From Istanbul to Worcester:
The
Journey Continues with a
Special
Silver Anniversary
Celebration
Onnig
Terzian, son of Sima and Ara Terzian,was born in 1955 and resided in Istanbul,Turkey
where he attended the Esayan Armenian elementary school and served as an acolyte (tbir)
at the Holy Resurrection Armenian Church. He established friendships with several
other Armenians and together they enjoyed playing soccer. At the age of 14,
he and 55 young Armenian boys departed their homes in Turkey to continue their
education at the St. James Monastery of the Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem.
After graduating with high honors from the Jarankavorats (high school), he received
a four-year scholarship to attend Haigazian College in Lebanon. Having yet to
make the commitment to become a priest, he planned to go to Lebanon with the
aspiration of earning a teaching degree. Unfortunately, his plan was interrupted
by the outbreak of civil war in Lebanon and consequently, with no choice, he
returned home to Istanbul. As he was no longer a student, Onnig was obligated
by law to begin a two year period of mandatory military service in the Turkish
Army.
As God works in mysterious ways, a close friend and fellow seminarian
from Jerusalem, Deacon Bedros Sarkissian, who was enrolled at the St. Nersess
Seminary in New York, spoke to the Primate on Onnig’s behalf. Subsequently,
it was at the Primate’s invitation that Onnig, at the age of 19, came to the
United States in February of 1975. With no family here in America, he lived
at the Diocesan Complex in New York. His Beatitude Archbishop Torkom Manoogian,
Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem, who at that time was the Primate of the Eastern
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America, played an influential role in Onnig’s
life and decision to become a priest. In 1978, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary
of St. Vartan Cathedral, Onnig was ordained a Deacon by Archbishop Manoogian.
As time passed, he grew very close to Archbishop Manoogian who became like a
second father to him by monitoring his education, social maturity, and spiritual
development. Onnig then proceeded to earn his Bachelor’s Degree at Concordia
College in Bronxville, NY, and in 1979, he continued his studies at the General
Theological Seminary. While working on his Master’s Degree, he had the honor
of accompanying the Primate at many events and religious functions. During this
time, he was appointed Director of the Avaks (Senior Citizens) program at the
Diocese. This program served as a model for subsequent Avaks programs that were
established throughout the Diocese. He was also appointed Deacon in Charge of
the Northern Westchester Parish where he performed Sunday services. Onnig earned
his Master's Degree in Divinity from General Theological Seminary in 1982. After
graduation, Deacon Onnig came to Worcester with the then Very Reverend Father
Yesnik Balian and began to serve the Armenian Church of Our Saviour.
On
June 2, 1984, Deacon Onnig married Vivian (Vartoukian) at St. Vartan Cathedral
with the Primate presiding. Six weeks later, Deacon Onnig was ordained into
the Holy Priesthood by his spiritual mentor, Archbishop Torkom Manoogian. Following
the tradition of the Armenian Church, the Primate was given the honor of choosing
the newly ordained priest’s name. He named him Der Aved which is a shortened
version of the Primate’s own birth name - Avedis. Der Aved and Yeretzgin have
been blessed with two sons; Onnig (given his father’s birth name), born in 1985,
and Raffi who was born in 1988.
As
the longest serving pastor of the Armenian Church of Our Saviour, Der Aved has
overseen many momentous occasions: the 100th Anniversary of the first ArmenianChurch
in America, the 50th Anniversary of the Church being located on Salisbury Street,
and the 1988 Armenian Earthquake Relief Effort which resulted in the collection
of medical supplies, equipment, clothing, and $850,000.
During
his tenure, Der Aved coordinated the restoration and renovation of the Church
and its facilities; he also served as a catalyst for the establishment of the
Memorial Endowment Fund which has generated a continuous flow of income for
the Church. Der Aved has worked with other Armenian clergy and lay leaders in
the promotion of Armenian Unity which has resulted in the Armenian community
coming together for Genocide Commemorations, Christmas Eve Services, and the
creation of the Greater Worcester Armenian Chorale. He has also worked closely
with non-Armenian church leaders in order to develop an Ecumenical Spirit within
our Church. He has established close relationships with the city’s mayors as
well as Massachusetts state legislators.
Der
Aved has nurtured and maintained a positive relationship with the Church’s neighbor,
Worcester Polytechnic Institute, at which he has offered commencement prayers
and provided crisis counseling in the nearby fraternities. In 1984 he participated
in a Task Force that would introduce holocaust studies to the curriculum in
the Worcester Public Schools. He has served on the Community Partnership Committee
for Police and Clergy, the City Manager’s Coalition on Bias and Hate, the St.
Nersess Seminary Board, and as an advisor to the Dean of Students at Clark University.
Looking
back over the past twenty five years, Der Aved believes that some of his greatest
accomplishments have been the creation of a closer relationship between his
congregation and God, a more widespread understanding of our Armenian Faith,
an appreciation for our rich Armenian culture, and a spirit of cooperation in
working for the church. Never content with his ministry, Der Aved strives to
welcome new ideas and foster new programs while keeping long honored traditions.
Der Aved is thankful that the people of Worcester have embraced him and his
family, and have been generous with their love and respect. Being a priest is
not a job, but is a calling that is not easily described or understood. As a
representative of Christ, he tries to bring hope and comfort to everyone who
is faced with life’s challenges.
Encyclical
from His Holiness Karekin II Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians
Message
from the Primate
It
gives me great pleasure to greet the people of the historic Armenian Church
of Our Saviour, of Worcester, Massachusetts, and to congratulate my brother
in Christ, the Reverend 
Father
Aved Terzian, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of his ordination into
the holy priesthood of the Armenian Church. Through his intelligence and diligence,
no less through his warm personality, Father Aved has rendered many valuable
services to our Diocese, our church, and our people in general. He has been
a true soldier for our church. With Yeretzgin Vivian and their sons, Der Hayr
has provided a wonderful example for the parish and the community at large.
During
this year, as our Diocese focuses its attention on the priestly vocation, and
on the need to encourage young men to take up the pastoral staff on behalf of
our church, it is truly gratifying to be able to say of Father Aved that we
are blessed and proud to have such a clergyman guiding, teaching, and inspiring
our flock in this country
I
know the people of this parish feel fortunate to have enjoyed Father Aved’s
pastoral leadership for so long. America’s first Armenian Church is a great
monument to our presence in this country. Under Father Aved’s leadership the
people of this parish have not only upheld the legacy of the past, with honor,
but have also advanced the parish into a promising future. As we honor the 25
years of Father Aved Terzian’s ministry, this is also an appropriate occasion
to reflect on the incredible, 118-year journey of this parish, and the many
wonderful people who have contributed to it. May God bless the souls, and preserve
the memories, of those He has called to His kingdom, and may He inspire all
of you to carry on the precious legacy you have inherited, with reverence,
honor, and holiness.
With
prayers,
Archbishop
Khajag Barsamian
Primate
June 7, 2009