Diocese of the Armenian Church of the United Kingdom and Ireland Volume 2, Issue 1 12 January 2016 Armenian Church
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Dear faithful,
Christ is born and revealed among us!
|
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Good tidings of great joy to you and your loved ones.
With
blessings,
Bishop Hovakim Manukyan Primate
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In this
issue:
Feast of
Nativity and Theophany
Lord Darzi
awarded Order of Merit
New Year’s Eve and Blessing
of
Pomegranates
Christmas
in Syriac Orthodox Church
New Year’s Eve Dinner-Dance Fast of Catechumens
Feast of St. Sarkis
The Feast of the Nativity
and Theophany in the
Armenian Church
London, 5-6th January 2016
As in all Armenian Apostolic Churches across
the world, St Sarkis and St Yeghiche Churches in London welcomed the faithful
on 5th
January 2016 on the Eve of the Feast of the Nativity (Soorb Tsnoond).
The Primate His Grace Bishop Hovakim Manukyan was the celebrant of the Divine
Liturgy at St Sarkis.
Up until the 4th Century
all Christian churches celebrated Christ's birth on 6th January.
The Western Church moved the date to 25th December
in order to eliminate a pagan feast (Yuletide) dedicated to the birth of the
Sun, celebrated on that day. However, the Armenian Church continued the
tradition of
celebrating Christmas on 6th January.
In his sermon, the Primate called upon the
people to overcome their doubts, pessimism and apathy and instead allow their
souls to be filled with joy and light in the Season of Theophany. After the
Divine Liturgy, the Primate performed the first Home Blessing – Tnorhnek - of
the year at the Vicarage with bread, water and salt. He will visit families to
bless their homes and give the good news of the birth of Our Lord.
On 6th January, the Primate
celebrated the Divine Liturgy in a full St Yeghiche Church. Present
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
were the Armenian Ambassador Dr Armen
Sarkissian, Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the Republic of Armenia, Ms Judith
Farnworth, and the Primate of the Syriac Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom,
Archbishop Mor Athanasius Touma Dakkama.
On the Feast of the Nativity, the faithful
shared with one another the good news of the Birth of Jesus and greeted each
other with the traditional words ‘Christ is born and revealed, blessed is the
revelation of the Christ’ The Primate delivered the Theophany Message of His
Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, in
which His Holiness explained the holy meaning of the Nativity and called for
peace in the world at a time of turbulence caused by extreme ideas and
violence, which also affect the Armenians of the Middle East.
At the end of the Divine Liturgy, Bishop
Hovakim conducted the traditional service of the blessing of the water
symbolising the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan. The Holy Chrism or Myuron
used in the ceremony had been blessed at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin on
28th September
2015. Biblical passages were read as well as the prayer of 4th century
Church father St. Basil the Great. Traditionally a prominent member of the
Church who has been distinguished for his service in the Church becomes
godfather of the ceremony. This year the godfather at St. Yeghiche was Mr.
Loris Arakelian.
Cups filled with the blessed water were
distributed to the faithful at the conclusion of the Holy Season of Theophany.
The video can be found at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjchmRLkYag&feature=youtu.be
Armenian
Church News
Community Life
Professor Lord Darzi
awarded Order of Merit
Member of the Armenian Church and community
Professor The Lord Ara Darzi was awarded the Order of Merit by the Queen.
The Order of Merit is a dynastic order
awarded to those who have rendered exceptionally meritorious services towards
the advancement of the arts, learning, literature and science. The order was
established in 1902 by King Edward VII.
The award is in the personal gift of the
Sovereign, and is limited to 24 living recipients. The Queen has admitted
Professor The Lord Darzi, for medicine, Professor Dame Ann Dowling for
mechanical engineering and Sir James Dyson for his work in industrial design.
Parish Life
New Year’s Eve and the
Blessing of Pomegranates
New Year’s Eve was full of surprises for the
community members in London. Immediately after welcoming the year 2016, the
faithful and the clergy held a short Thanksgiving Prayer at St. Sarkis Church.
They prayed for the wellbeing of our
community, for peace in the world and especially in Armenia and the Middle
East. Afterwards the faithful and clergy enjoyed their fellowship at the
Vicarage through singing Armenian folk songs and pleasant conversation.
Later on the same day, the evening of the
first day of 2016 was a very special occasion at St. Sarkis. Community members
gathered in the church in order to participate in a ceremony – the
blessing of pomegranates– conducted by the
Primate.
The blessing of the pomegranate is a new rite
in the Armenian Church. The ceremony is like the tradition of the blessing of
the grapes (Խաղողօրհնէք),
which symbolises a ritual of blessing for the harvest. The blessing of the
pomegranate was introduced in
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Armenian
Church News
2015 by a decree of His Holiness Catholicos
Karekin II to take place on the first day of the new year as a prayer for
prosperity and a good start to the year.
As the Primate emphasised in his speech, the
pomegranate has a unique place in Armenian miniature paintings and fables. The
fruit is also one of the most popular ingredients in Armenian winemaking. The
community members were delighted to witness the commencement of a new
tradition.
At the end of the ceremony, Bishop Hovakim
distributed the blessed pomegranates to members of the congregation.
Afterwards, they had an enjoyable social gathering hosted by the Ladies’
Committee of the Primate’s Office as well as a barbecue prepared by deacons. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6jHAvTScYY&feature=youtu.be
You may enjoy reading the Armenian tale
called Seeds of Pomegranates about the 365 seeds of pomegranate written by
Nouneh Sarkissian. You may find this and other books by the author on
www.foyles.co.uk and at Foyles bookshop at 113-119 Charing Cross Road.
The pomegranates were donated by Arman
Vardazaryan from Manchester, (who is known also as ‘Arman of the Armenian
Taverna’ in Manchester).
Parish Life
The Feast of St. Stephen
On the 26th December, 2015, on the Feast of
St. Stephen the Proto-Deacon and Proto-Martyr an evening prayer was held at St.
Sarkis, when the deacons had the special honour of wearing a liturgical crown
recalling St. Stephen and his crown of martyrdom.
When the twelve Apostles recognised they
needed assistants to serve the growing Church, seven deacons were appointed to
look after the daily distributions to the poor. “The multitude chose Stephen, a
man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon,
Parmenas, and Nicolas, whom they set before the apostles as worthy candidates;
and
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Armenian
Church News
when
they had prayed, the apostles laid their hands on them” (Acts 6:1-6).
Stephen was the leader of the deacons. He is
called the Proto-Martyr since he was the first to be killed for Christ, marking
the beginning of the first widespread persecution of the early Christians.
In the Armenian Church, between 24-26th December,
the Feast of St. Stephen is celebrated with great reverence and ceremony.
Ecumenical
Life
Christmas in the Syriac
Orthodox Church
On 24th December
2015, at the invitation of Archbishop Mor Athanasius Touma Dakkama of the
Syriac Orthodox Church Bishop Hovakim attended the Christmas vigil at the
Syriac Orthodox Cathedral on Armstrong Road (W3).
The Syriac Orthodox Church is one of the
sister Churches of the Armenian Apostolic Church and their links are deeply
rooted in history. Both Churches belong to the family of the Oriental Orthodox
Churches along with the Coptic, Ethiopian and Indian Malankara Churches. 
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Armenian
Church News
Tekeyan Cultural
Association & Armenian General
Benevolent Union New
Year’s Eve Dinner-Dance
31st December 2015, Copthorne Tara Hotel, Kensington
For the third year in a row AGBU and TCA
jointly organised a most successful Dinner-Dance. This was a most significant
year, as 2015 marked the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide and there were many events organised by many organisations throughout
the year, including AGBU and TCA, as mentioned by Garen Arevian in his
welcoming speech.
The feedback received by both AGBU and TCA
was positive and enthusiastic, both during the event and after, pointing to a
most enjoyable evening for all including HG Bishop Hovakim Manukyan. Also
present were Father Movses Sargsyan and Father Shnork Baghdassarian as well as
representatives from the Armenian Embassy. People had come from all over inner
and greater London but also from further away and from Manchester and Paris.
Hratch Basmadjian and his band “Shiraz” from
France were magnificent in playing a variety of songs including requests,
during the meal and after. We enjoyed Armenian dances performed expertly by
Dalila Heath and Laurence Djololian. Hratch was the D.J. as last year and his
choice of music kept the dance floor full at all times.
There was a raffle and a visit by Father
Christmas with presents for all the children. What makes the TCA/AGBU
Dinner/Dance particularly enjoyable is that it aims to entertain the whole
family, making all welcome and this year the presence of young people was
noticeable.
At 00.30 am HG Bishop Hovakim was in St.
Sarkis for a special service to bless the pomegranates and a number of
participants joined him to later return to Tara where festivities ended at 2
am.
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Armenian
Church News
Spirituality
The Fast of the
Catechumens
According to the Church calendar from 17th to 22nd
January we observe the Fast of the Catechumens (those receiving Christian
instruction before baptism). The fast is specific only to the Armenian Church.
It begins three weeks before the Great Lent. In ancient times people could eat
only bread and salt during the Fast of the Catechumens. The meaning of the Fast
of the Catechumens is the purification of the five human senses from pagan impurity.
In the ancient Church there was a custom to fast during five days before
baptism. St. Gregory the Illuminator ordered King Tiridates and others to fast
for five days before baptism in order to be freed of evil. That is the reason
also for the Fast of the Catechumens to be called the “fast of salvation” from
evil.
According to the tradition, the Fasting of
the Catechumens was initiated by St. Gregory the illuminator in memory of the
above-mentioned practice. On Friday the fifth day of the fasting the
remembrance day of the Prophet Jonah is celebrated, but it is celebrated not as
the feast of Prophet Jonah, but as the memory of an example of great repentance
and abstinence which Jonah urged. At times, wrongly, the fasting of the
Catechumens was called the fast of St. Sarkis, because the Armenian Church
celebrates the feast of St. Sarkis on the Saturday following the fast. In the
Middle Ages the Byzantine Church in the Quinisext Council (692) blamed the
Armenian Church for the fasting of the Catechumens, relating it to St. Sarkis,
to whom they ascribed sorcery. According to the testimonies of Armenian
medieval writers, Greek and Latin Churches also practised the fasting of the
Catechumens in ancient times.
Spirituality
Feast of St. Sarkis the
Captain, Patron of Love
and Youth, his son
Martyros and his 14 Soldier-
Companions
St. Sarkis the
Captain
His Holiness Catholicos Karekin II has
proclaimed the Feast of St. Sarkis the Captain and his soldier-companions as the
day of blessing of the youth. St. Sarkis is one of the most beloved saints
among the Armenian nation.
Together with his 14 soldier-companions he
was martyred for his Christian
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Armenian
Church News
faith.
During the reign of the emperor Constantine the Great (306-337) St. Sarkis, a
courageous soldier, was appointed the General in Chief of the region of
Cappadocia bordering Armenia. When during the reign of the emperor Julian the
Apostate (360-363) persecutions started against Christians, by God’s will St.
Sarkis and his only son Martyros came to live in Armenia, and the Armenian king
Tiran, grandson of Tiridates III, received them very well.
From Armenia St. Sarkis and his son went to
Persia, and served in the army of the Persian King of Kings Shapur II as the
captain of regiments. Learning that Sarkis was Christian Shapur ordered him to
worship the fire and offer sacrifice to the heathen gods. But the saint refused
to obey the order saying, “We should worship one God - the Holy Trinity, which
has created the Earth and the heaven. Whereas fire or idols are not gods and
the human being may destroy them.” After these words the saint destroyed the
temple. The angered crowd fell on the saint and his son. First the son of the
saint was martyred. The saint was put into prison and remaining unshaken in his
faith was beheaded. After the martyrdom of the saint, light appeared over his
body. Fourteen soldiers-companions of the saint were also martyred for the sake
of their Christian faith.
In Armenia the Feast of St. Sarkis is
celebrated not only according to church rites and prayers, but also according
to various folk traditions. St. Sarkis is the patron saint of youth. Many
miracles happen thanks to his intercession. On the day of the feast young
people pray the saint asking him to make their prayers audible to God and make
their love come to fruition. One of the folk traditions widespread among
Armenians is eating salty cookies (աղի բլիթ) on the Feast of St. Sarkis.
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Massis Restaurant
supports the Armenian Church
Have a great evening enjoying
delicious Armenian and
Lebanese food whilst supporting the
mission of the Diocese of
the Armenian Church in UK and
Ireland. Dine with Massis for lunch and dinner with family and friends for
birthdays and
events. Mention you are Armenian
and 20% of your bill will
go towards the Armenian Church.
Open 7 days a week from 12pm – 11pm
you can find your
Massis Lebanese Bar and Grill
Restaurant at:
9 Sheldon Square, Paddington
Central, London W2 6HT Phone number: 020 7286 8000 www.massis.co.uk
Armenian
Church News
With Churches
Together in Notting Hill
Week of Prayer for
Christian Unity
Evening
Service
Monday 25th January 2016 7.15 pm, at
St Sarkis Armenian Church
Iverna Gardens, Kensington, London, W8 6TP
Followed by
Refreshments at Gulbenkian Hall
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You are warmly invited to join us for the
annual celebration of Divine Liturgy (Patarag) by His Grace Bishop Hovakim,
Primate, at Pembroke College Chapel in Oxford on Saturday 16th January, 3pm.
The Oxford Armenian Choir will sing Yekmalyan's Liturgy in four parts and there
will be delicious refreshments prepared for you by the Oxford Armenian
community members after the Service.
But that's not all! This year the day is
going to be extra-special for everyone! We are arranging free guided tours of
the Bodleian Library Exhibition celebrating 2,500 years of Armenian History-
ARMENIA: Masterpieces of an Enduring Culture: http://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/wh
atson/whats-on/upcoming- events/2015/oct/armenia. Theo Maarten van Lint,
Calouste Gulbenkian Professor of Armenian Studies, co-curator of the exhibition
and co-author of the exhibition catalogue, will lead tours of the exhibition
before the Liturgy at 12.30 pm and 1.30pm.
Please note that the registration for
guided tours is essential. To register for a tour, please email: armenian.society@studentclubs.ox .ac.uk by 14 January
2016.
We look forward to hearing from you and
once again to welcoming you in Oxford! Join our event on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/event s/1021127391258798/ and
please share it with your friends and colleagues.
Would you like
to join us?
Transport will be available,
leaving at 10am from Iverna Gardens and returning at 6pm.
The cost of transport
will be £20.00. Please contact primatesoffice@armenianchurch.co.uk
or on 020 8127 8364 for further information
Armenian
Church News Armenian Church News
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Armenian
Church News
Upcoming
Events
DIOCESAN PROGRAMMES
Forthcoming Events in January and February
Bible Studies
Every Thursday, at St. Sarkis
Church Gulbenkian Hall led by the Primate and the
clergy of the Diocese
Next dates:
January 14th, 21st, 28th
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.
Deacons’
Training
Divine Liturgy
in Oxford
Saturday, 16th January, 3:00pm, in Oxford
For those who have booked the
transport with us, there will be two pick up points: the first one will be from
Iverna Gardens, London W8 6TP at 9:00am sharp and the second from Twyford
Church of England High school, Twyford Crescent, London W3 9PP at exactly
9:40am. The cost of transport will be £20.00. There are few places available.
Please contact: primatesoffice@armenianchurch.co.uk or ring 020 8127 8364 for
further inquiries.
Eve of the Fast
of the Catechumens
Sunday, 17th January, 11:00am, in St. Yeghiche Church
Divine Liturgy - Eve of the Fast of the
Catechumens- Առաջաւորաց
պահք
Feast of St.
Sarkis
Saturday, 23rd January, in St. Sarkis Church at 6:30pm
Divine Liturgy on the
occasion of the Feast of St. Sarkis followed by the Blessing of Adolescents. It
is the name day of those whose name is Sarkis or Martyros.
Feast of St.
Sarkis, Divine Liturgy
Sunday, 24th January, 11:00am in St. Sarkis Church
Dublin Parish
Divine Liturgy
Sunday, 24th January, in Dublin
Deacons’ training takes
place every Sunday at 5:00pm in the Vicarage, St. Sarkis
Church. For more details
please contact the Diocesan Office.
Kensington Council of Churches
Ecumenical
Prayer for Christian Unity
Monday, 25th January, in St. Sarkis Church at 7.15pm
Ecumenical Prayer Service
Eve of Great
Lent
Sunday, 7th February, Eve of the Great Lent or Great Barekendan- Բուն Բարեկենդան
The Armenian Church defines
the period of Great Lent as a time of abstinence and repentance for the
faithful. Each Sunday during this period is named after an event in the Holy
Bible that contains the message of the day. According to the calendar, the days
prior to weekly fasts, as well as Great Lent, (with the exception of the fast
preceding Holy Nativity) are called Barekendan. The word Barekendan means “good
living” or “good life”, as we are called to live cheerfully, joyfully, and to
be happy on these days preceding fasting periods.
On these days of
Barekendan, the angel’s words addressed to the prophet Elijah are fulfilled:
“Arise and eat, otherwise the journey will be too great for you” (1 Kings
19:7). The Armenian Church thus allows her faithful to organise games,
festivals, carnivals and large, plentiful meals before the feast. During the
period of the Great Lent curtains in churches are drawn in commemoration of the
expulsion of Adam from Eden and the doors of heaven were closed before him.
Every Friday
evening during Great Lent there will be services in St. Sarkis and St. Yeghiche
Churches. Details to follow in the next newsletter.
Eve of
Tiarnendaraj (The Lord’s Presentation to the Temple)
Saturday, 13th February, in St. Sarkis Church at 5:30pm
There will be blessing of
the newly married couples at St. Sarkis Church at 5:30 pm and a bonfire.
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Divine
Liturgies at St. Yeghiche and St. Sarkis Churches are at 11:00am and Manchester
Holy Trinity Church at 11:30am.
The Armenian Church
celebrates the Feast of the Lord’s Presentation to the Temple. Tiarnendaraj, or
Candlemas as it is known in the West, symbolises the presentation of the 40
day-old Christ Child to the Temple in Jerusalem. In the tradition of the
Church, Evening Services (Nakhatonak) are conducted on the night preceding the
Feast Day. At the conclusion of the service, the priest lights a candle from
the Holy Altar, and distributes the flame to all present. With great care, the
faithful take the lit candles home to their families.
The morning of the Feast
Day, Divine Liturgy is celebrated in Armenian Churches throughout the world.
The hymn offered during the Liturgy commemorating Tiarnendaraj glorifies
Simeon’s articulation of “a Light to lighten the Gentiles”. The hymn praising
Simeon also lauds the Mystery of the Incarnation.
Many additional customs
have been inherited from the past, including the blessing of the four corners
of the world in the Andastan Service, the blessing of newlywed couples, as well
as offering prayers for the crops and fertility of the fields.
Tiarnendaraj –
The Lord’s Presentation to the Temple
Sunday, 14th February
Prayer intentions for January
Let us follow Church leaders
and pray so that Christ our Lord may empower the souls of people with heavenly
grace, faith, hope and love, in order to build a safe, peaceful and prosperous
world and those from diverse religious traditions and all people of good will
may work together for peace.
Armenian
Church News Armenian Church News
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.
Armenian
Church News
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 1st 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/
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
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 Committee:
His Grace Bishop Hovakim
Manukyan, Primate
Garen Arevian
Lena
Boghossian
Hovik Hovhannisyan Aznive Simon
Gagik Stepan-Sarkissian Sossi
Yerissian
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