WASHINGTON – From 1897, when the Division of Oriental Research on the Catholic College of America (CUA) was established, Armenian Research grew to become a part of the college’s curriculum. Classical Armenian (Grabar) is taught right here, and Armenian manuscripts are among the many historical Christian paperwork studied at CUA.

In 2020, Catholic College’s Armenian Research program acquired a considerable contribution. Hundreds of books and paperwork from the late Dr. Robert W. Thomson’s (1934-2018) private library have been donated to CUA. Between 1969 to 1992, he held the Mashtots Chair in Armenian Research at Harvard College. Amongst Dr. Thomson’s many distinctions was receiving the Saint Sahak and Saint Mesrop Medal from Catholicos of All Armenians Vasken I. The latter’s encyclical is among the many objects donated by Thomson to the library of the Catholic College two years in the past.

On Friday, October 28, Thomson’s son, the Institute of Christian Oriental Analysis of CUA, and Armenian church and group representatives obtained collectively at Heritage Corridor of CUA to have fun Thomson’s work and legacy.

“His assortment was about 3700 objects after they cataloged them right here. These have been largely books, largely in Armenian, but in addition books in Syriac and Georgian,” stated Thomson’s son, Jasper Thomson.

The viewers applauded lengthy to have fun the donation of the Thomson household and the legacy of a terrific Armenologist. Bishop Daniel Findikyan, the previous Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Japanese) recalled his private conferences with Professor Thomson. Making a fast reference to historical past, he additionally drew thrilling parallels between the medieval Armenian intellectuals referred to as translators and Thomson.

As Findkiyan famous, the Armenian Church describes as translators Grigor Narekatsi or Nerses Shnorhali, who had not been referred to as translators. The high-ranking Armenian clergyman prompt that our church has traditionally outlined the acts of translation in a broader idea moreover merely “rendering a textual content from one language of one other.”