their suffering did not have a voice,
rather it became a tangled knot trapped in
their bodies and often times perished along
with them.
My maternal grandmother, from Marash
also survived the Genocide but spent the
rest of her life battling the demons locked
up in her memories. When she arrived in
Canada following the outbreak of civil war in
Lebanon, she was only 58 years old but you
wouldn’t know it from looking at her. She
wore black clothes, had long white hair tied
in a tight bun at the nape of her neck and
was blissfully plump. She died before her 61st
birthday, and although surrounded by her
children she died a sad and haunted woman.
I can’t remember her ever laughing.
We have the ability, through the printed
word to relay stories that have significance
and substance. That give a voice to the suffering
of that generation. Stories which will in
their turn explain, impart, and record some
of our collective history. The content, depth
and humanity of what we write will affect
our society and our communities dispersed
throughout the world.
What we write serves as living history.
What we write from Armenia allows our
compatriots in the United States and other
parts of the world to get a glimpse, capture
an image of life in the homeland. It allows
them to be carried along with the political
and economic currents that flow through the
veins of this organism we call the motherland.
It gives you the reader, insight and empowerment.
From energy projects in the region
like the Nabucco pipeline, to Armenian-Turkish
relations, to the prospects of a peaceful
settlement of the Karabakh conflict, to the
The Armenian Church’s expanding role in the military
domestic political scene in the country, we
report on the events which shape our lives.
And we have so much to learn. We have investigated
and reported on ethnic minorities
that live in peace and harmony in Armenia.
Whether they are Assyrians, Yazidis, Greeks,
or Molokans, they have the ability to educate
their children in their native tongue and
practice their traditions unhindered. We allow
this as a nation and as a state because
we know what it means to be discriminated
against.
We learn from those who repatriated
to Armenia, whether that was during the
Great Repatriation of 1946-48 or the modern
repatriates. We report about the work
they do in the country, about their dedication
and commitment, and sometimes simply
about their everyday lives in an emerging
democracy, in a country struggling to
define itself.
But whether we write about serious issues,
or the lighter side of life, we do so in order
to share and impart issues of substance and
significance, of our shared values.
What we must do is continue to write the
stories about us, about our families, our compatriots,
our people, our nation. We must
continue to slowly weave the threads of our
individual experiences to create a living and
breathing testament to what it means to be
an Armenian today or a century ago. f
n Continued from page 18
will be further refined and modified for use
in various settings.
The primate of the military regularly inquires
regarding the chaplains’ effectiveness.
He enjoys the utmost respect of the Minister
of Defense and thanks to this, generals are
from time to time giving talks at the seminaries
to familiarize future clergy with the
spiritual needs of those serving in the military
and to be enabled to minister to their
families as well.
The chaplaincy program is not taking place
in a vacuum. There is on-going contact with
chaplaincy organizations in other countries.
For example, Bishop Vertanes will be attending
a meeting in the United Kingdom next
month, and in the near future groups will be
visiting from Greece and Russia. Though he is
quick to point out that the Armenian Church
has her own unique spiritual and cultural traditions
that must be carefully adhered to.
Historically, the Armenian Church has
been the spiritual backbone of the nation’s
defense. The role of clergy led by St. Ghevont
Yerets at the battle of Avarayr in 451 is the
most familiar. In the days of the first Armenian
Republic, priests eagerly volunteered
to join the laity in arms. In October 1918,
Archbishop Khoren Muratbekian (later
Catholicos Khoren I) proposed a pastoral
guideline for “priest soldiers.” Priests were
to serve side by side with the soldiers, wearing
their clerical attire, but never taking up
arms. Like the chaplains of today, they were
called to be a spiritual presence among their
flock and were “required with the colonel’s
arrangement to lecture soldiers during free
time regarding the Bible and national-church
history, keeping alive the knowledge of their
responsibility and love toward the nation
and national sacred treasures.” They were
also charged with teaching prayer, conducting
worship and providing opportunities for
soldiers to attend the Divine Liturgy.
Duties of today’s chaplains are not so different.
They have a significant presence on
the base, engaging the soldiers and officers in
conversation of a spiritual nature, teaching
classes, visiting and praying for those in the
infirmary and solitary confinement. Soldiers
are personally invited to attend the Divine
Liturgy in a local church.
In terms of vision, the primate would like
to see the Armenian Church be represented
on the highest level in the military and that
the clergy chaplains truly make a difference
in the military by assisting in the moral and
religious formation of every soldier. To assist
in this mission, the primate has published a
small prayer book, which will be distributed
to every soldier.
Bishop Vertanes also pointed out that
cults and other religious movements are ongoing
challenges, however, the Armenian
Church is the only religious presence, which
enjoys official recognition. No other group
is permitted to proselytize in military facilities
and Jehovah’s Witnesses refuse to serve
their country. Members of other faiths are
certainly free to follow their religious convictions
and chaplains do not discriminate
against members of other churches.
After getting an overall picture of this program
from Bishop Vertanes, I wanted to see
with my own eyes our chaplains in action.
Deep down I wanted to see if their presence
made a difference or not and what sort of
reception they received.
So I visited a military base located next to
the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, where
the chaplain is Deacon Sahak Sahakian.
Regarding Deacon Sahak’s presence, Major
Karen Beglarian said, “It is of great help
and there is much need among the soldiers.
The chaplain offers classes regarding the
Apostolic Faith. Each successive generation
needs to be informed regarding our culture
and faith so they won’t be led astray. It’s very
bad when our people have no moral compass.
Thus it’s very good to have Deacon Sahak
here. On the occasion of what would have
been Sparapet Vazgen Sargsyan’s 50 th birthday,
the deacon led a group of our soldiers to
the Mother See to pray in the cathedral and
tour the museums. The army is improving
day by day. Being close to the cathedral keeps
the religion alive among the soldiers. Psychologically
this has been of benefit.”
Deacon Sahak pointed out that soldiers also
went to the Mother See for the annual observance
of Military Day on January 28. They
attended the Divine Liturgy with high-ranking
clergy, members of the Brotherhood and
the Minister of Defense. Soldiers are taught
to pray before meals and at the beginning of
classes. There are also prayerful observances
on special holidays. Deacon Sahak was also
proud of the fact that because of the proximity
of the Mother See, his soldiers have the
highest attendance rate at Divine Liturgy.
It was clear that Deacon Sahak is greatly
respected on the base. His routine includes
daily classes on the faith and traditions of
the Armenian Apostolic Church. Examples
of topics are the practices of Great Lent and
Easter, how to fight against sin and profanity
and the practice of forgiveness. During Holy
Week he will escort a group of soldiers to the
Mother See to take part in the Washing of
Feet Service.
The soldiers in his class had many questions
about the faith and the essential difference
between the Armenian Church and
other religious movements. There is great
concern about cults whose followers refuse
to serve in the army and in the defense of the
Bishop Vertanes Abrahamian with soldiers from Armenian Armed Forces.
nation. Some felt that these movements are
set on infiltrating the nation and may have
certain connections with foreign powers.
To the question does having a chaplain
make a difference, one soldier, Razmik Astryan,
responded, “His presence changes a
soldier’s life. Attending church is very positive.
We are helped to sin less.”
My interest also led me to the Marshal Armenak
Ghamparyantz Air Force Institute
with Deacon Michael Barsaeghyan, who was
recently appointed as its first chaplain. Similar
to chaplains serving on bases, his role is
first and foremost to impart the Christian
faith to the cadets both through classes as
well as via personal encounters. His presence
in the institute has been warmly received by
not only the commander, but by staff and
cadets alike.
In Deacon Michael’s words, “I keep all
my encounters on a strictly official level. I
have an excellent relationship with the commander
and officers and can say that I have
in a very short time earned their respect.
I try to do my best. I bring in interesting
movies and am working with AR TV station
to prepare programs on the Armenian army
and Marshal Baghramian. I am also planning
a group baptism for cadets, who have
not yet been baptized. My dream is to have
a chapel on the grounds of the institute,
where we can celebrate the Divine Liturgy,
light candles, pray and meditate. Something
that we have introduced is prayer before
meals. Soldiers often approach me with
prayer requests and questions about the
faith.” He also feels that this work is very
rewarding and will help him to be a more
effective priest in the future.
The assistant to the Commander of the
institute, Colonel Zaven Hakobjanyan
shared that “in the past religion was absent
here, but now we are very happy that Deacon
Michael is here. We feel his spiritual presence
and we observe him to be passionate about
his work. He is truly concerned about the
fruit of his labors. The Mother See has truly
blessed us with this program. The cooperation
between the Mother See and the military
is very healthy.”
Without any hesitation, it can be said the
Armenian Apostolic Church is making great
strides in meeting the spiritual and pastoral
needs of those serving in the military forces
in the Armenian Republic. The following illustrates
how this presence is truly moving
the souls of servicemen.
During my visit to Bishop Vertanes’ office,
a young soldier entered inquiring about being
baptized. The primate warmly welcomed
him, gave him a New Testament and a small
wood cross and encouraged him to return
when they could further discuss the meaning
of baptism and arrange for the sacrament.
When I asked the primate if this was a common
occurrence, he responded that the more
our Church’s presence grows, the more we
see this phenomenon of people (especially
the young) reaching out for the saving sacraments
of God.
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