Volume 2, Issue 24 16 August 2016 Armenian Church News Diocese of the Armenian Church in the United Kingdom and Ireland Feast of the Assumption of St. Mary In this issue: Feast of Assumption Pilgrims visit Etchmiadzin New Educational Centre in Etchmiadzin Meeting with Armenian Minister of Diaspora Armenian Paralympians prepare for Rio Visit to Shakespeare s Birthplace ACYO News On Sunday 14 th August, the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, which is one of the five major feasts of the Armenian Church, Divine Liturgies were celebrated in the Armenian Churches in the UK, respectively by the Rev. Fr. Nerses Der Nersessian, in the Holy Trinity Church of Manchester, Rev. Fr. Shnork Bagdasarian, in St. Sarkis Armenian Church and Rev. Fr. Khachatour Frangian at St. Yeghiche Church. At the end of the liturgy a special rite of the blessing of the grapes took place in every Armenian Church. The service of the blessings at St. Yeghiche Church was presided over by His Grace Bishop Hovakim Manukyan, Primate and Pontifical Legate. Addressing the congregation, the Primate reflected on the importance of the blessing of the grapes as a unique event of thanksgiving and the feast of Assumption as a feast to renew the faith and Christian commitment. Reflecting on the image of St. Mary he identified two important qualities of St. Mary, the bearer of God (Սուրբ Մարիամ Աստուածածին); the faithfulness and humbleness inviting the faithful to follow to her example. She was faithful to God from the moment of announcement of the angel till Golgotha and has set the best example for us. Life, both in the homeland and the diaspora are full of challenges. However, we are committed to meet these challenges with resilience and turn them into
opportunities. These two qualities of St. Mary, which are virtues, will decorate us with invisible hands to embrace God forever who will protect and guide us throughout all troubles and temptations. At the end of the service blessed grapes were distributed to the faithful who took them to the families. This rite is particular only to the Armenian Church. The grapes were donated by the faithful of the Church. Prior to the feast, on 13th August, the washing of grapes and packing of them was organised by the Ladies Committee members of St. Sarkis and St. Yeghiche Churches as well as representatives of the youth on the grounds of St. Sarkis Church, as well as in Manchester. Group of Pilgrims from the UK received by the Catholicos On Sunday, 7 th August His Holiness KAREKIN II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, received a group of pilgrims, representatives of the Armenian Diocese of the United Kingdom and Ireland, who are visiting Armenia with their families. During the meeting His Grace Bishop Hovakim Manukyan, who was leading the group, greeted His Holiness on behalf of the pilgrims and introduced the members of the group coming from London and Dublin. His Holiness welcomed the guests and extended His blessings. He appreciated the fact that pilgrims visited Armenia and the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, especially with their children, which is very important in safeguarding spiritual and patriotic values amongst the younger generations. They spoke about the challenges that the world wide Armenian Church is facing in the diaspora and particularly in the UK. His Holiness shared with the participants his wish of 2
having a more organised diocesan and community life in the UK and Ireland. At the end of the meeting each family had a chance to have a picture with the Catholicos of All Armenians and receive blessings from Him. After the meeting with His Holiness the pilgrims participated in the Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin. Karekin I Educational Centre, Etchmiadzin On Monday, 1 st August His Grace Bishop Hovakim Manukyan had a working visit to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and met with the Head of the Administrative Department of Holy Etchmiadzin, His Grace Bishop Moushegh Babayan. Together with Bishop Moushegh, the Primate visited the KAREKIN I Educational Centre. The centre is designated for training laymen and ordained members of the Armenian Church at the beginning of their ministry, teachers of the Armenian language from the Diaspora as well as for journalists who cover religious and spiritual subjects including representatives of clergy and laity in the UK. The construction of the centre was the dream of the late Catholicos of All Armenians KAREKIN I and was realised during the Pontificate of His Holiness KAREKIN II thanks to the charitable donations of the Haig Didizian family. 3
The centre is about 4,500 sq.m. There is an auditorium with a library, 5 tutorial rooms, 28 bedrooms and suites for participants, 8 rooms for staff and administration. Construction started with a ground breaking ceremony on 5 th November, 2011 and part of the building was inaugurated on 28 th September, 2015. The centre will start operating in 2017. It was agreed with the Haig Didizian family that ACT UK will support the project. Meeting with the Minister of Diaspora, Armenia Monday 8 th August, the Primate, accompanied by Mr. Raffi Tanelian and Mrs. Arshalouys Babaian (Chairwoman of the Armenian Relief Society, UK Chapter) visited the Minister of Diaspora of the Republic of Armenia, Mrs. Hranoush Hakobyan. During the friendly meeting in a warm atmosphere the Primate presented the Minister of Diaspora with his activities for the community. Raffi Tanelian shared his views and ideas and presented the Minister with details of a project that he is carrying out both to increase international awareness of the Armenian cause and to support the Armenian community and the church in the UK. Mrs. Arshalouys Babaian spoke about the upcoming community events to mark the 25th Anniversary of the Independence of Armenia. Mrs. Hranoush Hakobyan, the Minister of Diaspora, 4
expressed her appreciation and presented the programmes and projects of the RA Ministry of Diaspora, stressing the need for participation of the Armenian community of Great Britain in those programmes and projects, especially the Ari Tun Program, the My Armenia Pan-Armenian Festival and the Diaspora Summer School Program. They discussed the screening of the documentary film Who Killed the Armenians? directed by Arab journalists Myriam Zaki and Muhammad Hanafi and the organizing of concerts for Armenia s artists in Great Britain. At the end, the guests expressed gratitude to the Minister of Diaspora for the cordial reception and expressed their willingness for more effective cooperation in the future. Armenian Paralympic Team Prepare for Rio On Monday, 8 th August, the Primate and Raffi and Alice Tanielian attended a reception to send off the Armenian Paralympic team to Rio de Janeiro, which takes place from 7 th -18 th September. The event was organised by the National Paralympic Committee of Armenia, in partnership with the Brazilian Embassy at the Golden Tulip Hotel's Winter Garden in Yerevan. The event, called "Rio 2016 Summer Paralympic Games Approach" was attended by ambassadors accredited in Yerevan and embassy representatives, representatives of the Youth and Sports Ministry, former Paralympic athletes, the staff of the Paralympic Committee, the year of the disabled sports assisted individuals in Armenia, France, Russia and England, as well as representatives of the mass media. The event was also attended by two players leaving for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, from Gyumri: Greta 5
Vardanyan (weight lifting) and Margarita Hovakimyan Yerevan (swimming), with their coaches. The event was inaugurated by His Excellency Mr. Edson Marinho Duarte Monteiro, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Federative Republic of Brazil. He expressed his gratitude for this event initiated Armenian Paralympic Committee. He shared how their country is preparing for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. There was a screening of a short film on Rio 2016. At the end, the Ambassador wished success to the Armenian athletes. Addressing the audience, the President of the Paralympic Committee Hakob Abrahamyan, thanked the participants for their interest in the disabled sports. Mr. Abrahamyan expressed gratitude to Armenia's National Paralympic Committee in recent years for their support of disabled sports. The Committee includes Raffi Tanielian (UK), Raffi Derderian (France), Patrick Laurent (France), Bernard Ganimyan (France), Armik Aghakhanyan (USA), Sargis Badalyan (Russia), Warrior Khlghatyan (Russia), Artyom Muradyan (Armenia), Michael Vardanyan (Armenia), Edward Chobanyan (Armenia), Armen Antonian (Armenia). Following this, the President of CJSC Trade Union Committee, Artyom Muradyan, took athletes and their coaches for a two-week trip to the resort of Tsakhkadzor, providing them with best conditions for relaxation and intensive training before leaving for Brazil. The rehabilitation and medical equipment company, owned by Sarkis Badalyan, donated comfortable wheelchairs and crutches. The event was widely covered in the Armenian media. 6
Visit to Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare s Birthplace One of the objectives of the Primate s Ladies Committee is to organise trips and pilgrimages in UK and outside of the country. As one of the projects the Ladies Committee organised a trip to Stratford upon Avon - Shakespeare's birthplace. With a group of 21 people led by Fr. Shnork they visited this remarkable place full of history and mystery. It was a beautiful summer's day on the 12th August, perfect for exploring William's house. They watched live performances of Shakespeare's plays in his backyard, and later enjoyed ripe mulberries picked straight from the trees of Anne Hathaway's garden. A trip was suitable for all ages to enjoy; a breath of fresh air and thoroughly enjoyable, according to the group. They visited: Shakespeare's birthplace, Hall's Croft (Shakespeare's daughter s home), then lunch at Hall's Croft, and Anne Hathaway's Cottage (Shakespeare's wife). The Primate thanks the organisers and especially Anais Vanian Cooper, Hall s Croft Manager for the Shakespeare Trust, for receiving the group. We also thank all participants who attended the event. There will be announcements about upcoming events soon. 7
Armenian Church Youth Organisation (ACYO) Meeting Navasart 1st is the New Year according to ancient Armenian calendar. It falls on 11th August. In ancient times Armenians used to organise games and other festivities. On that day, with the blessings of Primate, Rev. Fr. Shnork Bagdasarian met with the representatives of the youth in the Gulbenkian Hall. After the short prayer the group discussed upcoming projects for the ACYO London Chapter and its role for the London Armenian Community. The discussions will be followed up by further meetings in September. The youth will elect new leadership and commence their work from October. 8
A Message from the Primates Office: It was a joyous experience for all of us to be involved with ASF 2016. 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 http://www.armenianchurchtrust.org.uk/ 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 205 73160 Sort Code 30 94 65 Please remember us in your wills. Thank you. Divine Liturgy to be Celebrated in Cornwall On Sunday, 4 th September 2016, His Grace Bishop Hovakim Manukyan will be celebrating the Badarak at the home of Mrs. Georgiana Joseph in Cornwall. By her kind invitation, Mrs. Joseph has asked His Grace and any guests who would like to attend, to join with her in this special service at an Armenian shrine which she has at her home. After the service, food and refreshments will be served. If you are interested in participating, please register your interest by contacting the Primate s Office on 0208 127 8364 or primatesoffice@armenianchurch.co.uk. 9
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Raising Funds for the Armenian Relief Society My name is Shant Babayan and I will be taking part in a cycling event on July 16, 2016 to raise funds to support the wonderful and valuable work done by the Armenian Relief Society (ARS) of Great Britain. They are committed to serving humanitarian needs of the Armenian people and preserving the cultural identity of Armenians in the UK and world-wide. Recent examples of which include supporting Syrian Armenians involved in the Middle East conflicts and also supporting Armenians in Artsakh in light of recent aggressions by the Azeri forces. The event I will be undertaking is a cycling endurance race called Le Tour du Mont Blanc Please see following link for more information: http://www.sportcommunication.info/tmb/index. php?lang=en The Armenian Relief Society of Great Britain is a registered UK Charity #327389. For details please visit the Armenian Relief Society GB Facebook page. Thank you so much in advance for your consideration and support. If you would like to sponsor, please make your Cheque payable to Armenian Relief Society of GB and send the cheque to: Armenian Relief Society of Great Britain, c/o Arshalouys Babayan 223 Northfields Ave, LONDON W13 9QU 11
Upcoming Events DIOCESAN PROGRAMMES Forthcoming Events in August, September and October 2016 Bible Studies Every Thursday, at St. Sarkis Church Gulbenkian Hall led by the Primate and the clergy of the Diocese Next dates: 1 st September, lecture by Bishop Hovakim 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, mixedmarriages, cremation, the differences between churches, etc. The first presentation in the lecture series will be on 1st September led by Bishop Hovakim on the subject The Sacraments of the Armenian Church, their Importance in the Christian Faith. Deacons Training Programme Every Saturday evening at St. Sarkis Church starting from 24 th July, 2016 Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross Sunday, 11 th September Liturgy at 11:00am St. Yeghiche and St. Sarkis, 11:15 am at Holy Trinity in Manchester Feast of Holy Translators Sunday, 9 th October Liturgy at 11:00am St. Yeghiche and St. Sarkis, 11:15 am at Holy Trinity in Manchester Pilgrimage to Holy Land January 2017 12
Prayer Intentions for August: We pray for peace and stability in Armenia 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. 13
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: 0161 273 1074 www.armenianchurchmanchester.org/ 1 st SUNDAY OF THE MONTH St. Sarkis Church Iverna Gardens Kensington, London, W8 6TP Tel: 020 7937 0152 http://www.stsarkisparish.co.uk St. Yeghiche Cathedral 13b Cranley Gardens Kensington, London SW7 3BB Tel: 020 7373 8133 http://www.styeghiche.org.uk/ Other Parishes of our Diocese: Cardiff - Tel: + 44 771 279 2304, +44 2920779248. john@jagproperties.co.uk Dublin - Tel: +44 2891 863559. http://www.armenians.ie/ Birmingham Tel: +44 121 675 1469. St John s Church, Stratford Road, Birmingham, B11 4EA Oxford - Tel: +44 7810 490242. armenian.society@studentsclub.ox.ac.uk Editorial Committee: His Grace Bishop Hovakim Manukyan, Primate Garen Arevian Lena Boghossian Hovik Hovhannisyan Aznive Simon Gagik Stepan-Sarkissian Sossi Yerissian 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 email: primatesoffice@armenianchurch.co.uk 14