At the invitation of the Armenian Students and Shaké Balian, the group’s sponsor, the 110th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide was commemorated at John Burroughs High School on April 23, 2025, where Fr. Vazken presented the message of the day.
“Tomorrow’s Church is present here today!” exclaimed Archbishop Hovnan Derderian after a day of presentations and discussion at Reclaim 2025. The 9th Annual Reclaim Conference finished following a day of stimulating talks and discussions about the use of Artificial Intelligence in our lives today. Titled “Reclaiming Reality,” the conference brought together a w
orldwide audience, gathered locally at the Western Diocese, and following over the Epostle network to followers on five continents.
Archbishop Derderian, the Primate of the Western Diocese, was exceptionally pleased with the caliber of speeches and presentations that filled the day with stimulating conversations that bled into the breaks and kept attendees buzzing well after the event.
The Conference began with an orientation by Fr. Vazken Movsesian, director of Epostle.net, the Electronic Ministry of the Western Diocese. In a world where the difference between fact and fiction are blurred because of augmented and virtual realities, how to we decipher the difference between fact and fiction? And within the Church, where Truth is defined by the person of Jesus Christ, where are the places where AI can enhance the mission of our Church?
The presentations were exceptionally well thought prepared in their ability to stimulate the audience to discuss and ponder the issues that are pressing society and the world today. From a variety of different disciplines, the speakers grounded their talks in the reality of the Armenian Church today.
The topics and their presenters were as follows:
Ticket sales from the event were donated to Western Diocese LA Wildfires Disaster Relief Fund. Dn. Dikran Harutyunian of the Deacons Council made the presentation. Sousanna Pogosyan, of the Basement Tapes Podcast served as MC, and Lusine Takmazian, as chairman of the organizing committee shared her sincere appreciation to all those who contributed to the success of this year’s Reclaim, especially to Circle of Faith group, headed by Heidi Kavoukjian, for providing the lunch at the event.
Archbishop Derderian asked that the momentum continue, in his closing remarks. He saw the conference as a profession of the progressive nature of the Church in the Western Diocese, with Epostle being the digital platform for sharing the Armenian Church’s teachings to the world. The Entire conference with follow up material will be available in an abbreviated format on the Epostle.net website. As the conference concluded there was a quick glance to next year – the 10th anniversary of Reclaim – as being a very special edition. Watch for details coming up.
Photos: Courtesy of Vahe Sargsyan
The Deacons Council of the Western Diocese is collecting monetary donations to aid two families who have sustained devastating losses in the Los Angeles fires (January 7 – 9, 2025). Of the many families affected by the fire, these two families have been selected in consult with the Diocesan Primate, Archbishop Hovnan Derderian. This special fund in its entirety – 100% of the funds collected – will be turned over to these families on March 22, 2025.
Please help get the word out by passing along this page or this QR code.
Thank you for your generosity and God bless.
The 2024 Cars & Coffee for Artsakh Refugee Relief took place at the St. Leon Ghevontyants Armenian Cathedral on December 15. Participants displayed their vehicles while attendees had an opportunity to be a part of this fund raiser which assists refugees in the city of Vanadzor Armenia. Labeled as Vibrantz for Vanadzor, the outreach program brings relief to families in exile since 2023. Close to $20,000 in relief aid was raised in the course of two hours. Details of donors and activities to come.
Learn more about the Cars & Coffee program
In New York State, very close to the Connecticut border, there is a small town of almost 3,500 residents called Armonk. It’s an interesting name indeed, considering there is an Armenian monastery in this town, that might have you believe the town was named as a tribute to Armenian monastics, as in, Armenian + monk, shortened to, Armonk. But, like most New England settlements, there is a history to the town that predates the arrival of Armenians to the shores of the United States. But the history that concerns us today is not the town but the Armenian Seminary, sprawled over 5.5 acres in this town. I had a chance to visit St. Nersess Armenian Seminary and meet with seminarians over the weekend.
Listen to the full episode (https://epostle.net/an-armenian-seminary-in-armonk)
Osheen Keshishian was honored on November 10, 2024 at the St. Leon Armenian Cathedral in Burbank, by Archbishop Hovnan Derderian,
Primate of the Western Diocese. On this occasion His Eminence announced that Osheen Keshishian will have the distinction of being the first “Centennial Luminary” for his long-standing dedication and contributions to the Armenian Church and Armenian Nation. The Diocese will be celebrating its Centennial Anniversary in 2027 and on that occasion a special dedication and plaque will be installed in his honor.
On this occasion, the Primate asked Fr. Vazken Movsesian to celebrate the Divine Liturgy and offer the day’s sermon, and present Osheen Keshishian to the community. His sermon appears below.
Angels, the Messengers – prelude to presenting Osheen Keshishian
Sermon Delivered by Fr. Vazken Movsesian (English Translation)
One of the great disservices we do to our Faith is when we overdramatize or fictionalize the characters of our faith to the point that they represent a fantasy. Accordingly, they lose meaning and relevance for us.
This weekend the Armenian Church celebrated the feast of the Archangels Gabriel & Michael. The word angel means messenger. Angels are the ones who reveal a message to us. Think of all the different ways we have overdramatized angels, from Old Testament imagery to Church iconography, to stained glass windows, all the way to the Hollywoodization of angels with wings, harps, bows and arrows, white robes, halos, to the point that they enter the category of fantasy, and their purpose and message is forgotten.
The night Jesus was born, the angels brought a message: Peace on Earth, goodwill toward one another. That’s it. It was that simple. It’s what the message of Christianity has always been. This past week we had presidential elections. Along with the elections a narrative was given about Christianity, which all but missed the point of peace on earth and goodwill toward one another. Think of the many articles of Faith that get overdramatized. For instance miracles. Hollywood would have us believe that miracles occur with thunder and lightning, and while we’re looking up to the heavens for these spectacular sights, we miss the true miracle of a smile in our child’s eye, or that paper-like fingernail on a newborn that cannot be duplicated by any machine or person. In other words, we lose sight of real miracles when we downgrade the word to fantasy.
In the Armenian Church and in all of Christianity – an angel is a messenger – often sent by God to reveal a truth to us. The angel was sent to Mary to let her know that she is with Child of the Holy Spirit. We have no details of what that angel wore, what he looked like, what color his garments or skin color were. Nor do we know anything about his moral character, because that is not the point of the story. The story is to convey to us that Mary had found favor with God and would bear the Christ Child.
When our attention is grabbed by outward expressions such as wings and halos, we lose sight of the message and even worse, we lose contact with something very special. God is always talking to us but our receptors are so dull that we don’t hear. God’s messages are all around us. Our children, our parents, the flower in your garden, the beautiful landscape across the hills are messages sent to us daily.
When we make the images and the articles of faith bigger than life we don’t have a chance to interact – to dialogue. The entire point of religion is to engage us, make life – our existence and our world – into a better place. And this is why we reject the idea of jakatagir – fatalism.
In an old Los Angeles neighborhood not far from us there stands the St. Sophia Greek Cathedral. Today the neighborhood is made up of many different ethnicities. Across from the cathedral there is a big sign atop another building: We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing one another. (Luciano De Crescenzo). It is a beautiful expression of messengers engaging in a dialogue. We can fly only if we connect with one another.
Today we gather to honor a messenger – one who has brought a message of hope through his positive outlook of the world, Osheen Keshishian. For over seven decades he has selflessly given himself to the Armenian community and to the Armenian Church. Born in Jerusalem, he moved to Beirut during the Palestinian war and came to the United States in 1956. Since his arrival to the United States he has been the second wing to countless people, and helped us fly.
He is loved and respected by all. Just like Cher and a few others, he is known by one name! When you say Osheen everyone knows who you are talking about.
Our history as Armenians in the diaspora goes back several centuries, but it was in the 20th century that here. in the Western Diocese – the West Coast of the United States – the population of Armenians increased. Every time Armenians were caught in persecution or were exiled from their homes, they came to America and the Western Diocese has turned become the last station stop for Armenians. Beginning with the massacres of the 1890s, you can follow the waves of migration to America. Of course, there was the Genocide with refugees coming in the 1920s, then World War II in the 1940s, the Civil War in Lebanon in the 1970s, the fall of the Shaw and the Revolution in Iran in 1979 into the 1980s, and the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s.
The Armenian Church has been there at each step of the way. As a scholar of the Armenian world, particularly the Diaspora, Osheen Keshishian has documented and shaped that journey. In the Western Diocese he was the editor of the first Diocesan wide newspaper, the Californian. In 1970 Osheen Keshishian established and published the Armenian Observer newspaper. For over 50 years he has chronicled and documented the story of the Armenian Diaspora on the pages of his newspaper.
Long before the Internet or such functions as Google to answer your question, Osheen Keshishian was the source for all things Armenian. He is a walking encyclopedia of knowledge about all things Armenian. He is a messenger and an educator. In 1985 he began teaching at Glendale Community College, and formally received the title of Professor. He has been respected on the world stage, giving lectures and participating in the conferences and yet, he always has time and makes time to discuss and share his wisdom with everyone. Particularly the young, always concerned with the welfare and development of the Armenian Community.
In 1965, on the 50th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide a group of men began work on the Armenian Martyrs’ Monument in Montebello and saw its completion and dedication in 1968 with the blessing of Catholicos Vazken I, of blessed memory. Osheen Keshishian was one of the members of the group that brought the Monument to fruition.
He has met world leaders, with three sitting Presidents and engaged in conversation with President Ronald Reagan about the Armenian Genocide. He has interviewed every Armenian-world personality over the last seven decades, from Church “giants” such as Vazken I, Patriarch Shnork, Patriarch Yeghishe, Patriarch Torkom, Catholicos Karekin I and Karekin II, to Philanthropists the likes Kirk Krekorian and Alex Manoogian and Armenian celebrities such as Charles Aznavour, Roupen Mamoulian, and Mike Conners.
One of the most memorable events in his life came out of his friendship with Pulitzer Prize Winner William Saroyan. In 1982 a small group was formed in Fresno to take Saroyan’s ashes to Armenia for burial there. Osheen Keshishian was asked by the Armenian government – Diasporan relations – to be a part of this group. With great honor he became part of the entourage and personally delivered the remains to Armenia, but first greeted in Moscow, and then Armenia for a ceremony witnessed by over 50,000 people.
Let us not forget that all of this happened at the height of the Cold War. He has the gift of engaging everyone in conversation. He weaves a rich story of personal anecdotes and wisdom in his talks and conversations. For this reason, The Armenian Observer has been respected as a reliable source of information, bringing home the message. His editorials were timely, critiquing Armenian life, placing his finger on the challenges that face us, and then offering solutions, giving answers that were laced with hope for the reader and for the Armenian World.
In the 1960s, when I was in elementary school in Hollywood, there were a handful of Armenians in the public school. By the time I got Marshall High School in Los Feliz, the number of Armenians was up, but not many. Osheen was a resource of Armenian knowledge for us. I had the good fortune of working with Osheen at the Armenian Observer while I went to college. I’d like to thank our Primate Archbishop Hovnan for giving me this opportunity to present Osheen Keshishian to the congregation. Today I have an opportunity to express my thanks and appreciation to a man who taught us so much, who became the second wing to push us to new heights. It was people like Osheen that kept the Armenian spirit alive. His activism in our community will always be honored.
Our story in the last newsletter about Epostle’s multiple language broadcasts stirred up interest as to why? Readers understood translation into Spanish, French and even Arabic, considering there are sizeable Armenian communities in the countries that speak these languages. But why Korean? Why Chinese? or German?
The answer comes from Armenia. Monasteries, churches and sacred spaces are hot spots for tourists from countries where Armenia, as the center of ancient Christianity, is being discovered. Unfortunately tourists come to Armenia only to hear canned messages in fourth or fifth generation of translation. Epostle to the rescue: Our video library is now available in multiple languages and being accessed from church groups throughout the world as a prelude or follow up to their visit to Armenia. Check out the catalog at International Languages – Epostle (https://epostle.net/international-languages).
Save the Date: March 22, 2025
RECLAIM Reality: Fact & Fiction in a World of Artificial Intelligence
March 22, 2025
Stay tuned for more details!Christian instruction must be followed by acts of Christian charity. This has been a guiding principle of Epostle.net (formerly In His Shoes ministry).
As reported earlier, Vanadzor has been the focus of our outreach, with a team visiting over the Summer and facilitated by the coordination between the Western Diocese and the Diocese of Gougark. Vanadzor is the third largest city in Armenia and has a unique set of issues and challenges especially with the influx of refugees displaced from Artsakh.
Among them stands Valentina, a young lady with a desire to learn cosmetology. Through a grant from Epostle, she graduated cosmetology school (and displays here certificate here).
Pictured here with Hripsimé, who has been working closely with the Epostle team as we broaden our the impact. More to come … including supporting the Summer Camp program in Vanadzor.
The first-ever virtual Sunday School launched on October 13 at the St. James Armenian Church, Los Angeles. At the invitation of Fr. Haroutioun Tachejian, the Parish Priest at St. James, Epostle fitted one of the Sunday School classrooms to serve as the electronic hub of this pilot program for the Diocese and, eventually, the rest of the world.
With this installation, the teachings of the ancient Armenian Church can and will be accessed by Sunday School students anywhere on the planet.
Anyone with a phone, tablet, computer or VR headset can access the world created at Epostle.net (https://epostle.net/) . Gregory Beylerian, Creative Director at Epostle, has been working diligently with leading programmers and developers in the industry to put together the spaces. Epostle entered the metaverse in 2023 with the Cathia Hamparian Children’s Memorial. Since then there have been several “rooms” opened in the metaverse, including one where churches that were occupied and destroyed in Artsakh have their electronic footprint preserved here.
Gail Chalebian, Superintendent at St. James comments, “Our Sunday school is thrilled and honored to pilot and incorporate the first Epostle program into our curriculum. Epostle allows our students to navigate through the many sites of Armenia and experience Armenian culture and history in a way that has never been done before. And the opportunity to communicate directly with other Armenian students, teachers, and clergy all over the world, in real time, opens a whole new ‘metaverse’ to our community.”
Screenshot
Screenshot
