— Day of Meetings with Members of Congress Focuses on Genocide Reaffirmation and Return of Confiscated Christian Churches

WASHINGTON, DC – His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, Prelate of the Armenian Apostolic Church of the Eastern United States, offered the opening prayer of the U.S. House of Representatives on Armenian Genocide commemoration day, April 24th, and reached out to legislators throughout the day leading up to the evening Capitol Hill remembrance of that crime, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) welcomed Archbishop Choloyan to offer the opening prayer, which was held at the request of Rhode Island Congressman David Cicilline (D) and at the invitation of the House Chaplain, Rev. Patrick J. Conroy.  “Today, we are mindful of another April 24 – 98 years ago, the beginning of the Genocide of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, the first genocide among so many that followed in the 20th century,” said Archbishop Choloyan in his opening prayer.  “We beseech You, O Lord, to bless this land of America and its people. Empower them to continue serving Your goodness as they did when they sheltered the remnants of the Armenian nation.”

In moving remarks on the House floor, Rep. Cicilline thanked Archbishop Choloyan, stating “On behalf of the Armenian community in my home State of Rhode Island, I am honored to welcome the Archbishop here today and to join him in remembering the victims of the Armenian Genocide–the systematic extermination of Armenians living under the Ottoman Empire in the early 20th century,” stated Rep. Cicilline.  “I join members of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues in urging that our government finally recognize the Armenian genocide as a historical fact.”

Archbishop Choloyan’s opening prayer and Congressman Cicilline’s remarks are available on the Congressman’s YouTube page at: http://youtu.be/tMeBt1aCbLo

Throughout the day, Archbishop Choloyan met with a bipartisan group of legislators including Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL), and Representatives Chris Collins (R-NY), Joe Crowley (D-NY), Grace Meng (D-NY), David Valadao (R-CA), and Ted Yoho (R-FL).  Archbishop Choloyan was joined in his Congressional visits by Rev. Fr. Sarkis Aktavoukian, Pastor of Soorp Khatch Armenian Apostolic Church in Bethesda, MD; ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian, as well as ANCA Legislative Affairs Director Raffi Karakashian and ANCA Capital Gateway Fellow Harout Doukmajian.

In the evening, Archbishop Choloyan joined several hundred Armenian Americans from across the U.S. and offered the benediction at the annual Congressional Observance of the Armenian Genocide, organized by the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, with the participation of Armenian American groups as well as the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia and the Office of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic in the U.S.

Take a pictorial tour of Archbishop Choloyan’s efforts in support of U.S. affirmation of the Armenian Genocide on the ANCA Facebook page: