Armenian Church E-Newsletter, Issue 11, Volume 3

16 MARCH 2012
ISSUE 11 VOLUME 3
... AND MADAGH
“The Chapel of Ascension” The Holy Land
The Service of the Washing
of the Feet
This year, the Lord’s moving act of the washing of the feet of His disciples, as narrated in the Gospel of John 13:1-17, will be enacted in St. Sarkis Church on Holy Thursday, April 5th, at 4:30pm. The Primate’s Office invites parents and families with boys of ages 7-12, who wish to have their sons participate in the traditional “Washing of the Feet” ceremonies of Holy Thursday to register with the Primate’s Office. The service inspiringly presents the final evening of our Lord as he knelt after the Last Supper and washed the feet of His disciples as a sign of love and humility.
Please note that, in order to organise the service better, your son’s or grandson’s name needs to be registered in advance so the boys can attend a rehearsal with the Primate prior to the date of the service.
To register your son or for further information please contact he Primate’s Office at 020 8127 8364 or e-mail: primatesoffice@armenianchurch.co.uk.
Join Us for Ascension In Jerusalem! 2012 Annual Pilgrimage
Imagine celebrating Badarak inside an outdoor tent on the top of the Biblical Mount of Ascension! That is exactly what the pilgrims of the Second Annual Armenian Church Pilgrimage will be doing on the 24th of May, with H.G. Bishop Vahan Hovhanessian, who will be celebrating the Badarak. The Second Annual Pilgrimage to the Holy Land is being organized by the Primate’s Office to participate in the traditional celebration of the Feast of the Ascension. The pilgrims will also get to visit Bethlehem, the Holy Sepulcher, the Mount of Temptation, the Dead Sea, River Jordan and the Armenian Quarter in Jerusalem. The Pilgrimage schedule is: Departure from Heathrow, London, Friday night, 18 May, 22:30 and return Saturday, 26 May, arriving Heathrow at 20:00pm. The cost of the pilgrimage per person is only £950, which covers all expenses including airfare (London, Heathrow-Tel Aviv, Ben Gurion, and return via British Airways), accommodation in twin- rooms in 4-star hotels, breakfast and dinner every day, bus transportation in deluxe coaches, admission to all sites and museums on the itinerary, tips and a free copy of the booklet “The Armenian Pilgrim.” The cost for the above will increase to be £1,300 for single room accommodation. Please contact the Primate’s Office by 18th March, as seats are getting reserved, by e- mail: primatesoffice@armenianchurch.co.uk, or call: 0208 127 8364. Check our online flyer by Clicking Here. UK and USA issued Passports do not require visas in advance, as visas will be issued on arrival in Israel. If you hold a passport issued by another country, please check with your country’s Embassy or the Embassy of Israel for information about obtaining an Israeli visa. Join us!
“The Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem at night”
HAVE YOU VISITED OUR DIOCESAN WEBSITE RECENTLY?
www.armenianchurch.co.uk
16 MARCH 2012
ISSUE 11, VOLUME 3
THE PRIMATE’S OFFICE FINANCIAL STATEMENT – ACT-UK One of the highlights of the First Armenian Church Assembly was presentation of the Primate’s Office’s Financial Statement for the year 2011. The statement, printed in the annual report and projected on the screen during the assembly, was
prepared by the Primate’s Office and examined and discussed by the ACT-UK
members of the Managing Board. The Statement included the expenditure and
income of the Primate’s Office for the year 2011 and the estimated budget for the
year 2012. This is the first time that the Bishop of the Armenian Church in the
UK is opening the financial records of the Church and discussing the details of
the financial operations of the Church. The statement was divided into three
major categories: 1) Ministry; 2) Ecumenical; and 3) Administrative. The
Ministry subsection offered the expenditures and revenues of the various
ministries of the Primate’s Office such as the Armenian Church Trust of the
United Kingdom (ACT-UK), Armenian Church Youth Fellowship (ACYF), Continuing Education Ministry (CEM), Mission Parish
Outreach (MPO) to Birmingham, Cardiff and Dublin, the Pastoral Ministry and others. The Ecumenical subsection covered the
expenditures incurred as a result of the churches on-going communications and participation in assemblies and meetings with other
churches and faith communities, as well as with Armenian Churches around the world. The final subsection, focused on the
SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST
Primate’s Office’s administrative expenses, such as telephone, internet, stationary, application fees and the purchase of office
AND/OR CALL-OUTS
equipment. His Grace Bishop Vahan Hovhanessian, Primate, emphasized the importance of engaging the Armenian faithful in every aspect of the Armenian Churches operation, including the details of the financial transactions, because, added Bishop Vahan, “the Church is the Armenian people. The Church belongs to the people by serving, teaching, supporting and leading them.” The Financial Statement of the Primate’s Office is available on the official diocesan website and can be downloaded by Clicking Here.
DEACONS’ TRAINING PROGRAMME: PREPARATIONS FOR ORDINATION
The participants of the “Deacons’ Training Programme” of the Primate’s Office of the Armenian Church of the UK and Republic of Ireland continue their regular weekly attendance to the training programme which takes place in the St. Sarkis Church every Monday evening. Recently, the group has been reviewing parts of the “Deacons’ Training Manual” with Bishop Vahan in preparations for the written and oral qualification tests that they will have to take as a prerequisite to their ordination to the “Minor Order of Clerks” (Tubeer or Dupeer) of the Armenian Church. This ordination initiates the candidates into the sacred and centuries-old brotherhood of altar servers in the Armenian Church. The preparation of the seven young men, however, is not limited to memorizing psalms and litanies and practicing the patterns of incensing. It will include a retreat together with the Bishop during which the candidates will spend a weekend of prayer, meditation, Bible Study, discussion and
self-examination. May the Lord be with our candidates as they prepare for the holy orders and, God willing, life-long ministry in the vineyard of the Armenian Church. If you or someone you know, may be interested in joining the Deacons’ Training Programme, please contact the Primate’s Office for further information.
CHECK OUT THE ARMENIAN CHURCH TRUST – UK WEBSITE (ACT-UK)
WWW.ARMENIANCHURCHTRUST.ORG.UK
18 March 2012 ISSUE 11, VOLUME 3
Bishop Vahan’s opening remarks
Hagop Mouradian, Chairman ACT-UK
Ayda Lundon, Chairman Dublin MPC
Fr. Nersess responding to a comment
Hagop Yeramjian, Chairman Holy Trinity, Manchester, Wardens
John Torossyan, Chairman Cardiff MPC
Paul Manoukian, Assembly Chairman
Hratch Tchilingirian, Chairman St. Sarkis Pastoral Council
Hovik Hovhannisyan, Treasurer Armenian Church Youth Fellowship
PICTURES FROM THE FIRST ARMENIAN CHURCH ASSEMBLY
Sunday, 11th March, 2012 at St. Yeghiche Church, London
HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THE ARMENIAN CHURCH PARISH TO BE FORMED, ACCORDING TO OUR TRADITIONAL CHURCH CANONS AND LAWS AT THE ST. SARKIS CHURCH? CLICK THESE LINKS TO READ MORE ABOUT IT: PARISH AND INVITATION & AGENDA
18 March 2012
Issue 11, Volume 3
SCRIPTURE READINGS
According to the Armenian Church Lectionary
Sunday – 18 March
Anirau Tadauori Kiraki
Sunday of the Unjust Judge
Mark 13:1-37 Isaiah 65:8-25 Philippians 3:1-4:9 Luke 17:20-18:14
Monday – 19 March
Twenty Second Day of Great Lent
Hebrews 1:1-14
Tuesday – 20 March
Isaiah 7:10-8:10
Wednesday – 21 March
Exodus 4:1-21 Joel 3:9-21
Thursday – 22 March
Isaiah 53:1-54:5 1 Corinthians 15:1-28
Friday – 23 March
Deuteronomy 10:1-15 Job 19:1-29 Isaiah 45:1-13
Saturday – 24 March
Wisdom of Solomon 1:15-2:22 Micah 7:7-10 Philippians 1:12-21 Matthew 16:24-28
Join us this Friday, 16 March, for our 4th of the six Fridays during Great Lent, as we pray the traditional Peace and Rest services. These inspiring services are being offered at St. Sarkis Church, Kensington, London every Friday at 6:35pm. Service booklets have been prepared which contain the prayers, petitions, hymns and psalmodies of the services in Classical Armenian and English. Following Church services, a Lenten dinner is served in the Nevart Gulbenkian Hall. The menu will include home-made food, according to the Armenian traditional recipes, with wine, soft drinks, coffee/tea and dessert. Each Friday one of the church organisations in London will prepare the dinner. A donation of £10 will help defray the cost of the preparation of the dinner and support the various church programmes. This Friday our host will be the Choir of the St. Sarkis Church in London. Free parking available from 18:30 onward. Join us! Click Here for more info.
A special Lenten Vigil service will be offered this Friday, 16th March, at the Holy Trinity Armenian Church in Manchester. Please contact the Church Vicarage for more information (Telephone: 0161 273 1074).
William Shakespeare has had a strong influence in Armenia; poets, playwrights, actors and audiences have all lived and worked within his generous shade. For the first time in London, the Gabriel Sundukyan Academic Theatrical Group from Armenia, will be performing Shakespeare’s “King John” in the Globe on the 16th and 17th of May, 2012. Click Here for more info!
The Bible Study groups have resumed their weekly study and discussion sessions in the Nevart Gulbenkian Hall of the St. Sarkis Church according to the following schedule: Tuesdays at 18:30-20:00 in Armenian, and Thursdays at 19:00-20:30 in English, 23rd February. Please Note: There will be no Bible Study session in English next Thursday, 22 March.
The Primate’s Office is now accessible to the faithful anytime during the week. You can reach the Office by e-mail: primatesoffice@armenianchurch.co.uk, or telephone: 0208 127 8364. Please contact the local church office or pastor directly (St. Sarkis, St. Yeghiche or Holy Trinity) if you want to arrange a sacrament, church service or Hokehankisd.