Rev. Avak Avakian's singular memoir

 Vahe H Apelian

Rev. Avak Avakian's memoir weas published in a single volume under the title "TESTIMONIAL:  A JOURNEY OF FAITHFUL SERVICE FROM HASSANBEYLI (CILICIA), SARNIA (CANADA)". The memoir was edited and contexualized by Yervant Kassouny and was published in Beirut, 2010.

«Իմ ֆիզիգական կեանքիս արեւը մարը մտնելու մօտ է, որպէսզի հոգեկան կեանքիս արշալոյսը ծագի՝ հոգեւոր ու մամնով մը։ Կ՚ուզեմ մեռնիլ՝ հաւատալով եւ յուսալով որ հայը, հայ ազգը, պատուական Հայ Քրիստոնեայ ազգս իր իրաւունքներուն պիտի տիրանայ։ Ես հոգեւոր աչքովս կը տեսնեմ ծով ծով տարածուող Հայաստանը, որ կ՚ապրի Աստծոյ փառքին համար։ Կոչ կ՚ընեմ բոլոր հայորդիներուն որ իրենց ազգային ինքնութիւնը պահեն՝ ի գին ամէն պատուաւոր զոհողութեան։ Ըլլան Քրիստոնեայ, բայց ըլլան Հայ Քրիստոնեայ։ Աստծոյ եւ ազգիս հաճելի է այս։»

The reverend wrote: "I was born on November 15, 1904 in Hasanbeyli, and until June 15, 1915, I lived in a solid Armenian Evangelical family, where I enjoyed boundless love, a plentiful table, kind relatives, abundant sunshine, water, mountains and forests, orchard, pets and a thousand good things. Actually, I lived the first eleven years of my life healthy and happy. The sad exception was forty days of the 1909 Adana masacre crying and misery. Indeed, I was a very lucky young man.

My father wanted me to be an engineer, while my mother dedicated me to God so that I could be a spiritual pastor and an educator, to serve my nation. My mother won...

On June 30, 1915, the Armenians of Amanos found themselves facing a fateful dilemma. To oppose the Turk or to bow down to him..."

Thus begins Rev. Avag Avagian's memoirs, which describes his life's journey, deeply rooted in his Christian faith. He narrates his journey in amazing detail. It spans from from his birthplace of Hassanbeyli, and goes through Kurdistan, Aleppo, Tarsus, Beirut orphanage, Paris, Athens, Azaz, Kessab, where he served as the principal of the Armenian Evangelical School, during which my uncle Andranik Chelebian and my mother Zuart Chelebian taught  there in between 1942-1945.

The lay preacher and the educator Avak Avakian married Veronika Der Boghosian, January 13, 1932, in the Armenian Evangelical Church of Achrafieh, Lebanon. They were blessed with two daughters and a son.  

He was ordained in Zahle on October 22, 1959. 

They moved to Canada to join their daughters and son on August 15, 1969, where the reverend passed away. Their son had to return to Lebanon because of immigration issues.

The volume is a memoir as well as the testimonial of a singulary and brutally honest Armenian Christian man. Reverend Ava Avakian was, devoted to  his nation. 

His memoir published as a book under the able editorial ship of Yervant Kassouny makes for a fascinating reading.  It gives a glimpse of the struggle of a survivor of the Armenian genocide to live, as well as of the post genocide Armenian Evangelical community to structure itself, cast away from its birthplace if not home. The editor's notes contextualize the events and the  happings in the Rev. Avak Avakian's memoir The book is 408 pages long and is comprised of editor's note for introduction (pages 5-8), Rev. Avak Avakian's memoirs (pages 9 to 221), photographs (pages 222-246). The rest is the editor's contextualization that gives, as I noted, substance and historical background of the events, happenings and of the persons noted in the memoir with further inclusion of testimonies by and about the good reverend.

The last message of his memoir was the following:

"The sun is about to set on my physical life, so that the dawn will rise on my spiritual life in soul and in body.

I want to die believing and trusting that the Armenians, the Armenian nation, my honorable Armenian Christian nation will take possession of its rights. With my spiritual eye, I see Armenia spread from sea to sea, that lives for the glory of God.

I call on all Armenians to keep their national identity at the cost of every honorable sacrifice. They are Christians, but they are Armenian Christians. This is pleasing to God and my nation."

Rev. Avak Avakian passed away on Tuesda, September 20, 1983 in Sarnia, Canada.Until his death, the reverend did not know that his son, Geoerge had  become another victim of the Lebanese civil war in 1976 and that it was not possible to find a trace of his whereabouts.

Mr. and Mrs. Rev. Avak and Veronika Avakian