Armenian Church News

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1 Volume 4, Issue 1 23 rd April 2017 Armenian Church News Diocese of the Armenian Church in the United Kingdom and Ireland Easter Weekend Liturgy at the Armenian Church In this issue: Easter Weekend Liturgy at the Armenian Church Holy Thursday, Washing of the Feet Syrian Charity Concert, 1 Year On Upcoming Events, Armenian Genocide Event On the 15 th and 16 th of April, the Armenian Churches in the UK celebrated the glorious feast of the Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Bishop Hovakim Manukyan celebrated the Easter Vigil at St. Sarkis Armenian Church and shared the good news of the Resurrection. In his speech, he particularly accented the myrrh bearing women, Mary and Mary of Magdalene who came to the tomb of Jesus; shared their grievance, at the shock and despair, were unable to realize what happened with their master. Those who were hailing him a few days ago were loud in demanding his arrest, were it concluded, the disciples who confessed him as the Lord and Messiah betrayed him and scattered. Diocese of the Armenian Church of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland His Grace Bishop Hovakim Manukyan, Primate Indeed, the worst could not happen. There were eyewitnesses of the most heinous crime, yet they were going to be the witnesses of another unusual event. They were going to encounter an unimaginable reality. I know you are looking for Jesus, the one who was crucified. He is not here. Have a look, the tomb is empty. The angelic voice, according to Matthew, astonished them. The tomb was empty and their first task was to go and tell the disciples in Galilee the Good News of the Resurrection. Christ is risen, Քրիստոս Յարեաւ ի Մեռելոց.

2 Easter Weekend Liturgy at the Armenian Church Today we have the joy in sharing with you once again the good news of the Resurrection of Our Lord and will celebrate this glorious feast. The curtains of the altar are open and our Resurrected Lord is amongst us. Today we remember a historical event. The day of the Resurrection. The Resurrection was a historical event that has been recorded in the Gospels of St. Paul in his 1st letter to the Christians. Corinth says Jesus appeared to Cephas` Peter, from twelve disciples and then to five hundred disciples some of whom are alive today. Unfortunately, some people deny the fact that the Resurrection wasn t ever true, nor do some believe that it happened at all. However, there is no reason not to believe the facts that have been recorded in the Gospels and even in other early Christian writings. Christ is risen and today we not only celebrate an historical day, but also thank God for his liberation brought to us by his begotten son; liberation from the slavery of sin and victory over the death. Jesus healed our human nature and showed how we will be in our own Resurrection. Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Christ s Resurrection proves that the injustice and death are not the final words and God will bring justice and protect all those who trust in him and find refuge in him. St. Paul says if Christ is not raised then your faith is in vain. But he has risen and our faith will give us joy; we not only believe in him but do what he commanded us to do. The Beatitudes are true; the commandment of loving God and loving brother is true. Let us renew ourselves with this message and ask God s blessings for our fellows. After the Liturgy service His Grace Bishop Hovakim presided over the house blessings ceremony which took place at Gulbenkian hall, on the grounds of St. Sarkis Church. The congregation enjoyed feasting on festive food and they all played the traditional coloured egg smashing game. 2

3 Easter Sunday Liturgy, at St. Yeghiche Church On Sunday the 16 th of April, the Primate celebrated the Easter liturgy at St. Yeghiche Armenian Church and delivered the message of the Catholicos of All Armenians on the occasion of Easter Armenian dancing, egg fights, singing and delicious food enriched the afternoon at the Copthorne Tara Hotel in Kensington. The Primate thanked the Ladies Committee for organising the event and to the accomplished Armenian violinist Mrs. Ani Batikyan with her husband for their performances as well as Mrs. Rouben Balasanian for entertaining the guests. The toastmaster of the day was active member of the Armenian community Mr. Vasken Kasemdjian who toasted to the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian Church. Mr. Armen Liloyan and Hayarpi Drmeyan were amongst the guests of honour. While speaking about the importance of the feast, the Primate emphasized that it is a family feast which is celebrated in our houses with our loved ones, however, is important to remember our extended family the Church and how we should be together as one. The afternoon was closed by the benediction of the Primate. A picture of the accomplished violinist, Ani Batikyan and husband Roland Roberts performing at the event. To see the video of the Easter Event Vigil at St. Yeghiche please see the link below: Feast of the Glorious Resurrection of Jesus Christ on April 16, To see the video of the Easter Event Vigil at St. Sarkis please see the link below: Easter Vigil at St Sarkis Church on April 15,

4 Holy Thursday in the Armenian Church, Washing of the Feet On April the 13 th, the Armenian Churches in London, were full of the faithful attending the most important celebration and feast days of the year. Morning: In the morning, Divine Liturgy of the Institution of the Eucharist was celebrated in St. Sarkis Church by Rev. Fr. Shnork Bagdasarian, His Grace Bishop Hovakim presided over the Liturgy. During the Liturgy, the lecture on Holy Eucharist of St. Basil the Great was read as a part of the rite of that day. At the end of the Liturgy the Primate preached and explained the importance of this sacrament as bloodless sacrifice which unites past, present and eschatological future with the love of Jesus. He emphasized the importance of the Eucharist, after the Eucharist in healing the wounds of decaying humanity. Afternoon: The rite of washing of feet was celebrated in St. Sarkis and St. Yeghiche Churches and Holy Trinity in Manchester in the afternoon. During this celebration, special hymns are read reminding us about the last period of Jesus s earthly ministry. Oil and water is being blessed, which symbolises anointing of Jesus by oil (Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 7, and John 12) and then feet of disciples, (children, altar boys) are being washed by the presiding clergy, which symbolises the washing of feet of disciples by Jesus. The Primate conducted the sacrament in St. Yeghiche Church and washed feet of 12 children. At the end of the service he read a passage from the Gospel of John (13:5-11) and explained the meaning of the ceremony. Foot-washing was a job considered too menial for a Jewish slave to perform, and it was usually reserved for the lowliest slaves of the household. It is similar to the pattern and humiliation of the Son as he assumes the condition of a slave that is described in Philippians 2:1-11. For John, however, it is pattern of self-giving love. Peter objects to being washed because he does not understand that Jesus s action bears witness to a rejection of honour and shame values of domination and subservience. He replaces it with a new model for human relationships: loving and humble service and laying down one s life for others (15:13, 16:2, 21:19; 1 John 3:16). 4

5 Holy Thursday in the Armenian Church, Washing of the Feet The Foot-washing also symbolizes the sacrificial death of Jesus. Jesus tells Peter that unless he is washed he will have no part in him, the laying down of one s life for others comes into thought (15:13), as well as the kind of death Peter himself will later experience (21:19). The insistence on being washed also reminds of baptism. In older times the Christians would get baptised on this day. It is a new model of discipleship. As teacher and Lord, Jesus was willing to wash their feet; how much more they should be willing to do the same for one another. The Foot-washing is given as paradigm not only of humble service, but of self-sacrificing love. Armenian Syrian Charity Concert One Year On On the 19th of March 2016 under the auspices of His Grace Bishop Hovakim Manukyan, Anaïs Heghoyan organised a Sacred and Classical Armenian Music Concert for the Palm Sunday celebration at the St. Yeghiche Armenian Church in Kensington to raise money to help aid the Armenian s in Syria. She was inspired to organise this event after she was introduced to His Grace, Bishop Armash Nalbandian, the Primate of Damascus, a month before the concert during his stopover in London to Los Angeles. Sadly, he did not manage to get to Los Angeles but spent some time in London and celebrated a Badarak service and sermon for 5

6 Armenian Syrian Charity Concert One Year On One year on Bishop Armash said they were able to help 5 Schools and their kinder gardens in Aleppo and in Damascus and sent a breakdown of his projects with the money raised from the concert. The schools helped were: 1. Armenian Tarkmantchats School 2. Armenian G. Gulbenkian School 3. Armenian Miatsyal School 4. Armenian Giligian School 5. Armenian Catholic Paros School In all these schools, they were able to help several hundreds of children with school supplies, miscellaneous children s items, heating, school bags, and subsidies for school books. They were also able to help 200 children in summer schools. All the money raised was spent for all these projects. I would like to express my thanks again to His Grace Bishop Armash who inspired us to organise the event, Dr. Hratch Tchilingirian who was our Master of Ceremonies, Maestro Aris Nadirian who not only sang but put together several members of the London Armenian Opera chorus to perform pieces from their previous operas. Vahe Begoyan, for singing and conducting his Saghmosergu male choir performing a stunning spiritual Armenian music programme, followed by an operatic programme by all. Ms. Ruzanna Grigorian, and Mr Aren Avetyan, for accompanying all the performers on the piano and organ and also coming all the way from Armenia to undertake this project. 6

7 Armenian Syrian Charity Concert - One Year On Special thanks again to our very generous supporters: Mr. and Mrs. Manas and Araxie Heghoyan Mrs. Hourig Tanielian Mrs. Mimi Heghoyan-Cooper Mr. Edward Sahakian Mr. and Dr. David and Tamara Stephan Dr. Hratch Tchilingirian and Dr. Shakeh Major-Tchilingirian Mr. Pakrad and Dr. Seda Nazarian Mr. Assadour Guzelian Mr. and Mrs. Stepan and Rita Ovanesoff Mr. and Mrs. Seroj and Odette Bazil Mr. and Mrs. Vatche and Tamar Manoukian The Manoukian charitable foundation for the use of the St. Yeghiche Church The Armenian Church and Community in Ireland, Dublin Parish The AGBU, London Branch The Primate s Office Ladies Committee: Mrs. Tanya Jakob Mrs. Sossi Yeretsian Mr. Tatto Couligian St. Sarkis Church Parish Council The Cardiff Parish Council The Manchester Parish Council ACYO London Chapter The Tekeyan Cultural Association And to everybody else who kindly donated towards the event. This is very sadly an ongoing tragedy and our brothers and sisters need our help so please contact Bishop Armash Nalbandian directly if you would like to help: ARMENIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH DIOCESE OF DAMASCUS Bishop Armash Nalbandian, Primate Bab Sharki, P.O. Box 2059 Damascus - Syria Tel: Fax: bishoparmash@gmail.com OR: damastem@hotmail.com 7

8 Deacon s Training Programme The Deacon s Training Programme was re-launched on the 25 th of January 2017 at St. Sarkis Church. Every Wednesday, the Deacon s in training attend church and are instructed in the traditions of serving at the altar. For those who are wishing to attend the training, please contact His Grace Bishop Hovakim Manukyan at: primatesoffice@armeniandiocese.org.uk 8

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16 House Blessing - Տնօրհնեք One of the traditions of the Armenian Church is the Home Blessing Service. It symbolises the visit of Resurrected Christ the Upper House and blessing of the disciples (John 20:19). Priests and bishops visit the homes of the faithful on the occasions of Christmas (Theophany) and Easter (Holy Resurrection) to bring the good news of our Lord s Nativity and Resurrection to bless them and their homes through a special Service. During the Service the priest prays to God and asks Him to keep the home, its inhabitants and the children in good health, so that they live a devout life, glorify the name of Almighty God and strengthen the Holy Church. House Blessing Services: those faithful who want a priest to visit and bless their home are welcome to contact their respective parishes or the Primate s Office. Prayer Intentions for April: We ask God to strengthen and give spiritual courage to our brothers and sisters, our community members, who are in search of spirituality and who will be fasting during the 40 days of Great Lent. Volunteers Needed at the Primate s Office The Primate s Office needs volunteers to help with general administrative duties such as filing, helping with mailouts and answering calls. It would be ideal for a schoolleaver/graduate looking to gain work experience. Expenses will be covered. For more information, please contact our office. Editorial: The main objective of the diocesan e-newsletter is to serve and reach out to Armenians throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland. The community members and organisations are welcome to send their announcements for the e-newsletter, including information not only about public events but also about important family events such as christening, matrimony or passing away. 16

17 A Message from the Primacy His Grace Bishop Hovakim Manukyan wishes to inform you that at the bottom of our weekly e- newsletter you will find the contacts of our Churches and Parishes in the UK and Ireland. Details are also available on the websites of the respective Churches and Parishes. Please do not hesitate to contact any of these addresses if you need any help regarding Church services. You will receive a reply either from the Parish Council Chair or from the priest. If you encounter any kind of problems regarding communication with the above, please contact the Primacy (Առաջնորդարան) directly at the following address: Bishop Hovakim Manukyan The Primates Office c/o The Armenian Vicarage Iverna Gardens London, W8 6TP Tel: + 44 (0) primatesoffice@armeniandiocese.org.uk (please note our NEW address) website : armeniandiocese.org.uk facebook : Հայոց Առաջնորդարան 17

18 Upcoming Events DIOCESAN PROGRAMMES Forthcoming Events in 2017 Bible Studies Every Thursday at 7:00pm in the Gulbenkian Hall Next dates: April 27 Solemn Divine Liturgy in Remembrance of the Genocide Sunday Sunday, 23 rd April St. Yeghiche Church Solemn Divine Liturgy will be celebrated on the day of the Armenian Genocide. It will be followed by the laying of wreaths and the celebration of a special canon, dedicated to the Holy Martyrs of the Genocide Pilgrimage to Holy Land 2 nd May 9 th May 2017 Cost for twin room, half board: 1,250 per person, single supplement 300. Please see flyer in this newsletter for itinerary details. Final balance is due 6 weeks before departure. For more details, please follow this link: To book your place, please phone the Primate's Office on Cheques are payable to Armenian Church Trust Ltd. Flight details: BA167 2 nd May from Heathrow at 16:45, arrives Tel Aviv 23:35 BA166 9 th May from Tel Aviv at 07:45, arrives Heathrow 11:10 Armenian Street Festival Sunday, 16 th July 7 th Annual Armenian Street Festival at St. Sarkis Church, Iverna Gardens, London W8 6TP More events will follow. Please stay tuned. 18

19 Worship Services in the Armenian Churches Services are held in the Armenian Churches in London every Sunday starting at 11:00 am. In Manchester, there is a service on the 1 st Sunday of the month. For further details, please contact the parish nearest to you: Holy Trinity Armenian Church 229 Upper Brook Street Manchester, M13 0FY Tel: st SUNDAY OF THE MONTH St. Sarkis Church Iverna Gardens Kensington, London, W8 6TP Tel: St. Yeghiche Cathedral 13b Cranley Gardens Kensington, London SW7 3BB Tel: Other Parishes of our Diocese: Cardiff - Tel: , john@jagproperties.co.uk Dublin - Tel: Birmingham Tel: St John s Church, Stratford Road, Birmingham, B11 4EA Oxford - Tel: armenian.society@studentsclub.ox.ac.uk The Primate thanks Nyraff Ltd & the Tanielian family for their continued support to ACT UK and the ASF We invite those who have questions or wish to gain deeper understanding of the faith, moral discernment, teachings and traditions of the Armenian Church to contact the Office of the Diocese of the Armenian Church in United Kingdom and Ireland: His Grace Bishop Hovakim Manukyan The Primate s Office c/o The Armenian Vicarage Iverna Gardens London, W8 6TP Tel: primatesoffice@armeniandiocese.org.uk Website : armeniandiocese.org.uk Facebook : Հայոց Առաջնորդարան 19