ARMENIAN PRELACY IN MANHATTAN HOSTS RECEPTION & PRESENTATION OF ANTONIA ARSLAN’S “SILENT ANGEL,” A LIVELY ACCOUNT OF A SACRED BOOK WHICH SURVIVED THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
H.E. Ambassador Dr. Abir T. Audi, Consul General of Lebanon in New York, and her husband Mr Dori Audi, were graciously invited by His Eminence Archbishop Anoushavan, Prelate, and were honored to take part in a reception and presentation of Italian Armenian writer Antonia Arslan’s novel Silent Angel, recently translated into English, on Wednesday, September 28, 2022, at the Headquarters of the Armenian Prelacy in Manhattan. Very. Rev. Fr. Sahag Yemishian, Vicar, and Rev. Fr. Mesrob Lakissian, Pastor of St. Illuminator’s Cathedral in New York City, also attended.
Dr Audi thanked His Eminence Archbishop Anoushavan and Rev. Father Lakissian for their kind invitation and seized this opportunity to reaffirm Lebanon’s firm support for the Armenian community in New York as well as in Lebanon, expressing her deep appreciation of and admiration for the Armenian community’s cultural and artistic contribution to the Land of Cedar’s civilization throughout history.
The Hovnanian Hall of the Prelacy’s guests also included Ambassador Mher Margaryan, Permanent Representative of Armenia to the United Nations; Major General Fabrizio Parrulli, military adviser of the Permanent Mission of Italy to the United Nations; Mr. Francesco Genuardi, Consul General of Italy in New York; Ms. Anna Malafronte, Consul General’s Assistant; Mr. Fabio Finotti, Director of the Italian Institute of Culture, and Ms. Malina Mannarino, Director’s Assistant.
In an informal and joyous atmosphere, Dr. Vartan Matiossian, Executive Director of the Prelacy, made opening remarks and introduced the speakers. Prof. Siobhan Nash-Marshall, Chair of Christian Philosophy at Manhattanville College (New York) and translator of the book, spoke about the subject of the novel, which she defined as the consciousness of culture as the means of survival. Ms. Ani Khachian and Mr. Armen Morian, Esq. read excerpts from the book. The author, Antonia Arslan, spoke about the circumstances that led her to write the novel and thanked the Prelate for sponsoring this event. Archbishop Anoushavan expressed his appreciation for Ms. Arslan’s lyric prose that had showed literally “a journey through the valley of death,” depicting the selfless character of Armenian women to the world, the woman who knows to give preference to sacred values and protection of culture, even to the risk of endangering her own life. On the occasion, the Prelate announced that the novelist had been granted the Queen Zabel award, the highest commendation of the Prelacy for women, for her distinguished scholarly and literary career and her advocacy of the Armenian spirit worldwide.
Based on a true story that hints at the presence of miraculous grace, Silent Angel is a powerful account of human resilience and heroic faith set against the backdrop of the Armenian Genocide. Signed copies of the book were available to the audience, which made donations towards the Antonia Arslan Armenian-Italia Education Complex of Stepanakert. Silent Angel, as well as Antonia Arslan’s best-selling novel The Skylark Farm are available from the Prelacy bookstore.
RECEPTION HOSTED BY NYC MAYOR ERIC ADAMS AND MET MUSEUM PRESIDENT & CEO DANIEL WEISS ON THE OCCASION OF THE 77TH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
On September 22, H.E. the Consul General of Lebanon in New York, Ambassador Dr Abir T. Audi, attended a reception hosted by NYC Mayor Eric Adams & Daniel Weiss, President & CEO of the Met museum, on the occasion of the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. Dr Audi thanked Mayor Adams on behalf of Lebanese New Yorkers who are proud of all that he is doing for that great “International City,” as Adams calls the Big Apple. Mayor Adams expressed once again to Ambassador Audi his fondness of the Land of Cedars.
Lebanese Philharmonic Orchestra Concert
