DIOCESE OF THE ARMENIAN CHURCH OF THE UNITED KINGDOM AND THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND E-Newsletter of the Armenian Church of UK and Ireland, Issue 33

ԱՌԱՋՆՈՐԴՈՒԹԻՒՆ.ՀԱՅՈՑ.ՄԵԾՆ.ԲՐԻԴԱՆԻՈՅ.ԵՒ.ԻՐԼԱՆՏԱՅԻ DIOCESE OF THE ARMENIAN CHURCH OF THE UNITED KINGDOM AND THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND Տ. Վահան.Եպս..Յովհաննէսեան,.Հայրապետական.Պատուիրակ.եւ.Առաջնորդ The Right Revd Bishop Vahan Hovhanessian, Primate and Pontifical Legate Issues 33, Volume 5 PILGRIMAGE DEADLINE EXTENDED TO 5 SEPTEMBER Due to the popular demand on the details of the forthcoming Pilgrimage to Holy Etchmiadzin and Armenia, and in order to allow our people ample time to explore the details of the Pilgrimage programme, the Primate’s  Office extended the deadline of the registration for the Pilgrimage to 5 September. The Pilgrimage, 15-22 October, will include visits to the Mother See as well as historic sites and shrines including Lake Sevan, the Monastery of Datev, the underground church of Geghart, the tomb of St Mesrob and other. The pilgrimage, including airfare, hotel transfer in Yerevan, lodging in luxury hotels, breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as admission to all facilities and programmes including a night at Yerevan Opera House costs: £950.00 for private/single room and £830.00 for shared room/2-in-one room. To register for the pilgrimage, please send a deposit of £300 to the Primate’s  Office, c/o Hye Doon, 25 Cheniston Gardens, London W8 6TG no later 5 September. For more info: 0208 127 8364. Cheque payable to: The Armenian Church Trust UK. ASSUMPTION OF MARY CELEBRATED IN UK AND IRELAND This Sunday, 17 August, His Grace Bp Vahan Hovhanessian, Primate, will celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Virgin Mary at St Sarkis Church in London, scheduled at 11:00am. The Feast, as discussed in previous issues of this E-Newsletter, celebrates the ancient tradition of the assuming of the body of the Holy Virgin following her death to Heaven. Following Badarak, the Primate will lead a procession to outside the Church where the service of the Blessing of the Grapes will take place. The same services will be celebrated by Fr Aren Shaheenian in St Yeghiche Church, London, and Fr Garegin Hambardzumyan in Holy Trinity Church, Manchester. Meanwhile, a special service of the Blessing of the Grapes is scheduled at the Dublin Armenian Parish on Sunday, 30 August in Taney Parish, 2L39pm. SOUVENIR OF THE FESTIVAL – ARSEN GRIGORYAN’S CD Echoes of the very successful fourth annual Armenian Street Festival in London, Sunday 3 August,  sponsored  by  the  Primate’s  Office  of  the  Diocese  of  the  Armenian  Church  of  the  UK  and   Ireland, are still roaring all over the world. If for any reason you were not able to come to the Festival, we are happy to share with you a Special Release CD of the main entertainer of the Festival, Armenia’s  popular  folk-singer Arsen Grigoryan (Mrro). A graduate of Komitas State Conservatory, the faculty of Folk Music, and the recipient of many awards including: ‘The Best National Singer’ Public TV, and the ‘Garegin Nzhdeh’ order by the Minister of Defence of RA Seiran Ohanyan (2009), Mr Grigoryan flew from Armenia exclusively to entertain us at the Festival. You can see him performing live in our video clip published a week ago, which already has over 1000 viewers. His most recent CD can be purchased from the Armenian Gift Shop by clicking here or visiting the Armenian Gift Shop at: www.armeniangiftshop.org. 15 August, 2014 PRIMATE ADDRESSES PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS IN IRAQ By the invitation of His Eminence Abp Athanasius Toma Dawood, Primate of the Diocese of Syrian Orthodox Church in the UK, HG Bp Vahan Hovhanessian, Primate, was the guest speaker at a special church service and a requiem for the souls of the recently martyred Christians in Iraq. In his address, the Primate highlighted the Biblical teachings about persecution and answered questions such as why God does not intervene to help the suffering Christians. A few weeks ago, as published in the E-Newsletter, Bp Vahan addressed two letters, one to His Grace Dr Justin Welbey (Lambeth) and the other to H. E. Cardinal Vincent Nichols (Westminister), in which the Primate exhorted the two Church leaders to join him in raising voices together for peace and security in the region. Recently, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Justin Welby, issued a statement,  emphasizing  that  “What  we  are  seeing  in  Iraq  violates  brutally  people's  right  to  freedom   of  religion  &  belief.’  Click here to read the entire statement. Click  here  to  watch  Bp  Vahan’s  talk. THE ST SARKIS PARISH SUMMER GARDEN BBQ The St Sarkis Parish Council invites its parishioners and the Armenian community of London and their friends to its second annual St Sarkis Parish Summer Garden BBQ which will take place on Saturday, 23rd August 2914, starting at 3:00pm onward. Come and join the beautiful fellowship, Armenian music, song and dance, Khorovadz, Armenian BBQ, lamb, pork and chicken, cigar tavern and much more. A donation of £10 per person will help defray the cost of the food and drinks to be served at the garden picnic. Booking in advance is strongly recommended to make sure enough food and drinks are available for all. Please book in advance by telephoning the St Sarkis Church Office on 0207 937 0152 Come enjoy and evening with fellow Armenians and meet new friends. All are welcome. For more information about the Summer Garden BBQ or any other programmes and activities of the St Sarkis Parish Council or to be a dues-paying member of the Parish please e-mail: info@stsarkisparish.co.uk. PRIMATE DISCUSSES SANCTIFICATION OF GENOCIDE MARTYRS By the invitation of Prof. Boghos Levon Zekiyan, Chair of Armenian Studies of the Ca' Foscari University of Venice, and professor of Armenian Church Institutions at the Pontifical Oriental Institute of Rome, HG Bp Vahan Hovhanessian, Primate, was a guest   speaker   at   this   year’s   ‘Intensive  Summer  Course  of  Armenian  Language  and  Culture’  of  the  University.  Over  50 young men and women from different countries gathered in Venice to participate in this programme in order to improve their Armenian language skills and to learn more about the Armenian people. The  title  of  Bp  Vahan’s lecture on Wednesday, 13 August, was  ‘Canonisation of the Martyrs of the 1915   Armenian   Genocide’   where   he   offered   a   brief   historical   review   of   the   process   and   highlighted   several   of   the   challenges   facing   the   canonization   process.   The   Primate’s   lecture   was   followed by a period of questions and answers and general discussion. Professor Zekiyan thanked Bp Vahan for his enlightening talk and presented him with a token of their appreciation. WRAP UP MEETING OF THE 2014 FESTIVAL COMMITTEE Last Monday, 11 August, a joyful group of volunteers representing various Armenian organization and   members   of   the   Armenian   Street   Festival   of   the   Primate’s   Office   met   in   Nevart   Gulbenkian   Hall for a wrap up meeting. The meeting, presided over by the Primate, started with a prayer following which the Primate thanked the volunteers, including Chairman Dick Bedrossian, and all the Armenian Organisations which contributed to the success of the Festival as well as the individuals who financially supported the Festival. His Grace then invited all to comment on their own  experience  of  the  Festival  and  to  make  constructive  suggestions  to  help  improve  next  year’s   Festival.   The   observations   were   recorded   by   Hrachik   Sarian,   Primate’s   Office   Administrator.   As announced earlier, the Primate has already appointed a Festival Committee, which has planned and executed   this   year’s   Festival   with   the   Primate’s   Office   staff.   The   committee   will   meet   soon   to   study the observations and use them to start preparing for next  year’s  Festival,  which  will  have  a   special meaning being the Festival of the 100 anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. ANNOUNCEMENTS:  BIBLE STUDY: There will be NO Bible Study session this Thursday, 21 August. Will resume the following week.  VIOLIN AND PIANO RECITAL of  Virtuoso  Favourites  at  St  John’s  Smith  Square  Ani  Batikian,  violin;;  Benjamin   Frith, piano Saturday, 6 September, 2014 - 19:30  DO YOU SHOP ONLINE? You can continue shopping online and helping the Diocese of the Armenian Church without spending extra penny. Go to easyfundraising.com. There are no catches and it's completely free to use. http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/invite/26OYUG/ Please  make  sure  to  choose  the  ‘Armenian  Church  Trust  UK’  as   the charity you want to support. Have fun shoping and thank you for supporting the Armenian Church.  SUPPORT THE ARMENIAN CHURCH IN UK: by sending your  donation  payable  to  ‘the  Armenian  Church  Trust   UK’  (ACTUK)  to  the  Primates Office (see below), or click here. Remember the Armenian Church in your will. The  Primate’s  Office,  Hye Doon, 25 Cheniston Gardens, Kensington, London W8 6TG – 0208 127 8364 – primatesoffice@armenianchurch.co.uk