HYE M’RTSOOM WEEKEND IN WATERTOWN

ACYOA Juniors gathered over Memorial Day weekend at St. James Church of Watertown, MA, for the 40th annual Hye M'rtsoom program. The parish hosted a record-breaking 282 participants from 16 parishes across the Diocese for a weekend of worship, sports, and fellowship. The Rev. Fr. Arakel Aljalian, pastor of St. James Church; Yn. Natasha Aljalian; and St. James youth minister Maria Derderian worked alongside dedicated community members to ensure the success of the weekend. Events were held at the St. James Church's Charles Mosesian Cultural and Youth Center, and participants were housed with local families.

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PRESS OFFICE

Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)

630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016

Contact: Chris Zakian

Tel: (212) 686-0710; Fax: (212) 779-3558

E-mail: chrisz@armeniandiocese.org

Website: www.armenianchurch-ed.net

June 5, 2015

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HYE M’RTSOOM WEEKEND IN WATERTOWN

ACYOA Juniors gathered over Memorial Day weekend at St. James Church of Watertown, MA, for the 40th annual Hye M'rtsoom program. The parish hosted a record-breaking 282 participants from 16 parishes across the Diocese for a weekend of worship, sports, and fellowship.

The Rev. Fr. Arakel Aljalian, pastor of St. James Church; Yn. Natasha Aljalian; and St. James youth minister Maria Derderian worked alongside dedicated community members to ensure the success of the weekend. Events were held at the St. James Church's Charles Mosesian Cultural and Youth Center, and participants were housed with local families.

Lorie Odabashian, the Diocese's coordinator of Youth and Young Adult Ministries, was present throughout the weekend. Maria Derderian delivered the "Insights" message at the conclusion of the morning service on Saturday.

A special program throughout the weekend invited participants to have their photos taken and placed under the names of historic Armenian cities and towns, which were mounted on the gym wall. In this way, the young adults created a large collage through which they learned about each other's family histories.

The group also made more than 200 sandwiches for Pine Street Inn, a Boston shelter that serves the area's homeless population.

On Sunday, May 24, Fr. Aljalian celebrated the Divine Liturgy. His sermon focused on the weekend's theme, "This is Our Hye Time," and emphasized the importance of honoring the past while working to build a bright future. On Sunday evening, participants gathered at St. James Church for dinner and an awards ceremony. They enjoyed dancing on a moonlight cruise aboard The Odyssey.

Individual Sports Awards

Beginner Tavloo

2nd Place - Anna Boloyan

1st Place -  Zabelle Minasian

Beginner Chess

2nd Place -  Armen Dervishian

1st Place -  Dylan Madden

Advanced Tavloo

2nd Place -  Neil Ferraro

1st Place -  Eric Trimble

Advanced Chess

2nd Place -  Kevork Atinizian

1st Place -  Greg Grigorian

Girls Ping-Pong

2nd Place - Madeleine Kachikian

1st Place -  Sophie DiPetrillo

Boys Ping-Pong

2nd Place -  Stephen Diefenderfer

1st Place -  Chris Parnagian

Team Sports

Girls Basketball

2nd Place - St. Leon Church of Fair Lawn, NJ

1st Place - Holy Trinity A of Cambridge, MA

Boys Basketball

2nd Place - New England Regional Team (Springfield/New Britain/Hartford)

1st Place - St. Leon A of Fair Lawn, NJ

Volleyball

2nd Place - St. Leon A of Fair Lawn, NJ

1st Place -   Sts. Sahag and Mesrob Church of Providence, RI

Sportsmanship Awards

Boys - Paul Chamesian

Girls - Sophie DiPetrillo

Overall Champion

St. Leon Church of Fair Lawn, NJ

Archbishop Tiran Nersoyan Leadership Award - Anna Margaryan

Archbishop Tiran Nersoyan Service Award - Zaven Dadian

Archbishop Tiran Nersoyan Vision Award - Lucine Boloyan

ACYOA Juniors Chapter "A" Award - Holy Trinity Church of Cheltenham, PA

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Photos attached.

Photo 1: Hye M'rtsoom participants enjoy a game of chess.

Photo 2: Young people pose for a group photo during Hye M'rtsoom weekend.

Photo 3: The group made more than 200 sandwiches for a Boston shelter that serves the area's homeless population.