Armenian Church E-Newsletter, Issue 49, Volume 2

E-NEWSLETTER

HH - J:RJIK

AArmenian Church of The United Kingdom and The Republic of Ireland

110th December 2011, Issue 49, Volume 2

The Right Revd Bishop Vahan Hovhanessian, Primate

AARMENIAN CHURCH OF UK & IRELAND

THE PRIMATE’S OFFICE

25 Cheniston Gardens Kensington London W8 6TG Tel: 020 8127 8364 Fax: 0872 111 5548

E-mail:

primatesoffice@ armenianchurch.co.uk

Website:

www.armenianchurch.co.uk

ARMENIAN CHURCH TRUST

www.armenianchurchtrust.org.uk actuk@armenianchurch.co.uk

ARMENIAN CHURCH YOUTH

FELLOWSHIP (ACYF)

E-mail:

ACYF@

armenianchurch.co.uk

Facebook:

Click Here

Twitter:

http://twitter.com/#!/ACYFUK. CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Calendar

E-NEWSLETTER

Recent Issues Older Issues

CONTINUING EDUCATION MINISTRY (C.E.M.)

Download Audio/Video

THE PRIMATE’S BLOG

Archives

BADARAK AND CELEBRATION IN MANCHESTER

On Sunday, 4th December, the Right Reverend Dr. Vahan Hovhanessian, Bishop of the Armenian Church

of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, celebrated his first Badarak as Bishop in the sanctuary of Holy Trinity Armenian Church in Manchester. Participating in the Badarak were Revd Fr. Garegin Hambarstumyan, deacons, altar servers and members of the Holy Trinity Choir as well as members of the Primate’s Deacons’ Training Programme. In his sermon, H.G. Bishop Hovhanessian, reflected on the Scripture reading of the day: Luke 13:6- 9. “The Eternal God has created us with a purpose, giving each of us an eternal soul. It is God's will that we know Him and throughout the years of our lives develop a deep and genuine relationship with Him. According to the Holy Bible, it is exactly for this reason that God created man in His own image and likeness.” In that sense, added Bishop Hovhanessian, “it is expected from each and every one of us to produce “fruits” of faith based on our relationship with God and our commitment to Christ and His gospel.” Not only as individuals are we likened to a fruit-bearing tree, but also as a community and a nation. Our forefathers understood this and lived their lives, shaping the Armenian identity based on the teachings of the Gospel. “Today in the United Kingdom and Ireland,” added Bishop Hovhanessian, “we are all one big tree. Our roots are in Manchester where the first Armenian Church was erected 141 years ago, and the fruitful branches are the St. Sarkis and St. Yeghiche Churches in London and the Mission Parish Communities in Birmingham, Cardiff and Dublin. We need to work together, feeding and supporting each other and being fed and supported by each other.” His Grace concluded his sermon calling on the Armenians of Manchester to take an active role in revitalizing the Armenian Church in Manchester and all over the UK and Ireland. Following the sermon and requiem, Mr. Hagop Yeramian, chairman of the Board of Wardens, officially welcomed the Primate and introduced Mr. Tatto Couligian, chairman of the Holy Trinity Church Trust, who in turn welcomed the Primate and all the guests and thanked His Grace for visiting Manchester and celebrating the Badarak. To the surprise of the Primate and all present the children of the Holy Trinity Church Saturday School then were escorted to the chancel to offer a brief programme of Armenian and English hymns and carols. Bishop Vahan in turn thanked all and pointing to the very well prepared children’s “concert” added, “Thank God we are already enjoying the fruits of your labor in the vineyard of the Lord here in Manchester. God bless you all.

HOLY TRINITY CHURCH TRUST IN MANCHESTER

DONATES £5,000 TO THE ARMENIAN CHURCH TRUST UK

Following Church services, the faithful packing the Holy Trinity Church were invited to a lunch-reception in the Church hall. In addition to the delicious meal cooked by

the Holy Trinity Women’s Guild, the programme included brief speeches by Church leaders and a brief video documentary highlighting Bishop Vahan Hovhanessian’s ministry and programmes. At the end of the luncheon, Mr. Tatto Couligian announced to all present that the Holy Trinity Church Trust, in appreciation of Bishop Vahan’s ministry and the successful achievements during the past year or so, is happy to donate £5000 toward the “Armenian Church Trust UK” to support the new and inspiring programmes designed and promoted by the Primate’s Office. The Primate graciously accepted the gift and thanked Mr. Couligian, the Manchester Church Trust, the Board of Wardens and the faithful of the Holy Trinity Church for their continuous support of the Primate’s programmes and the diocesan activities.

JOIN OUR CHURCH CHOIRS AND THE YOUTH THIS SUNDAY! FOR AN EVENING OF CHRISTMAS CAROLS IN ARMENIAN AND ENGLISH

This Saturday, several of the Diocesan organisations and programmes are joining efforts in presenting the second ACYF Annual Christmas Carols Evensong, which will be

celebrated at St. Yeghiche Church, 17th December, at 7:30pm. Members of the ACYF will serve as the greeters and ushers, as well as readers of the various petitions of the service. Members of the choirs of the St. Yeghiche, St. Sarkis and Holy Trinity Churches will lead the congregation in singing the beautiful Christmas and Advent Carols in Armenian and English, and sing Armenian hymns. Altar servers, members of the Bishop’s Deacon’s Training Programme, will participate by chanting and reciting the psalmodies and litanies of the Evensong. Even the children, members of the Diocesan AREV prgroamme for children’s Christian education will take part in the Evensong. They will be presenting the Nativity scene, while the rest of us will be singing Silent Night in Armenian and English! The evening will include processions, candle lighting, readings of passages from the Holy Scripture, and singing of traditional Advent Armenian Hymns and Christmas Carols in Armenian and English, under the direction of Maestro Aris Nadirian. Participating in the programme will be also several professional musicians and singers including pianist Artur Bobikian and Anais Heghoyan and Sipan Hakopian. While choir members will lead in the singing of the carols, as in the previous year, the faithful gathered in the church will be encouraged to join in the singing. Booklets, including the text of the service and the lyrics of the carols, in Armenian and English, will be distributed to those attending the service. So, mark your calendar, invite a friend or two and join your family members and friends at the second annual Armenian Church Christmas Carol Service, scheduled to commence at 7:30pm, Saturday, 17 December, 2011. All are welcome. No admission fees. This will be an inspiring way of celebrating the holy season of Advent, the anticipation, expectation and preparations for the miracle of miracles: the Birth of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. If you have any questions regarding the event please contact the ACYF at: acyf@armenianchurch.co.uk. You can also browse the only flyer by visiting the official diocesan website at: www.armenianchurch.co.uk, or Click Here.

ST. SARKIS CHURCH LADIES COMMITTEE BAZAAR

The Ladies Committee of the St. Sarkis Church in Kensington, London, is happy to invite the Armenian community in London and their friends and guests to their annual winter Bazaar. Delicious Armenian food will be served in the Nevart Gulbenkian Hall of the Church after Badarak and church services. Christmas gift items will also be on display. This annual Bazaar is prepared by the St. Sarkis Church Ladies Committee, together with the Hayastan All Armenian Fund Committee. So, bring family and friends this Sunday for fellowship, food and fun... Armenian style.

SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE ARMENIAN CHURCH MISSION PARISH

The Mission Parish Council (MPC) of the Armenian Church in Birmingham has recently announced the scheduling of the celebration of the Divine Liturgy (Badarak) by His Grace Bishop Vahan Hovhanessian on Saturday, 17 th December, 2011.

The Badarak will be celebrated at the St. Peter RC Church, 208 High Street Bloxwich WS3 3LA. The church is on High Street: From M6 junction 10 follow the signposts for Walsall A454, then take A34 Green lane, carry on straight on Summerfield Road. To access the car park turn right onto High Street, turn left into Pinfold, continue onto Field Road and turn left into Harrison Street. Following the celebration of Badarak, His Grace Bishop Vahan Hovhanessian will be presiding over the second Annual Assembly of the Armenian Church community in Birmingham. Please make every effort to join us at the Badarak and the assembly if you live in Birmingham or its surrounding. For further information please contact the MOC chairman at: silva_petros2002@yahoo.co.

THE BISHOP WANTS TO VISIT YOU!

The Primate’s Office is happy to reiterate a wish by His Grace Bishop Vahan Hovhanessian, announced during his first Badarak in the UK as Bishop, that he wants to visit each and every Armenian and Armenian household in the UK and

Ireland. Please help our Bishop’s wish come true! The Bishop is eager to know the Armenian community personally and to hear their ideas, suggestions, concerns and complaints and how they perceive the role of the Armenian Church in the UK-Ireland Armenian community. The Bishop’s visit can be anytime during the day, afternoon or evening, weekdays or weekends. If time is of essence to you, then the visit can be as brief as 15 minutes or so. No need for any prior preparations. Please contact the Primate’s Office and schedule the Bishop’s visit to you and your household. You can reach the Primate’s Office by phone: 020 8127 8364, or e-mail: primatesoffice@armenianchurch.co.uk/ Kindly arrange the date in advance since the Primate’s calendar gets even busier during the festive season of Advent and Christmas.

DR. HARRY HAGOPIAN JOINS THE PRIMATE’S OFFICE

The Primate’s Office announced earlier this week that Dr Harry Hagopian has been appointed “Ecumenical Consultant” to the Primate, effective January 2012. He will

assist the Rt Revd Vahan Hovhannisian directly in strengthening further the relations of the Armenian Church with Lambeth Palace and the Churches of England & Ireland, the Roman Catholic Church, as well as other churches and ecumenical organisations. Dr Hagopian is a native of Jerusalem who pursued his studies in France, England & Scotland and holds a Doctorate in Public International Law as well as an LL.M in Alternative Dispute (Conflict) Resolution. Over the years, he has dealt extensively with ecumenical issues and was Assistant General Secretary of the Middle East Council of Churches, Executive Director of the Jerusalem Inter-Church Committee as well as Middle East Consultant to Pax Christi International. He also works as Middle East and inter-faith advisor to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England & Wales, is an Ekklesia Associate and Fellow at Sorbonne III University. From an Armenian prism, Harry was also ecumenical consultant to His Beatitude Patriarch Torkom II in Jerusalem during the period 1995-2001 when he was involved with the second-track political negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians over the future of Jerusalem. He later became the ecumenical, legal & political consultant of HG Bishop Nathan Hovhannisian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of Great Britain, in London from 2002 till early 2010 as well as consultant to the Campaign for Recognition of the Armenian Genocide (CRAG) till 2007. He is author of The Armenian Church in the Holy Land as well as a regular and much sought after public speaker and writer on ecumenical, Armenian and MENA-related political issues. The editorial committee of the E-Newsletter welcomes Dr. Harry Hagopian to the Primate’s Office and wishes him all the success in strengthening the ministries and programmes of the Armenian Church here in the UK and Ireland for the glory of God and the prosperity of the Armenian people.

UK-IRELAND ARMENIAN COMMUNITY MASTER CALENDAR

Based on the feedback the editorial committee of the E-Newsletter has been receiving from our friends and faithful, and from the website, the Primate’s Office decided to maintain a UK-Ireland calendar of the Armenian activities including

lectures, concerts, dances and programmes of all Armenian Churches, organisations and institutions. Letters have been mailed to all Armenian organisations and church councils inviting them to send their monthly information to the E- Newsletter address: information@armenianchurch.co.uk. The events will be posted on the official website calendar of the Church (Click Here): and published once a month in the E-Newsletter. If interested, please send the following information to us: Name of your organisation, name of the event, its date, location, contact information and price (if appropriate), and a link to the event website (if available). Due to limited space in the E-Newsletter, we will not be able to post any additional information.

CARDIFF ARMENIAN CHURCH MPC TO CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS BADARAK

The Cardiff Mission Parish Council (MPC) is happy to announce the scheduling of the celebration of the Armenian Christmas Badarak on Saturday 14th January 11:00am, at the Ararat Baptist Church, Whitchurch, Cardiff CF14 1EQ.

Following Badarak, which will be celebrated by His Grace Bishop Vahan Hovhanessian, Primate, the MPC will have its annual Christmas Dinner which will continue until 18.00 hrs. Alice Kanekanian, from the Armenian Mission Parish of Cardiff, has organised some carols to be sung by the children. The ladies of Cardiff MPC are preparing their usual delicacies for this occasion. Also planned are Musical performances, Games and an appearance by Father Christmas to hand out presents to the children. All are welcome. For further information about the event and to join the Primate in the Badarak celebration and the programme to follow please contact the Armenian Church Mission Parish Council in Cardiff (MPC) by e-mailing John: john@jagproperties.co.uk.

SHAKESPEARE IN ARMENIAN AT LONDON’S GLOBE

For the first time in history, the Gabriel Sundukyan National Academic Theatre from Armenia will be performing in Shakespear’s Globe in London. The group will perform Shakespear’s “King John” in London’s Globe on Wednesday 16

May at 2:30pm and on Thursday 17 May at 7:30pm. This was arranged mainly thanks to the efforts of Mr. Kevork Malikyan and the personal involvement of the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in the UK. The Primate’s Office is working on coordinating group tickets with transportation for the Thursday show (17 May at 7:30pm). In next week’s issue of the E-Newsletter we will announce the details of the tickets and arrangements. If you are interested to join us in the Globe that evening please let us know by contacting the Primate’s Office: 020 8127 8364, or e-mail: primatesoffice@armenianchurch.co.uk. The Gabriel Sundukyan National Academic Theatre was founded in Armenia in 1992 and is named after the founder of the Armenian school of realistic drama. Well known actors and directors such as Vahram Papazian and Hrachia Ghaplanyan were stars of the Sundukyan Theatre. For further info please Click Here.

LIST OF DONOURS TO THE BISHOP’S RECEPTION - THANK YOU!

The Primate, and the volunteer staff of the Primate’s Office would like to thank all individuals and organisations as well as church council who donated toward the reception on the occasion of the first Badarak of His Grace Bishop Vahan Hovhanessian, as Bishop. The volunteer staff of the Primate’s Office have done their best to record all donours and finalise this list. We apologise in advance for any possible errors in the list. If your name has been missed out or is misspelled, kindly contact the Primate’s Office to correct our list. Thank you.

ARMENIAN CHURCH COUNCILS:

Holy Trinity Church Trust, Manchester Mission Parish council, Cardiff Mission Parish council, Dublin St. Sarkis Church Trust, London

ARMENIAN ORGANISATIONS:

Anahit Association Armenian General Benevolent Union Armenian Relief Society of Great Britain Armenian Youth Football Association Centre for Armenian Information & Advice The Tekeyan Trust, London

INDIVIDUAL DONOURS:

His Grace Bishop Doye Agama A. Violetta Barzankian-Kaydan Albert Dertatevasian Anahid Association

Ani Kouyoumjian Anonymous Antony Abadjian Ara Krikorian Armen and Karine Topalian Armen Dartevasian Armenag and Hasmig Topalian Bagrad and Seda Nazarian Christopher and Anoushka Kurkjian Deacon Frank Kabarajian

Diana Katsouris Dr. Anoush Simelofian Major Edward Albazi Flora Abadjian Garo Boyadjian

Hagop and Sylvie Yeramian Harry Hagopian

Whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.

The Holy Bible 2 Corinthians (9:6-9).

Hratch and Shakeh Tchilingirian John and Christina Kurkjian Lucy Barsamian Lucy Dabagian

Lusine Barsamian Miss A. Krikorian Mr. and Mrs. G. L. Souzou Mr. Bagramian Rick and Chris Dabagian Robert Istepanian Robert Istepanian and Helen Kachikian Seroj and Odette Bazil Shahe and Zvart Gulian Shahe Ouzounian Stepan and Rita Ovenessoff Suzanne Barsamian Tatto Couligian Vahe Aghagabian Vartan and Rosette Ouzounian

DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS

(According to the Armenian Church Lectionary)

The Armenian Church on

Youtube

Thanks to the volunteer efforts of Hovhannes Hovhannisyan, several video clips of various church programmes and activities in the UK and the Republic of Ireland can now be browsed online through Youtube. A special channel in Youtube has been designated for the Armenian Church. You can browse the Youtube page for the Armenian Church in the UK, by Clicking Here: http://www.youtube.com/u ser/ArmenianDioceseOfUK

a

ARMENIAN CHRISTMAS AND NATIVITY SERVICES: The Primate’s Office announced the following schedule for the Church services on

the occasion of the Feast of the Birth and Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ:

St. Sarkis and St. Yeghiche Churches in London:

Thursday, 5th January: Eve of the Nativity 5:30-6:00 Evening service and Scripture Readings 6:00-7:30 Badarak (Divine Liturgy)

Friday, 6th January: Feast of the Nativity and Divine Revelation 11:00-11:30 Badarak (Divine Liturgy)

Holy Trinity Church in Manchester:

Friday, 6th January: Feast of the Nativity and Divine Revelation 11:15-12:30 Badarak (Divine Liturgy)

CHRISTMAS CD BY OUR OWN DEACON ARTUR

Deacon Artur Bobikyan, deacon of the Holy Trinity Armenian Church in Manchester has released a new

CD for Christmas under the title “My Keys to Christmas.” The CD includes an anthology of traditional and contemporary Christmas carols and hymns performed by Deacon Artur on the Piano and presented in a new revision with Artur’s own musical interpretation. Copies of the CD can be purchased online or by sending a cheque for the amount of £15 payable to the “Armenian Church TrustUK” and mailing the cheques to the Primate’s Office, c/o Hye Doon, 25 Cheniston Gardens, Kensington, London W8 6TG, UK, or by donating online through the following link: Click Here. Congratulations Deacon Artur!

PRIMATE’S OFFICE NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT

Please help us continue publishing the E-Newsletter & offering the various educational, cultural & social programmes planned and funded by the Primate’s Office by financially supporting the Armenian Church Trust UK. C L I C K H E R E

BIBLE STUDY GROUPS - UPDATE

For over a year now, the Continuing Education Ministry (CEM) of the Primate’s Office has been offering two Bible Study groups, which regularly meet at Nevart Gulbenkain Hall to read, discuss and interpret the Bible according to the Armenian Church traditions. During the past year we finished reading the Gospel of Mark and are almost done with the Book of Acts. Because of the forthcoming season of Christmas, with its family gatherings and celebration, the Primate’s Office decided to suspend the Bible Study meetings until the end of the year. The two groups will resume their study sessions in January 2012. There will be no Bible Study session this Friday, 16th December. Happy New Year!

ARMENIAN CHURCH OF UK AND IRELAND

The Primate’s Office: 25 Cheniston Gardens, Kensington, London W8 6TG, UK Website: www.armenianchurch.co.uk • E-mail: primatesoffice@armenianchurch.co.uk Phone: 020 8127 8364 • Fax: 087 2111 5548

Church News