And for this we are thankful.... - Armenian Reporter

12 The Armenian Reporter | November 22, 2008CommunityA deacon becomes a priest in an historicHoly Armeniantreasure in Saidabadwas once abandonedby Paul ChaderjianSAIDABAD, India – The Service ofCalling ceremony for Deacon HarutyunHambardzumyan, who wasordained by Catholicos Karekin IIas Father Avedis on Saturday, November15, took place a day beforeat the Holy Virgin Mary Church inSaidabad.The Saidabad church sits on 12acres of land in a remote suburbof the city of Hyderabad, where noArmenian lives. It was once abandonedand a former chairperson ofthe Armenian Community Councilof India wanted to give it away untilthe community and the ArmenianChurch intervened.“The Saidabad church is hoursand hours away from Kolkata,” saidpastor of the Armenian Church inIndia, Very Rev. Fr. Oshagan Gulgulian.“But after you come here,you receive a spiritual fulfillment.”Fr. Gulgulian then quoted poetVahan Tekeyan’s, “the ArmenianChurch is the birthplace of my soul,”to explain the spiritual renewal pilgrimsexperience when they reachthe Holy Virgin Mary Church, itspristine grounds, chapel, and twolakes.Karekin II, who officiated at theservice, bishops and archbishopswith a 26-member choir in tow,and more pilgrims from aroundthe world journeyed to Saidabadon Friday, November 14, to participatein the Service of Callingceremony.“When you see an Armenianchurch, Armenian graves, you feela sense of spirituality, a sense ofbelonging as an Armenian. You feelso proud,” said Fr. Gulgulian.The pastor also said that whereverArmenians go, they build a churchand a school, and even though thereare no Armenians in Saidabad, theArmenian church still stands.“When you look at the dates,1780, 1760, you realize that our ancestorscame all the way to Indiaand settled in Mushidabad,” said Fr.Gulgulian. “They built a church thatstill stands. This tells you who weare as a nation, as a people.”Saidabad is some 150 milesnorth of Kolkata. Reaching itentails a seven-hour bus ridethrough a two-lane street. Thecongested, narrow roads are fullof potholes and patches of dirtbreaking up the asphalt. Randomtrucks are parked at randompoints in the middle of route.Cows and bullock carts share theroad with stray dogs, bicycle rickshaws,and pedestrians.“As the pastor of the ArmenianChurch in India, I try to do my bestto come here once or twice a year tocelebrate the Divine Liturgy and tohave a service, requiem, and mass,”said Fr. Gulgulian. “I love cominghere. Deacon Harutyun and I come,and we spend time here, and sometimeshear our forefathers talkingto us. We hear their voices, becausethey are also happy that we haven’tabandoned them, and that we arepraying for them, and are proud ofthem.”The Mogul emperor gave Armeniansa parcel of land here in 1665,and a successful Armenian merchantbuilt the Holy Virgin MaryChurch when Armenians lived inthe area when it was near the capitalof Bengal (see Armenian Reporter,November 15).Holy Virgin Mary Church in Saidabad.The Aivazian family, Lucy, Andre, Michael (back) and Michael, Dante, Helena Cray,Lucy and Peter Aivazian in Saidabad. Photos: Tamar Kevonian.Service of Calling“Vehapar chose Saidabad for thisservice in commemoration of the300th anniversary of the establishmentof the Holy NazarethChurch of Kolkata,” said Rev. Fr.Ktrij Devejian, official interpreterfor the Catholicos andforeign press secretary at Etchmiadzin.“It was also chosen inrecognition of the fact that DeaconHarutyun served here so selflesslyand with such great energyand vigor.”Fr. Devejian said an ordination ofan Armenian priest may not havetaken place in India for more thana century, and the ordination servicesin Saidabad are now part ofthe continuation of the making ofhistory for the Indian-Armeniancommunity.“His Holiness wanted to make ita special event in the life of the Indian-Armeniancommunity as wellas a special event in the life of DeaconHarutyun and his family,” saidFr. Devejian. “So, the decision wasMichael Aivazian of Southern California, great grandson of the caretaker of theHoly Virgin Mary Church in Saidabad, places earth from his great grandfather’sgrave in Tangra on the grave of his great grandmother, Mary Carapetian at thechurch.made to select an Armenian churchthat was created on the land of Indiacenturies ago to show that thecontinuity remained, that there isstill life for Armenians in India andan ordination in this church.”As the Service of Calling ceremonytook place inside the Holy VirginMary Church, the pontiff asked thebishops around him who was sponsoringDeacon Harutyun into thepriesthood.The Catholicos then askedwhether the Deacon was joiningthe priesthood under duress or underobligation, and whether anyonehad forced him to come.Having determined that DeaconHarutyun was at the service out ofhis own free will, Karekin II askedthe bishops and archbishops presentwhether the deacon had truefaith.The Catholicos asked Deacon Harutyun’ssponsors whether the deaconhad acquired the knowledgeneeded by a priest, knew the testaments,the writings of the ChurchFathers, patristics – the study ofearly Christian writers – and theology.“When the answers are in the affirmative,”said Fr. Devejian, “thenthe question is asked, ‘Does he havethe moral standing, does he havethe moral character to be a priest?’”Knowledge is important, Fr. Devejiantold the Armenian Reporter,“but he also has to have the moralfortitude to withstand the rigorsof service. The answer was againgiven in the affirmative.”Since Deacon Harutyun is married,the Catholicos asked his wifewhether she was willing that he becomea priest.After hearing the affirmative answer,and after all in the church hadattested to the deacon’s abilities, hisknowledge, and his moral standing,the Catholicos asked the deacon directlywhether he had faith.Once all the answers were givenin the affirmative, Deacon Harutyunrecited the Nicene Creed,the summarized doctrine of thechurch.“He had to attest to the fact thathe is the follower of our Church Fathers,”said Fr. Devejian, who wentContinued on page 13