On Friday evening, November 18, more than 350 guests attended a memorable event to honor Fr. Aved Terzian on his retirement from active service, after 38 years as the pastor and spiritual shepherd of the historic Armenian Church of Our Saviour, in Worcester, MA.
First assigned to the parish as Deacon in Charge in 1982, and assuming the full role of pastor following his priestly ordination in 1984, Der Aved has devoted his entire ministry to the service of the Worcester community. He is distinguished as the longest serving priest in the proud history of the very first Armenian Church in America.
His nearly four decades at the helm of the parish, and the leadership role he has played in the Eastern Diocese, were recalled in tributes from distinguished clergy, friends and parishioners throughout the evening at Pleasant Valley Country Club. These included Diocesan Legate Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, Diocesan Vicar Fr. Simeon Odabashian, parishcouncil chair Jay Kapur, and event chair Edward Atamian. Dn. Louis Mikitarian and Michael Mamishian read messages from retired Fr. Garabed Kochakian and Fr. Arakel Aljalian of Watertown’s St. James Church.
Fr. Terzian offered his own gracious, heartfelt remarks, recollecting his years of ministry in Worcester and giving counsel for the future. “As I have said nearly every Sunday for the past 38 years, may you continue to walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself for us, and continue offering our sacrifice to God,” he concluded. “God’s richest blessings on you all; I will dearly miss everyone, but I will carry you in my heart forever.”
Tribute Message from the Primate
As the official representative of Diocesan Primate Fr. Mesrop Parsamyan, Fr. Odabashian read a special message from the Primate that expressed the evening’s spirit of grateful admiration.
“It would be impossible to sum up Der Aved’s importance to your community—indeed, to our entire Diocese and church—in just a few words,” Fr. Mesrop wrote. “Even as a young man, newly arrived in this country, he left a lasting impression on our Diocesan Center and St. Vartan Cathedral, where people still fondly remember the young Deacon Onnik who brought such energy and conviction to his service.”
“He had a special bond to the arachnort of that time: the great Archbishop Torkom Manoogian, later to become Patriarch of Jerusalem. And it was by his hand that Der Aved was ordained into the priesthood in 1984, receiving the priestly name that had once been Torkom Srpazan’s baptismal name. He has carried it with honor and dignity ever since.”
Noting the pastoral virtues of humility, charity, faith, courage and perseverance, Fr. Mesrop continued: “Under this spiritual vision, Der Aved undertook the leadership of this great parish in Worcester: the oldest in America, and still a supremely active and vital one. By God’s grace, Der Aved has seen his ministry blossom beautifully in four decades of service here.”
A Model of Christian Faith
The Primate also extolled the devotion of Yn. Vivian Terzian, whom he called “a true partner and support of Der Hayr’s ministry” through the years, leading the parish in many dimensions. “With grace and charity, Yeretzgin has been a model of Christian faith to people in this parish, and indeed throughout our Diocese. So many people regard her as a mentor and friend, and she has been a blessing in our community life,” wrote the Primate.
In the course of the evening, the parish revealed that a plaque in Yn. Vivian’s honor would be permanently mounted in the church’s Sunday School area, as a tribute to her devotion to the parish’s outreach ministry to children, and her foundation of its “Babies and Toddlers” program.
Click here to find photos and video of the event, and to read about Fr. Aved’s life and ministry, on the Church of Our Saviour’s website.
Der Aved’s final service at the Church of Our Saviour will take place on December 24, 2022: Western Christmas Eve. May God grant him and the Terzian family many years of health, peace, and continuing service in the Lord’s vineyard.
Above: Fr. Aved and Yn. Vivian Terzian, with their sons Raffi (left) and Onnig (right).
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