05/18/09 - Remarks submitted for the Congressional Record - 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.