“Reflections in Retrospect”
By Father Zaven Arzoumanian, PhD
Burbank 2017
Most recently a new publication was released by the Western Diocese authored by Father Zaven Arzoumanian, covering his 60 years memoirs reflecting his service to the Armenian Apostolic church. In this 266-page book, the author presents in both English and Armenian versions the valuable moments of his six decades of pastoral ministry in the Armenian Church touching parts of the four continents. A life experience with an accomplished task can speak for itself. Education from childhood to youthful years and much beyond, has been the driving force behind the hectic service Father Arzoumanian has devoted to the Armenian Church faithfully almost nonstop from Lebanon to Ethiopia, from London to major European Armenian communities, while studying in England, and finally to the more demanding communities in the United States, mostly in the Eastern Diocese of North America.
In his letter dated October 24, Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Eastern Diocese, evaluated the publication of the new book as “an autobiography from childhood to the present. As such it may sound limited within the span of a lifetime. But in this case your memoirs are almost unlimited. Beginning from your family history, a series of milestones have exposed events and persons walking through those carefully written pages to illustrate the tireless service of a dedicated spiritual leader. Above and beyond any given autobiography, your Memoirs comprise a collection of historical data enriched with documents and eyewitness accounts otherwise difficult to find in other sources. In addition, the many pictures spread in the English version are for sure witnesses to the course of your life. Through your interesting style and presentation you have made it easy for the reader to accompany you along your life journey.”
In this book several ecumenical, civic, and educational contacts testify the colorful and eventful life experience of the author, enriched with academic degrees awarded by major universities in England and the United states. They have contributed to further achievements with papers read in international conferences in Holy Etchmiadzin, Oxford, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Montreal, and Los Angeles. In addition, Fr. Arzoumanian is hailed by church dignitaries for his twenty large and brief publications, both in Armenian and English, headed by the 3-volume Azgapatum, History of the Armenian Church and Nation in Armenian, covering the entire 20th century, as the continuation of Patriarch Malachia Ormanian’s opus magnum. The condensed Church of Armenia is the English version of those three volumes published in 2014.
Special tribute is given to twenty high-ranking clergy, Catholicos, Patriarch, Archbishop, all deceased, whose life and legacy, headed by His Holiness Vasken I Catholicos of All Armenians, have inspired the grateful author of this book during his ministry. The Reflections in Retrospect is published on the 90-th anniversary of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church, and is dedicated in memory of both parents of Father Zaven and Yeretsgin Joyce Arzoumanian.
