Diocese of the Armenian Church of the United Kingdom and Ireland Volume 1, Issue 12 30 October 2015 - The omission of photographs are beyond our control at this time.
Armenian Church News
Service at Westminster
Abbey to Celebrate the Lives of the Newly-Sainted Martyrs of 1915
His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch
and Catholicos of All Armenians, presided over the service at Westminster Abbey
on 28th
October, 2015 celebrating the lives of the Armenian Martyrs of 1915.
The ecumenical celebration was attended by
His Excellency Serzh Sargsyan, the President of the Republic of Armenia
andH.R.H. thePrinceofWales. Theeventwas initiated and organized by the Armenian
Ambassador, His Excellency Dr. Armen Sarkissian.
His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch
and Catholicos of All Armenians, along with The Rt. Rev. and Rt. Hon. Dr.
Richard Chartres, Bishop of London, blessed those
In this
issue:
Historic
Ecumenical Service at Westminster Abbey
A Voice
from the Choir
Meeting
with the Archbishop of Canterbury
The Feast
of the Discovery of the Holy Cross
New
Publication and Book Reading in Cardiff
present and delivered their messages to the
faithful.
During the service His Eminence Archbishop
Nathan Hovhannisyan, Director of the External Relations and Protocol Department
of Mother See, His Grace Bishop Hovakim Manukyan, Primate of the Armenian
Church in the United Kingdom and Ireland, Rev. Fr. Garegin Hambarzumyan, Dean
of the Gevorkian Theological Seminary, Rev. Fr. Movses Sargsyan, visiting
pastor at St. Yeghiche Church and Rev. Fr. Shnork Baghdassarian, Pastor of St.
Sarkis Church were part of the entourage of His Holiness.
The solemn celebration was also attended by
Primates and representatives of sister Oriental and Eastern Orthodox Churches
and the
Diocese of the Armenian
Church of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland
His Grace Bishop Hovakim
Manukyan, Primate
Diocesan Office
Tel. 0208
127 8364 primatesoffice@ armenianchurch.co.uk
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Armenian
Church News
Roman Catholic Church. Amongst those
attending were His Eminence Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, Archbishop
Emeritus of Westminster, His Eminence Archbishop Elisey of Sourozh of the
Russian Orthodox Church and His Grace Bishop Angaelos, General Bishop of the
Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom.
There were more than 2,300 faithful of the
Armenian Church from the United Kingdom and Ireland, Armenia and other Diaspora
communities present at the historic solemn service.
The Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend
Dr. John Hall started the service with his words of bidding. The Reverend
Professor Vernon White, Canon in Residence, read Hebrews 4:14-16 and His Grace
Bishop Hovakim Manukyan, Primate of the Armenian Church in the United Kingdom
and Ireland, read St. Mark 10:35-45.
During the service prayers were led by the
Reverend Christopher Stoltz, Minor Canon and Precentor of Westminster, and read
by Asadour Guzelian, son of survivors from Cilicia and himself born in Cilicia;
Baroness Cox; Shakeh Major Tchilingirian, mother of a great-grandchild of
survivors from Cilicia; Ellen Adamian, great-granddaughter of survivors from
Moush and Sassoun; His Excellency Dr Armen Sarkissian, Ambassador of the
Republic of Armenia to the Court of St. James’s, former Prime Minister of
Armenia (1996-1997) grandson of survivors
from Erzerum and Alashkert; and the Reverend Professor Vernon White, Canon in
Residence.
Along with the Anglican clergy, the deacons
of the Armenian Church, Stepan Ovanessoff and Hovik Hovhannisyan chanted psalms
in Armenian (Սաղմոսասաց). Deacons Sarkis Kalaydjian and Deacon Arman
Harutiunian incensed the procession (Բուրավառակիր).
The service was sung by the St. Yeghiche
Armenian Church Choir, directed by Aris Nadirian. Music during the service was
accompanied by Arthur Bobikyan, Organist. At the beginning of procession
soloist Anais Hegoyan sung “Deep Mystery” (Խորհուրդ Խորին), the
song from Armenian Divine Liturgy, often sung during the Patriarchal Liturgies.
The choir sung the Armenian hymns “Wondrous and Ever-Provident God” (Հրաշափառ Աստուած), “Astonished and Appalled” (Հրաշացան պակուցմամբ) from the Rite of Canon of the
Holy Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide and “Hear the Voice that Pours from Every
Armenian’s Heart, O God” (Ամեն Հայի սրտից
բխած), the Anthem of the Catholicos of All Armenians.
The ecumenical prayer symbolized the victory
of life,
Page 3 Armenian Church News
righteousness and fraternity over death,
injustice and enmity. It was a unique event to give tribute and to respect the
memories of those - especially our Anglican sisters and brothers - who helped
Armenian refugees giving them shelter in their churches in the late 19th century
and the beginning of the 20th century during the aftermath of
WWI.
The message of His Holiness Karekin II,
Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians can be found on the website
of the Armenian Church: http://www.armenianchurch.org/index
.jsp?sid=3&nid=3013&y=2015&m=9&d =290
The address of the Right Reverend and Right
Honourable Dr. Richard Chartres
KCVO, Bishop of London can be found at:
http://www.armradio.am/en/2015/10/2 9/service-at-westminster-abbey-
remembers-the-lives-of-armenian- martyrs-of-1915-photos/
“The ecumenical
prayer symbolized
the victory of life, righteousness and fraternity over death, injustice and
enmity”
Armenian Sacred Music at
Westminster Abbey
A Voice from
the Choir
Anais Heghoyan (mezzo-soprano), sang the
Armenian Hymn ‘’Deep Mystery’’ during the precession of the Catholicos of All
Armenians at Westminster Abbey. She shares her impressions of this special
service with us. She is also the Chair of the Armenian Church Youth Fellowship,
London Chapter.
It was a great honour to sing and be part of
the musical representation for the Ecumenical Service dedicated to the
centenary of the Armenian Genocide and the Celebration of the Lives of the
Newly-Sainted Armenian Martyrs of 1915. The presence of H.R.H. The Prince of
Wales, His Excellency Serzh Sargsyan - President of the Republic of Armenia,
His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians,
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Armenian
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His Excellency Dr. Armen Sarkissian,
Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to the Court of St. James’s, The Right
Reverend and Right Honourable Dr. Richard Chartres KCVO - Bishop of London, His
Eminence Archbishop Nathan Hovhannisian, The Very Reverend Dr. John Hall – The
Dean of Westminster, His Grace Bishop Hovakim Manukyan - Primate of the
Armenian Church of the United Kingdom and Ireland - amongst many other
dignitaries and clergy - transformed this highly meaningful service in to an
historic event that will not be forgotten by the 2,300 strong congregation who
were present.
Komitas’s masterpiece “Khorhourt Khorin” was
played on the Harrison and Harrison organ (that was installed for the
Coronation of King George VI in 1937)by pianist and composer Artur Bobikyan.
Aris Nadirian, St. Yeghiche’s Choir Master and I sang two solo verses as His
Holiness approached with his cortege up the aisle.
In his address the Bishop of London mentioned
that the architects of the Abbey consulted the engineers of King Leon II of
Armenia during its construction. The acoustics of the Abbey enhanced the
hauntingly beautiful tones of the Sacred Armenian music.
H.R.H. The Prince of Wales, His Holiness
Karekin II and The Very Reverend Dr. John Hall – The Dean of Westminster were
each extremely complimentary towards Aris Nadirian, Artur Bobikyan and myself.
The choir and I felt extremely proud to have sung at this special service and
to have represented the voices, musically, of the 1.5 million Holy Martyrs who
were massacred during the Armenian Genocide of 1915.
“Komitas’s
masterpiece “Khorhourt Khorin” was played on the organ that was installed for
the Coronation of King George VI”
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Ecumenical Meeting with the Archbishop of Canterbury
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On 26th October, His Grace Bishop Hovakim Manukyan, along with Mr. Haig
Didizian, had a private audience with the Most Reverend and Right Honourable
Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury. During the fraternal meeting, The
Right Reverend and Right Honourable Dr. Richard Chartres KCVO, Bishop of
London and The Right Reverend Nigel Stock, Bishop of Lambeth, were also
present.
His
Grace conveyed to the Archbishop the fraternal greetings of His Holiness
Karekin II and informed about the visit of His Holiness to London. The
Archbishop reciprocated the greetings and conveyed His best wishes to His
Holiness. In the course of the friendly discussion, Mr. Haig Didizian spoke
about the legacy of Karekin I of blessed memory and the recently inaugurated
Karekin I Theological Centre in Holy Etchmiadzin for the higher education of
the clergy. They also spoke about the good bilateral relations that exist
between the Armenian and Anglican Churches and about the blessing of the Holy
Muron. The Bishop of London mentioned to the Archbishop that Mr. Didizian was
the Godfather of the ceremony which took place on 27th September this year at the Holy See of Etchmiadzin under the auspices
of H.H. Karekin II, H.E. the President of the Republic of Armenia, the
members of his government and the hierarchy of the Armenian Church as well as
the representatives of all sister churches from all over the world, including
the representatives of the Anglican Church. The participants also spoke of
the importance of organizing mutual visits between the heads of the two
Churches.
At the
end of the meeting, Mr. Didizian presentedthe Archbishop of Canterbury with
the book entitled "100 1915-2015" by Hrair Hawk Khatcherian for the
Archbishop’s private collection.
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Armenian
Church News
Feast of the Discovery of
the Holy Cross
On Sunday 25th October,
the Feast Day of the Discovery of the Holy Cross, His Grace Bishop Hovakim
Manukyan celebrated the Divine Liturgy in St. Sarkis Church and explained the
meaning and importance of the Holy Cross in every Christian’s life. He said
“When we see the cross we should remember the one who was crucified for our
redemption.” He spoke about Christian life as an imitation of the life of Jesus
Christ. He also urged the faithful to participate in church singing more
actively and bring their children to the church.
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Armenian
Church News
In the Shadow of the
Sultan
An Historical
Coming of Age Novel
“The story is set
in the late summer of 1896, during the height of the Hamidiyan Massacres in
Asia Minor”
This is the story of a boy in his early
teens, who leaves his home and journeys 200 miles to his grandmother’s town. He
makes the 21 day journey in the company of his beloved dog (Kaylo) and a mule
(Vartoug). The story is set in the late summer of 1896, during the height of
the Hamidiyan Massacres in Asia Minor. These were a prelude to the Armenian
Genocide of 1915, and the story shows that the seeds of Genocide were sown long
before then. The story is written in the hope that it will be read by
teenagers, young adults and those who have little or no familiarity with
Armenian history of the period.
The narrator grows from a happy, pampered boy
into a mature youngster who can make hard decisions for himself. It is a coming
of age story, and a story about irredeemable loss. His old life ends, and he is
pushed by events into taking a certain path in his life. Circumstances shape
our destiny. This is an adventure story of survival and self-discovery.
Anyone reading this book should be able to
visualise themselves as the boy, even though the events take place more than a
hundred years ago. The narrator is the embodiment of what it means to be a
Western Armenian: forever cast out of his homeland. The point is not laboured,
after all it is the same for all displaced persons; the boy’s story could be
happening right now in parts of the Near/Middle East.
The politics have been kept to a minimum as a
young teenager probably would not have been discussing it in detail. Hopefully,
the story will provide an insight into the way of life for Armenians at the
time. Details of distances, phases of the moon, days of the week etc. bring the
story to life. Foreign words have been footnoted and a glossary provided, as
well as a list of personal names and their meanings. There are also short
historical notes to guide the reader.
The book has been written as a continuous
narrative, without chapter headings. However it clearly falls into two parts:
before and after the event that changed the boy’s life.
The maturing of the boy is shown through his
actions when he meets various people on his journey; kind people, bad people,
helpless people. An elderly adventurer called Baron Garabed, who helps him
early in his journey, provides some more background to the story.
The psychological implications of violence -
graphically described in the narrative - often results in trauma. This, in
certain types of behaviour, is hinted at in the text: a coldness, false
bravery, survivor's guilt, haunting and recurring nightmares.
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Armenian
Church News
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
R. P. Sevadjian is a third
generation Diasporan Armenian, whose family left Asia Minor in the 1800s and
were scattered across the world, with no members remaining in their ancestral
homelands. Born and raised in Africa, she now lives in the UK.
For further information, please write to
intheshadowofthesultan@gmail.com
DISTRIBUTOR: Moufflon Bookshop 38 Sofouli
Street 1096 Nicosia, Cyprus Tel. 22 665 155
www.moufflon.com.cy
distribution@moufflon.com.cy
AND AVAILABLE FROM: amazon.co.uk
& amazon.com
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Dear friends,
AGBU
London Branch is pleased to present “Together for
Armenia” concert dedicated to the
Centenary of the
Armenian Genocide and the 24th Anniversary
of Armenia’s Independence.
This concert will be
the biggest concert of the AGBU London Chamber Orchestra to date and will
introduce five international Armenian soloists: Nairi Azezian - Flute
(Finland), Sylvie Zakarian - Marimba (USA), Anais Heghoyan – Mezzo (UK), Ani
Batikian – Violin (Armenia) and Sarkis Zakarian – Piano (Bulgaria).
The orchestra, whose
Patron is the renowned violinist Levon Chilingirian OBE and is itself formed
by Armenian and non-Armenian professional musicians currently residing in UK,
will perform under the baton of conductor Gustavo Ubeda.
The programme will
comprise pieces by Armenian composers Komitas, Ganatchian, Alan Hovhaness and
Kristina Arakelyan, American composer Pasquale Tassone, a specially
commissioned work by British composer Roland Roberts and concluding with
Beethoven’s “Emperor” Piano Concerto.
The concert will be
held on Saturday 7th November at
19.30 in St. John’s Smith Square, London. Tickets are available on-line and
at the box office at St. John's Smith Square (£20, £15, £10).
Please follow the link
below for online tickets Saturday, 7 November, 2015 - 19:30 AGBU London Chamber Orchestra Together for Armenia
We hope you will be
able to support this memorable event. It promises to be a fitting musical
tribute to Armenia as a heroic nation remembering its victims and celebrating
its future, while bringing all Armenians together.
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Page 10 Armenian Church News
London Armenian Opera
“Davit Bek”
London Armenian Opera will be Performing
Armen Tigranian's Opera "Davit Bek" on the 18th and 19th of December
2015 at 7.30pm at the Benjamin Britten Theatre at the Royal College of Music,
Prince Consort Road, SW7 2BS.
Ticket prices: £35, £25, £15 Concessions
(under 16 & disabled) = 20% (Not suitable for children below 8 years of
age)
To book tickets please contact:
01923 773 277
or 07867 672 787
Or email:Londonarmenianopera@virginmedia.com Cheques made
payable to London Armenian Opera to: 10 Beacon Way, Rickmansworth, WD3 7PG
www.londonarmenianopera.com
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Armenian
Church News
Upcoming Events
DIOCESAN PROGRAMMES
Forthcoming Events in November and December
Bible Studies
Every Thursday, at St. Sarkis
Church Gulbenkian Hall led by the Primate and the clergy of the Diocese.
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.
Forthcoming dates:
November: 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th December: 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd
Deacons’
Training
Deacons’ training takes place every Sunday at 5:00pm in the Vicarage, St.
Sarkis Church. In November and December rehearsals are taking place for special
hymns of the Midday Prayer - Ճաշու շարական, which are sung during the Divine Liturgy. For more details please
contact the Diocesan Office.
International Conference
“Building
Inclusive Societies Together” visit to Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, a
Conference by the Council of Europe
Sunday to Tuesday 1st-3rd November
Bishop Hovakim Manukyan will
represent the Armenian Church at this important conference. For more details,
please contact the Primate.
Lecture:
“Challenges Facing Eastern Christianity Caught in Extremism and Destruction in
the Middle East”
Dr. Hratch Tchilingirian, the Oriental Institute, University of Oxford.
Monday, 30th November, 7:00pm at Armenian House
The Middle East is the cradle of
Christianity and multi-ethnic Christian communities are amongst the most
ancient natives in the region. Four of the five most important hierarchical
centres in Christianity are in the Middle East today whose roots go back two
millennia (namely, the Patriarchates of Antioch, Alexandria, Jerusalem,
and Constantinople). While small in numbers relative to global Christianity,
communities in the Middle East, especially the Levant, have ecclesial
significance for the wider Christian world. This talk will discuss the many
challenges that Eastern Christians face in the Middle East today, including
war, militant extremism, interreligious conflicts, exile, socio-economic
decline and migration.
Page 12 Armenian
Church News
Dr. Hratch Tchilingirian is a sociologist
of religion and associate faculty member of the Oriental Institute, University
of Oxford. From 2002 to 2012 he taught and held various positions at University
of Cambridge and has published and lectured extensively on inter-ethnic
conflicts in the Caucasus, the Armenian Church, minorities in the Middle East,
and Diaspora (www.hratch.info).
Workshop: Being
a Christian in a Secular World
Wednesday, 9th December, 7:00pm at Armenian House
Bishop Hovakim Manukyan,
Primate, PhD, Church History, will lead this
workshop on being a Christian in the modern world and challenges of evangelism
on the occasion of the feast of St. Thaddeus and St. Bartholomew, the first
evangelizers of Armenia. The discussions will be facilitated by Dr Hratch
Tchilingirian.
An evangelizing church needs to open up
to the people and not be timid to enter the public realm. Such a presence could
become possible through the Church’s engagement with the world, as well as the
testimony and example Christians provide in their working and living
environment. What are the opportunities for the Church to engage with the
secular world? How could the Church function in the secular world of media, education
and culture and find ways of collaboration in these spheres? How do the
diaconal, charitable activities of the Christian faith become realities in the
world today? These are some of the questions that will be explored by the
Primate.
Cardiff Parish
Special Prayer
Service at the Genocide Memorial - Temple of Peace
8th Anniversary Remembrance
Service at Genocide Memorial
Saturday, 7th November, Cardiff
(10: 00am Poppy laying; 11:00am Welcome
by the Cardiff Parish at Ararat Church (Whitchurch); 11:30am Divine Liturgy
& Hokehankist; 2:00pm presentation of two books on the genocides of 1896
and 1915: “In the Shadow of the Sultan” by R.P. Sevadjian and “Memoire” by
Delphine Jacquart.
Pontifical
Prayer Հայրապետական Մաղթանք and Divine Liturgy
Sunday, 8th November, 11:00am at St. Yeghiche Church
His Grace Bishop Hovakim, the Primate, will celebrate the Divine
Liturgy and deliver the sermon on the occasion of the 16th anniversary of the
pontificate of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All
Armenians.
Armenian Church
Trust (UK) Donors Meeting
Saturday, 14th November
For more details, please contact the
Diocesan Office.
Youth Meeting
in Manchester
Wednesday, 18th November
Meeting with the Armenian Church Youth
Fellowship (ACYF) Manchester Chapter. For more details, please contact Mr.
Zareh Nersessian (Chairman) on 07813 864 697.
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Armenian
Church News
Lecture: “St.
Gregory of Narek, Doctor of the Universal Church, with the Canonised Armenian
Martyrs”
Tuesday, 24th November, 7:30pm
By
the invitation of the Society of St. John Chrysostom, the Primate will pay a
visit to the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral and speak about the centenary of the
Genocide and canonisation of the victims.
Dublin –
Dedication of Memorial Khachkar (Cross stone)
Saturday, 5th December, 2:00pm in
Christ Church Cathedral, Christchurch Place, Dublin 8, Republic of Ireland.
The
dedication of specially sculpted Khachkar Memorial, service and concert on the
occasion of the opening of the first ever memorial dedicated to the Armenian Genocide
in the Republic of Ireland, thanks to the efforts of the Armenian Church Parish
in Dublin.
Dublin – Divine
Liturgy
Sunday, 6th December, 12:30pm at
Taney Parish Church, Taney Road, Dundrum, Dublin 14, Ireland.
Pembrokeshire –
Divine Liturgy
Saturday, 19th December, 1:00pm
Following the Divine Liturgy in St.
David’s Cathedral, St. David’s, Pembrokeshire, the unveiling ceremony of a full
size bronze statue will take place. The statue is a gift from all Armenians to
the Church in Wales in gratitude for their recognition of 24th April as Armenian Genocide Day.
Prayer intentions for November:
We invite our faithful to pray for justice
and peace in the world, especially for the refugees from the Middle East who
are trying to find shelter in Europe. We ask for the intercessions of the Holy
Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide for the refugees and for having God’s mercy
and grace pour forth wherever justice is shaken, wherever tranquility is
disturbed, wherever security is violated, wherever human rights are trampled,
wherever social welfare is threatened, wherever faith and identity are
fanaticised.
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 organizations 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.
Armenian
Church News
Worship
Services in the Armenian Churches
Services are held in the Armenian
Churches every Sunday starting at 11:00 am. 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/
St. Yeghiche
Cathedral
13b Cranley Gardens Kensington, London
SW7 3BB Tel: 020 7373 8133 http://www.styeghiche.org.uk/
Parishes of our
Diocese:
St. Sarkis
Church
Iverna Gardens Kensington, London, W8 6TP
Tel: 020 7937 0152 http://www.stsarkisparish.co.uk
Cardiff - Tel: + 44 771 279 2304, +44 2920779248. john@jagproperties.co.uk
Dublin
- Tel: +44 2891 863559. http://www.armenians.ie/
Mission
Parish of Birmingham – Tel: +44 121 675 1469. St John’s Church, Stratford
Road, Birmingham, B11 4EA
Oxford Campus
Ministry:
Oxford - Tel: +44 7810 490242. armenian.society@studentsclub.ox.ac.uk
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
The Armenian
Vicarage
Iverna Gardens
London, W8 6TP
or email: primatesoffice@armenianchurch.co.uk
PLEASE NOTE OUR CHANGE OF POSTAL ADDRESS
Editorial Board:
His Grace Bishop Hovakim
Manukyan, Primate
Garen Arevian
Hovik
Hovhanissyan Aznive Simon
Gagik Stepan-Sarkissian Sossi Yeretsyan
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