Armenian Church News. Armenian Christmas Celebrations! Diocese of the Armenian Church in the United Kingdom and Ireland

Transcription

1 Volume 3, Issue 1 13 January 2017 Armenian Church News Diocese of the Armenian Church in the United Kingdom and Ireland Armenian Christmas Celebrations! In this issue: Armenian Christmas Celebrations Blessing of Pomegranates on New Year s Day Cardiff Parish News According to the Armenian Church calendar, Christmas is celebrated on the 5 th and 6 th of January. This is based on the Gregorian Calendar and the Armenian Church is the only church which celebrates Christmas at this time, according to the ancient Jerusalem tradition. Diocese of the Armenian Church of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland His Grace Bishop Hovakim Manukyan, Primate Christmas celebrations started on the evening of 5 th January 2017 with Biblical and prophetical readings about Jesus s nativity. The good tidings of Jesus s birth were exchanged between the faithful. After the Divine Liturgy, a House Blessing was conducted in the Church and the faithful took lights from the Church home with them, a symbol of the light of Christ. On 6 th January at 11am the Divine Liturgy was celebrated in all the Armenian Churches in the UK, and at the end of the service the Blessing of Water was conducted, which symbolises the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan. During the day, the Christmas message of the Catholicos of All Armenians was read in all

2 Armenian Churches across the world. To see the full message, click here: m=0&d=6 In London on Christmas Eve, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated in St. Sarkis Church by Rev. Fr. Shnork Bagdassarian and in St. Yeghiche by His Grace Bishop Hovakim Manukyan. On Christmas Day, Bishop Hovakim celebrated the Divine Liturgy in Holy Trinity Church, Manchester, where the Godfather of the Blessing of Water was one of the active members of the Manchester community, Hovhannes Takoukian. After the Liturgy, the Primate attended a lunch organised by the Ladies Committee, in the Armenian Taverna in Manchester. To read an article in The Guardian on this celebration, click here: On Christmas Day, Fr. Shnork celebrated the Divine Liturgy in St. Sarkis Church and Fr. Arsen Saroyan in St. Yeghiche Church. As Christians celebrate and share the good tidings for 9 days, Bishop Hovakim also celebrated Divine Liturgy in St. Sarkis on 8 th January. Within the community there were many Christmas parties such as the lunch organised by the ACC Ladies Committee on 8 th January. Summary of the Sermon of Bishop Hovakim Christ is born and revealed among us. Blessed is the revelation of Christ. With this uplifting proclamation, we greet each other once again, filled with the joy of Christmas! Today we turn again to God and rejoice in hope, thanking him for the abundant blessings that he has bestowed upon us. Today is Christmas, according to Armenian traditions. We just read the Biblical passage from the Book of Genesis and the prophecy of Daniel. Once again, we remember the story of the genesis of humanity. Human beings were enjoying paradise in the presence of God, but they transgressed and disobeyed God and because of this they were expelled from paradise, hence starting the struggle of human beings from within themselves and with the external world. Human beings understood their limitations, and that alone they were helpless. That is why God sent His Son, and as John the Evangelist said: God so loved the world that he sent His begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. 2

3 The 4 th century church father Athanasius the Great said: God became human so that humans could become divine. We call this deification. This is a process, a path that we should follow as Christians, and as you may know, this path is not an easy one. Sometimes it is the way of struggle and suffering. In the Bible, we read about two paths; one is narrow and difficult, the other wide and easy. The latter leads to destruction, the former to salvation. Two thousand years have passed since Jesus was born. Today, humanity feels very powerful and has achieved great things. The world has become smaller. As we sit here in London, we can easily communicate with our friends and family in the Middle East, Armenia and worldwide. I reside in London, but in a matter of hours I can be in another continent. If I become unwell, the wonders of modern medicine can often provide the answer, showing the incredible scope of development and advance of humanity in terms of knowledge and technology. It seems that with these achievements the world should be a better place, yet we see a strikingly different picture; devastating wars in the Middle East, millions of refugees, increasing poverty and global warming. Have we ever thought about why this is happening? When we read the Bible and the story of Genesis, when God created the Earth he said It is good. But he did not mention anything about humans. He gave them the freedom to choose. Human beings had to choose between bad and good. Whatever happens in our lives, it is because of our own choices. Unfortunately, in most cases, we choose a path that is expressed in the form of greed, the pursuit of power and toleration of injustice. Today we are invited to follow the narrow path, which is also a struggle against the modern expression of sin. I was watching the Christmas message of Her Majesty the Queen, and she quoted from St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta: Not everyone can do great things, but we can do small things in love. Today my message to you is to accept Jesus s invitation and continue with small steps at least trying to keep a few of the commandments. Christ is born and revealed among us! Good tidings to all! 3

4 Blessing of Pomegranates on New Year s Day On 1st January, 2017 St. Yeghiche Church was the centre stage for welcoming the New Year. His Grace Bishop Hovakim Manukyan congratulated the parishioners and called for unity and love towards each other. In his sermon, he asked all to pray for our compatriots who are in war zones under difficult circumstances and to remember the sick in our community and pray for them to get well. Two families from the Parish - the Kaprielian and Haladjian families - donated Church vessels; the Cross of Procession and the Staff of Vardapet. Bishop Hovakim explained the historical introduction of the Procession Cross and the Vartabedagan Kavazan into the Church and the meaning of each in our liturgy, and then performed special prayers blessing each item individually. St. Yeghiche Parish Council wishes to thank the Kaprielian and Haladjian families for their kind donations. At the end of the service there was a Blessing of Pomegranates which were then distributed to the faithful. 4

5 Cardiff Parish News Canon Patrick Thomas to be honoured by Armenian Community in Wales On 15 th January 2017 in Christ Church in Carmarthen we will be presenting Canon Patrick Thomas with a cross and model of Holy Etchmiadzin in gratitude for his tireless dedication to the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. We hope they will be a worthy addition to other Armenian memorabilia that Canon Patrick displays at Christ Church in Carmarthen. THE CROSS: The wooden cross - which was an exact copy of the slate cross that temporarily replaced the original - which was desecrated on the 26 th January It stood on the memorial for 2 years until we were confident there would be no further vandalism and a new cross could be made from Welsh slate. The pieces of the original broken slate cross were placed into concrete at the base of the memorial as a reminder to us, when we gather at the memorial each year, that the genocide is still being perpetrated. THE MODEL: The wooden model of Etchmiadzin that lies at the foot of the St David's memorial was made as a precursor to the clay model which was then used the make the moulds for the bronze. The wooden model went through some rough times and the condition is far from perfect but it has survived. 5

6 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. 6

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8 JOB OPPORTUNITY: Newsletter Editor / Administrative Assistant 3 days per week (occasional evening/weekend hours during special projects) Salary: for details contact the Primate s Office on primatesoffice@armenianchurch.co.uk The Primate s Office requires a new administrative assistant to help with varied tasks in a busy working environment. Primary duties involved are: production of the weekly online newsletter and its distribution, proof-reading, copy-editing, updating of the Diocesan website, Facebook and Twitter accounts, and production of flyers for events. Secretarial tasks involve producing agendas and taking minutes at all meetings, answering the telephone and s, general administrative duties and assisting with the Armenian Street Festival. Occasionally, hosting of dignitaries and organising small functions will be required. You will be proficient in Word, and knowledge of desktop publishing, WordPress, Send in Blue and Access would be an advantage. Your level of English should be excellent and IT literacy is essential. Professionalism, attention to detail and reliability are necessary requirements in assisting the Primate in his important work for the Armenian Church in the UK and Ireland. Volunteers Needed at the Primate s Office Prayer Intentions for January: We pray that the New Year brings health and happiness to all our families, here in the UK and in our communities worldwide 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 school-leaver/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. 8

9 The Kensington Council of Churches is pleased to announce the annual Unity Service, which this year takes place at the beginning of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. As in recent years, KCC look forward to representatives of Churches Together in Notting Hill joining at this annual ecumenical service. The service will be followed by light refreshments, and all will be most welcome to attend. Fr Gillean Craig writes: "This year we have the honour of acting as hosts to our neighbours in Christ from other local churches. We will be using material prepared by German partner churches that will also be used by churches throughout the world a powerful sign of unity. Book the date & watch for details!" The Revd Jenny Welsh, Associate Vicar at St Mary Abbots/former Secretary of KCC, adds: "The address will be given by the Rev d Sarah Bagnall Farrow, pastor at St Anne s Lutheran Church, part of the Lutheran Church in Great Britain. St Anne s Lutheran Church is based at St Mary s Lovat s Lane, in the City of London, and is home to a highly international and diverse congregation. Sarah has been part of that congregation for many years, and trained for ordination at the South-East Institute for Theological Education. She was ordained priest in 2016." 9

10 Upcoming Events DIOCESAN PROGRAMMES Forthcoming Events in January 2017 Bible Studies Every Thursday at 7pm in the Gulbenkian Hall Next dates: 19 th, 26 th January, 2 nd February Armenian Orthodox and Roman Catholic Panel Discussion With Dr. Harry Hagopian, Fr. John Whooley and Bishop Hovakim Manukyan THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED. NEW DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON. Cardiff Parish Divine Liturgy in Cardiff Sunday, 15th January 2017 in Christ Church (Eglwys Crist), 4, Penllwyn Park, Carmarthen SA31 3BU at 1:00pm We are delighted to confirm that Bishop Hovakim Manukyan together with Canon Patrick will hold a special service beginning at 1:00pm. This will be followed by a presentation of two special items by the South Wales Armenian Community to Christ Church Carmarthen. Dublin Parish Divine Liturgy in Dublin Sunday, 22 nd January 2017 at 1pm in Taney Parish His Grace Bishop Hovakim Manukyan to celebrate. Pilgrimage to Holy Land 2 nd May 9 th May 2017 Cost for twin room, half board: 1250 per person, single supplement 300. Please see flyer in this newsletter for itinerary details. A deposit of 500 is payable by 5 th February. 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 10

11 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 11