[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 76 (Monday, May 18, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1191-E1192]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                25TH ANNIVERSARY OF FATHER AVED TERZIAN

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES P. McGOVERN

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 18, 2009

  Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 25th 
anniversary of Father Aved Terzian serving at the Parish of the 
Armenian Church of Our Saviour.
  Father Aved was born in Istanbul in 1956. He grew up in the church 
and decided to study divinity after high school. The person who really 
influenced his life was His Beatitude Archbishop Torkom Manoogian, 
Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, and it was at his invitation that 
Father Aved came to America in February of 1975. In 1984, ``Deacon 
Onnig'' was ordained by his spiritual mentor Patriarch Torkom 
Manoogian. Following the tradition of the Armenian Church, the 
Patriarch named him Aved.
  As the longest serving Armenian priest in Worcester, Father Aved has 
played a vital role in the promotion of Armenian culture, bringing the 
community together for Genocide Commemorations, Joint Christmas Eve 
Services, and the Greater Worcester Armenian Chorale. He has maintained 
a positive relationship with the Armenian Church of Our Saviour's 
neighbor, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, giving commencement prayers 
and providing crisis counseling.
  In 1984, he participated in a Task Force to introduce holocaust 
studies to the Worcester Public Schools Curriculum. He has served on 
the Community Partnership for Police and Clergy, the City Manager's 
Coalition on Bias and Hate, the Diocesan Council Governing Body, the 
St. Nersess Seminary Board, and as an advisor to the Dean of Clark 
University.
  Father Aved was instrumental in coordinating efforts to renovate the 
Armenian Church of Our Saviour, an ambitious project that included the 
Church Sanctuary, Sunday School, Church Hall, Cultural Center and an 
elevator to accommodate the handicapped and elderly. During his tenure, 
Memorial Endowment Funds were established as a means to generate income 
for the church.
  Looking back over the past twenty-five years, Father Aved believes 
one of his greatest accomplishments has been to bring the parishioners, 
``the backbone of his ministry,'' to work together in serving the 
church. Father Aved is thankful that the people of Worcester have 
accepted him, and been generous with their love and respect. When asked 
how he came to serve the Armenian Church as a priest, Father Aved 
referred to his calling as a process of getting closer to God, one that 
unfolded within him. Being a priest has been very rewarding for Father 
Aved. It is not a job, but a life he has chosen. As a representative of 
Christ, he is able to give people comfort, and lift their spirits when 
they are faced with life's challenges. He is, in his own words, a 
``wounded healer.''
  Madam Speaker, I commend Father Aved Terzian for his commitment to 
the Parish of the Armenian Church of Our Saviour for 25 years. The 
Parish celebrates this Silver Anniversary milestone with Der Hayr, his 
wife Yeretzgin Vivian and sons Onnig and Raffi. I ask my colleagues in 
the House to join me in paying tribute to this remarkable man.

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