Armenian Church News. Divine Liturgy Celebrated in Dublin. Diocese of the Armenian Church in the United Kingdom and Ireland

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1 Volume 2, Issue October 2016 Armenian Church News Diocese of the Armenian Church in the United Kingdom and Ireland Divine Liturgy Celebrated in Dublin In this issue: Divine Liturgy in Dublin Coptic New Year New Priest to Serve in London Church of the Holy Sepulchre Armenian Clergy Visit Oxford Bible Reading from St. Paul On Sunday, 23 rd October, the Primate Bishop Hovakim Manukyan visited Dublin and celebrated the Divine Liturgy in Taney Parish on the Feast of the Discovery of the Holy Cross. At the end of the Liturgy he conducted the baptism of Alex Sulaiman Malkhasian. The parents were Kevork and Aydah Malkhasian and the Godfather was Ohan Yergainharsian. At the end of the service he shared agape with the community members. The Primate was accompanied by Deacon Artur Bobikyan of Manchester and John Arutunian, an Armenian student in Oxford from the USA. Diocese of the Armenian Church of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland His Grace Bishop Hovakim Manukyan, Primate Diocesan Office Tel armenianchurch.co.uk

2 Ecumenical News Coptic New Year Service at Westminster Abbey On Monday, 24 th October 2016, His Grace Bishop Hovakim Manukyan attended the annual Coptic New Year Service which was celebrated in St. Margaret s Church, Westminster Abbey. Messages were received from HRH The Prince of Wales, the Prime Minister and the Archbishop of Canterbury as religious freedom was highlighted at the annual Coptic New Year (Nayrouz) Service. Joining members of the Coptic community at the service were members of the House of Lords, House of Commons, the Diplomatic Corps, the Foreign Commonwealth Office, the Home Office, humanitarian and advocacy organisations, and various ecumenical, inter-religious guests. Bishop Hovakim was honoured to give some of the prayer readings. In his sermon, His Grace Bishop Angaelos, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom said: It has undoubtedly been a challenging year with the referendum, news of wars, oppression, homelessness, displacement, and presidential elections; there is so much to destabilize us, but what is our core? Our core is our Faith; the Good News. How can I stay silent in seeing the oppression of others when I have tasted that bitterness and seen that affliction and persecution. We have all suffered in our own ways and so therefore we are all mandated to speak out for others in our own ways. Today as we start this year, The Spirit of the Lord is upon us ; we are anointed, mandated and sent into this world as hope, light and promise. It is God in us Who 2

3 enables us to do this, and so today we really do stand together in this sacred place, with the saints, in unity of heart. Let nothing take that away from us, and let nothing defeat that spirit that allows us to defeat all that seeks to silence us. Following prayers for the persecuted and martyrs of the Christian Faith, a message from His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales was read by The Right Reverend Geoffrey Rowell and Mr Jonathan Hellewell LVO, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister read a message from The Right Honourable Theresa May, Prime Minister. In a message addressed to Bishop Angaelos from The Most Rev. and the Rt Hon. the Archbishop of Canterbury, read by The Right Reverend Nigel Stock, Bishop at Lambeth, he said: Your community is a suffering community. Who can forget those young men so brutally murdered in Libya, or what your Church must endure from time to time in your homeland. Yet you speak of the forgiveness of Christ and look always for that which helps the peace of God be known. 3

4 Prior to the service, the Foreign Commonwealth Office hosted a groundbreaking 2-day summit from October which brought together more than 50 expert speakers, including His Grace Bishop Angaelos, and over 170 participants from 38 countries, to explore how Freedom of Religion or Belief can help prevent violent extremism and identify opportunities to work together. In the opening address during the conference, FCO Minister for Human Rights, The Rt Hon. the Baroness Anelay of St Johns DBE, said: Freedom of Religion or Belief is fundamental to a successful society. It builds resilience against the prejudice, discrimination and persecution that not only prevents a society from achieving its full economic potential but also leaves it vulnerable to extremism. That is why it is so important that we work together now to put freedom of religion or belief at the heart of our effort to prevent violent extremism. It is time for us to rethink the dynamic and the way in which we communicate because the world is no longer a place in which politicians, religious leaders, civil society, and NGOs should function separately. Nor is it a place that can allow for any nationalist agenda to override the human right. We all need to work in collaboration to present a nuanced understanding of who we are as today s international community. Highlighting the importance of respecting people of all faiths and none, Bishop Angaelos continued: We cannot speak of regions as being religious. A religion is something that we live by and does not define geographic borders. We must also push beyond the understanding of tolerance, because as a Christian, I cannot accept tolerance as my benchmark; the Scriptures actually call us to love, respect, honour, and forgive indiscriminately. As religious leaders we need to support one another in advocating for people of faith and, indeed, of no faith. In 2015 Bishop Angaelos was conferred the honour of Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for Services to International Religious Freedom by Her Majesty The Queen. 4

5 Community News Fr. Arsen Saroyan to Serve in London We are pleased to inform the Armenian Community that Fr Arsen Saroyan, a visiting priest from Holy Etchmiadzin, is in London for few months to assist with the liturgical needs of our Diocese. Fr Arsen will be serving Divine Liturgy at St Yeghiche Armenian Church on Sunday 30th October 2016 starting at 11am. We look forward to welcoming Fr Arsen to our Parish Church and equally, the members of our Community, to join in the Divine Liturgy and meet Fr. Arsen. Fr Arsen served as a regular solder in the Armed forces of the Republic of Armenia until 2000, before being ordained as Deacon and then Priest in He then served as a priest on Duty in the Armed forces until In 2013 he was assigned to the Armenian Philanthropic Academy in Calcutta, India as Assistant Manager. From May 2015 to April 2016 served in the areas of Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Bangladesh as a Spiritual pastor for Armenian Community. For the past 7 months he served as a curator in the Youth Centres of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. Fr Arsen is married and blessed with young daughter. 5

6 Community News Fundraising Dinner on 11 th November for the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem The Ladies Committee of the Primate s Office are currently organising a fundraising dinner to aid in the restoration of the Tomb of our Lord which resides in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem. The Church houses both the site of Jesus crucifixion (Calvary) and his burial, and it is shared mainly between three denominations; Armenian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic, and to a lesser extent the Egyptian Coptic, Syriac Orthodox and Ethiopian Orthodox Churches. It is the responsibility of these denominations to ensure the upkeep of the Church. Christ s Tomb is in need of crucial restoration work. All profits from the fundraising gala dinner on Friday, 11 th November will go towards this purpose. There will be a short film presentation, with guest speakers reflecting on Armenian Jerusalem and what it means to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. As well as enjoying delicious food with family and friends, it will be especially interesting to those who have already been on pilgrimage, or those who may be interested in going in the future. The guest speakers, who will share their experiences of Jerusalem, are: Dr. Harry Hagopian (International lawyer & Legal Consultant, and native of Jerusalem), Reverend Canon Anthony Ball (Church of England), Fr. John Whooley (Catholic Church) and Fr. Paret Yeretsyan. There is also a special booklet being produced for the occasion, entitled: Take Your Cross and Follow Me which will contain reflections by Bishop Hovakim Manukyan, Dr. Hratch Tchilingirian, Canon Patrick Thomas, Dr. Harry Hagopian and Fr. John Whooley. It is possible to sponsor a page in the booklet, even if you are unable to attend the event, as a way of contributing to the restoration work (For details of booking tickets and sponsorship, please see flyers on page 9) To view a short film on the ongoing restoration, follow this link: 6

7 Ecumenical News Armenian Clergy visit Anglican Theological College in Oxford On Tuesday, 25 th October, His Grace Bishop Hovakim Manukyan and Rev. Fr. Shnork Bagdassarian visited Oxford, to meet with the Revd. Canon Dr. Robin Ward, Principal of St. Stephen s House. St Stephen s House is an Anglican Theological College and part of the University of Oxford. The purpose of the visit was to exchange ideas and to discuss the possibility of bringing some theological students from Armenia for further training. Alumni from St. Stephen s House include Bishop Hovnan Derderian, Bishop Kevork Sarian, Fr. Garegin Hambartsumyan and Fr. Shnork. Bishop Hovakim presented the College with a copy of the Icon of the Holy Martyrs. The Icon will be consecrated at a special Divine Liturgy to be held in Pembroke College on Saturday, 26 th November. Oxford is one of our Diocese s Mission Parishes and the Divine Liturgy has been celebrated there in the Chapel at Pembroke College. The University of Oxford has an Armenian Students Society and an Armenian Choir more details can be found at: 7

8 Spirituality From the Epistle of St. Paul to Ephesians 1:1-14 According to the lectionary of the Armenian Church, there is the following reading from the Bible on Sunday, 30th October: Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To God s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise for Spiritual Blessings in Christ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfilment to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God s possession to the praise of his glory. Sunday Gospel passage: Luke 8:17-21 For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them. Now Jesus mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. Someone told him, Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you. He replied, My mother and brothers are those who hear God s word and put it into practice. 8

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10 Lecture on St. Gregory of Narek by Bishop Hovakim Manukyan Now available to read on our new website On 24 th November, 2015, Bishop Hovakim Manukyan gave the Christopher Morris Lecture at the Society of St John Chrysostom entitled: St Gregory of Narek, Doctor of the Universal Church, the Canonised Armenian Martyrs: Communion of Saints, Ecumenism of Blood In this lecture, he discussed the life of St. Gregory, and the reasons why the Catholic Church have recently appointed him a Doctor of the Church. To read the full lecture, please go to our website and scroll down to the second speech: A Message from the Primate s Office: It was a joyous experience for all of us to be involved with ASF We thank you all volunteers and donors who help us to implement it and carry out our mission and activities. This includes our daily routine work in the office, producing the weekly e-newsletter, maintaining the website, preparing audio and video materials, doing charity work, fostering ecumenical relations and implementing other projects such as mission parish outreach programmes, pilgrimages and day trips organised by Primate s Office Ladies Committee, workshops, and youth ministry, all for the benefit of the UK Armenian community. These projects would not be possible without your kind donations. Your donations are highly appreciated and greatly essential to continue our mission. For more details, please, see the ACT UK website or visit our website armeniandiocese.org.uk. For specific questions please contact the Primates Office at: primatesoffice@armenianchurch.co.uk Armenian Church Trust UK Account Sort Code Please remember us in your wills. Thank you. 10

11 For the first time the Cardiff Polyphonic Choir and the London Komitas Choir of the Tekeyan Trust are giving a joint Concert in Cardiff. This concert celebrates the Welsh and Armenian choral traditions in a unique way. The Armenian community in Wales is hosting an afternoon of music beginning with a Service in St German s Church at 12.30pm when Bishop Hovakim Manukyan, the Primate of the Armenian Church in the UK and Ireland will preside. At the end of the Service there will be a buffet for all attendees. At 3.30pm there will be a Concert at St. German's Church in which both the Cardiff Polyphonic Choir and the Komitas Choir of London will perform a selection of Welsh and Armenian songs in the traditional idioms of the two countries. Tickets 10 ( 5 for students) A coach will leave Iverna Gardens at am on Sunday, 6th November for Cardiff. Total cost per person to include Coach, Concert Ticket and Reception. ( 25 for students). 25 seats remaining, first come first served. Contact: vouzounian@tekeyantrust.com Welsh-choral-music 11

12 Welsh Armenian Community s Musical Celebrations St German s Church in Adamsdown Sunday, 6 th November 2016 The Armenian community in Wales is hosting an afternoon of music beginning with a service in St German s Church at at which Canon Patrick Thomas of the Church of Wales and Bishop Hovakim Manukyan Primate of the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church of Britain and Ireland will jointly officiate. The theme of the service will be to express the Community s gratitude to those who have contributed to Welsh Armenian cultural friendship and support in recent years and in particular those who were instrumental in the decisions to erect in Wales the three memorials to the Armenian Genocide of 1915 in which over one million Armenians died. Special Guests will include Stephen Thomas who as former Director of the Temple of Peace championed the erection of the memorial at the Temple of Peace the first such memorial on public land in the UK. Canon Patrick Thomas, the Vicar of Christ Church Carmarthen and Chancellor of St David s Cathedral, is the author of a highly praised books which explores cultural similarities between Wales and Armenia as well as the Armenian Genocide. In 2013 Canon Patrick was also responsible for the decision taken by the Church in Wales to recognise the 24th April as Armenian Genocide Day. Bishop Vahan Hovhanessian formerly Primate of the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church in Britain and Ireland said Those of us who know Canon Patrick well know that through his passion to learn more about the culture and history of Armenians and pursue the parallel between the Armenian and Welsh people, he has earned the right to be an honorary ambassador of the Armenian people to the rest of the world. There will also be a tribute to Eilian Williams. A true shepherd in real life and in his help to the Armenians, Eilian was instrumental in obtaining recognition of the Genocide by the National Assembly as well as being the driving force behind so much of the community s activities. 12

13 Continued from previous page... After the Service there will be a buffet lunch in St German s Church Hall. And at 3.30 pm there will be a concert in St German s in which both the Cardiff Polyphonic Choir and the Komitas Choir of London will celebrate the Welsh and Armenian choral and linguistic traditions. The Komitas Choir is part of the Tekeyan Cultural Trust of London and recently performed in the concert in London celebrating the 25 th Anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Armenia. Full details of the concert can be found on the Cardiff Polyphonic Choir website together online ticketing arrangements. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Fr. Torkom Donayan from Beirut will also be attending and there will be a special service at 11am on the 12th November in Llandaff Cathedral - when chants from the Armenian Liturgy from the 7th Century will be sung by Fr. Torkom Donayan. 13

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18 Upcoming Events DIOCESAN PROGRAMMES Forthcoming Events in November and December 2016 Fundraising Dinner CHANGE OF DATE! Friday, 11 th November at the Copthorne Tara Hotel The Primate s Office Ladies Committee have planned a fundraiser in aid of restoration of the Tomb of our Lord Jesus Christ at the Holy Sepulchre Church in Jerusalem. For more information and to book tickets ( 50 per person), please phone Jeanine or Karine (The date has been moved to one day earlier so as not to clash with another community event.) Bible Studies Every Thursday at 7pm, in St. Sarkis Church Gulbenkian Hall led by the Primate and the clergy of the Diocese Next dates: November 3 rd, 10 th, 17 th Bible Studies are an important part of the church s ministry as they provide opportunities for the faithful and those who are interested and curious to have a deeper understanding of Christianity and to ask questions about their faith, beliefs and concerns. During Bible studies we make observations (what do passages in the Bible say?), provide interpretation (what do they mean?) and ask how applicable these passages are to our lives today. Open to everyone. Every first Thursday of each month, there will be a lecture series regarding ethical matters and the Armenian Church such as baptism, marriage, mixed-marriages, cremation, the differences between churches, etc. This Thursday, 3 rd November, the lecture will be on the meaning of Holy Communion. Armenian Church Youth Fellowship (ACYF) Games Club Saturday, 5 th November, Gulbenkian Hall Deacons Training Programme Every Saturday evening in St. Sarkis Church, starting in January 2017 Lectures by Dr. Tom Samuelian 23 rd and 25 th November, Gulbenkian Hall, 7:30pm Dr. Samuelian, Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences at the American University of Armenia will be delivering two lectures, entitled: Wednesday, 23 rd November: "Narek: Doctor of the Universal Church" - a talk about the significance of the Pope's designation for Christianity and for the Armenian Church and people. Friday, 25 th November: "The Global Threat of Impunity for Genocide" - a talk about why impunity for the Armenian and other genocides poses a real and present danger to humanity. Consecration of the Icon of the Holy Martyrs in Oxford Saturday, 26 th November, Pembroke College, Oxford Bishop Hovakim will visit Oxford and celebrate the Divine Liturgy for the students, and also consecrate the Icon, a gift to the Chapel at Pembroke College. Armenian Church Youth Fellowship (ACYF) European and American Youth Meeting Thursday, 15 th December, St. Yeghiche Church Hall (upstairs) 18

19 Armenian Church Youth Fellowship (ACYF) CHRISTMAS CAROL SERVICE Thursday, 15 th December, St. Yeghiche Church Advent 2016 As we approach Advent, the Armenian Church and all Christian churches prepare to celebrate the mystery of the incarnation of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We will enter a period of spiritual contemplation and reflection, and for this reason His Grace Bishop Hovakim Manukyan has invited guest clergy to preach about their Advent experience. On Sunday, 11 th December, His Grace Archbishop Kevin McDonald will preach in St. Sarkis Church. (Archbishop McDonald was born in Stoke on Trent on 18th of August His first degree was from the University of Birmingham after which he went to the English College in Rome and was ordained priest on 20th of July He has a Licentiate from the Gregorian University and a Doctorate from the Angelicum University in Rome. He also has an Honorary Doctorate of Divinity from the University of Birmingham. He has been Parish Priest in Sparkhill in Birmingham and worked for eight years at the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity in Rome. He also taught at Oscott College in Birmingham, including three years as Rector. He was appointed Bishop of Northampton in 2001 and Archbishop of Southwark in 2003, a post from which he resigned for health reasons in Archbishop McDonald continues to be active and has responsibility for Catholic-Jewish relations and Interreligious Relations within the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales. He is a Consultor to the Pontifical Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews and is also involved ecumenically, particularly with the Ancient Oriental Churches.He is Grand Prior of the England and Wales Lieutenancy of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, an Order which supports Catholics in the Holy Land. He is also the liaison Bishop for the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in England and Wales. Archbishop McDonald lives in London.) Pilgrimage to Holy Land March/April 2017 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. Prayer Intentions for October: We pray for the unity of our Armenian community, here and worldwide 19

20 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 Editorial Committee: His Grace Bishop Hovakim Manukyan, Primate Aznive Simon Garen Arevian 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: The Primate s Office c/o The Armenian Vicarage Iverna Gardens London, W8 6TP or primatesoffice@armenianchurch.co.uk 20