The Long Road Home
Father Hovsep teaches a new generation of Mekhitarists © Onnik Krikorian
As mentioned in a previous post, the article I wrote and photographed for CNEWA on the return of the Mkhitarist Fathers to Armenia has now been published in the physical edition of their One magazine. I’ve also just noticed that it is now available to read online.
“Five years ago, when I was 75, I thought it was time to rest and pray in preparation for the last joyous journey to be with our Father in heaven, but it was not to be,” said Father Hovsep Behesniryan, a priest of the Armenian Catholic Mekhitarist Congregation. After serving more than 64 years in ministries in Venice, Paris, Los Angeles and New York, “I was called into service once more, this time in Armenia.”
He was sitting in a parlor of the Mekhitarist minor seminary, located in the Armenian capital city of Yerevan, where the Ethiopian-born priest supervises the education of those who hope to follow his path. The seminary opened in October 2004 and is now home to 22 boys, age 13 and older.
“Every boy who comes here believes God called him,” said 16-year-old Narek Tchilingirian, who spent a month at the seminary before deciding to enter. His mother, Tsovinar, was not surprised. “He always went to church regularly, and he always took part in religious ceremonies and youth organizations.”
Father Hovsep’s return to the land of his ancestors has more than personal significance for the octogenarian. The seminary also marks a significant step in the homecoming of an Armenian religious community after centuries in exile.
[…]
Though separated from their homeland, Mekhitar’s spiritual sons, commonly called Mekhitarists, played a vital role in enlivening Armenian cultural life. From their houses in Venice and Vienna, they translated into Armenian works from the Classical era, early church writings, Renaissance literature and contemporary science and geography texts. Their endeavors, which also included the establishment of publishing houses, ensured that Armenians would not be cut off from the advancing world.
[…]
“If a culture is isolated from the world it risks dying,” Father Hovsep said.
The full article is here.
Nice article.
Comment by Liborale — May 23, 2007 @ 7:28 pm
They are eastern rite Catholics with a similar relation to Rome as Maronites, Chaldeans, Greek Catholics, etc. They call themselves Arrmenian Catholics. As Onnik’s article points out the Mekhitarists were instrumental inpreserving Armenian culture in the Diaspora during the darkest periods. The work continues today with people like Sister Arusiag in Gumri who has been truly inspirational.
http://www.armeniancatholic.org/
Comment by Liborale — May 23, 2007 @ 11:08 pm
I think that it is everybody’s right to choose their own religion. As for Christianity, I remember one Armenian theologian saying quite simply that the only church that mattered was that of Jesus Christ. He always found it interesting to consider that for most Armenians, Christianity appears to have started in 301 AD and not with the actual birth of Christ.
Anyway, I’m not religious so consider it up to anyone and everyone to determine it for themselves. That’s it, basically.
Comment by Onnik — May 26, 2007 @ 10:11 am