Armenian Church E-, Issue 30

20 JULY 2012 ISSUE 30 VOLUME 3

E-NEWSLETTER H- J:RJIK A WEEKLY ONLINE PUBLICATION OF THE PRIMATE’S OFFICE OF THE DIOCESE OF THE

ARMENIAN CHURCH OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND

IS YOUR CALENDAR MARKED NEXT SUNDAY? THE 2ND ANNUAL ARMENIAN STREET FESTIVAL

THE PRIMATE’S OFFICE has received classified intelligence that the calendar of Cllr. Christopher Buckmaster, Mayor of the RB of Kensington and Chelsea is marked for next Sunday’s attendance of the Armenian Festival. The Mayor’s Office has confirmed his attendance of the Festival joining the Primate in the ribbon cutting ceremony, for the inauguration of the second annual Armenian Street Festival in

London. Meanwhile, the volunteers of the Festival together with the volunteer staff of the Primate’s Office are working hard on finalizing the last minute arrangements to make sure that the Festival is a successful one and a proud celebration of the Armenian culture, identity and history here in the UK.

 As of today, 23 stalls have been reserved by various Armenian and non-Armenian vendors. Very few stalls are still available. If interested please contact Bedros Aslanian: baslanyan@yahoo.co.uk. DEADLINE THIS SUNDAY, 22 ND JULY.

 If interested in supporting the Festival financially, please send your donation payable to “The Armenian Church Trust UK” and post it to: The Primate’s Office, c/o Hye Doon, 25 Cheniston, Kensington, London W8 6TG. DONATIONS RECEIVED BY MONDAY, 23RD JULY WILL BE ACKNOWLEDGED IN THE FESTIVAL BOOKLET.

 Several Armenian benefactors, organisations, Church Trusts and Parish Councils as well as schools and friends have already supported the Festival by sponsoring a page (£250) or half a page (£150) in the booklet. If your organization is interested in sponsoring a page please contact the Primate’s Office (0208 127 8364). DONATIONS RECEIVED BY MONDAY, 23RD JULY WILL BE ACKNOWLEDGED IN THE FESTIVAL BOOKLET.

 A corner will be designated for the backgammon tournament. See online flyer for details. You can sign up for the tournament NOW by contacting Anais (07931 377 539). Have not volunteered yet, but are interested to help, please send an e-mail to the Primate’s Office or call Socie (0208 127 8364).

 Check out our ONLINE CLIP and FACEBOOK PAGE for more information.  Finally, join us next Sunday, 29th July, and bring all your Facebook friends with you, in

celebrating our pride in our Armenian heritage in the heart of London!

The Primate’s Office c/o Hye Doon 25 Cheniston Gardens Kensington, London W8 6TG

The Primate’s Office

c/o Hye Doon 25 Cheniston Gardens Kensington London, W8 6TG

Church Website

armenianchurch.co.uk

E-mail

primatesoffice@

armenianchurch.co.uk

Telephone

0208 127 8364

20 July 2012

Issue 30, Volume 3

WE HAVE FOUR CANDIDATES FOR ORDINATION!

LAST WEEKEND, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, 13-14 July, His Grace Bp. Vahan Hovhanessian, Primate, led a retreat for a group of altar servers. This is the first retreat for the members of the Deacons’ Training Programme (DTP), a programme launched by the Primate almost two years ago. The retreat included 3 Bible study sessions exploring the Biblical concept of discipleship and how the Armenian Church understands that. The retreat program included also a night vigil, at 11:00pm and a morning service at 8:00pm, several discussion sessions, watching and discussion of the film: Of God’s and Men, and free time for meditation and reflections on the beautiful grounds of the Clear Waters Retreat house in Suffolk. The retreat was also the opportunity for several altar servers to take their qualifying test for the

Armenian Church Minor Order of Tubir/Dupir (Acolyte). The written exam tested the candidates knowledge of the basics of the Armenian Church liturgical vessels and vestments, the various sacred parts within the Armenian Church building and liturgical customs and practices. The Primate’s Office is happy to announce that the following four candidates have successfully passed the test, and are now ready for ordination: Alex Adamov,

Nairy Afrikian, Hovik Hovhannisyan and Arman Sarvarian. All four candidates have been serving the St. Sarkis and St. Yeghiche Armenian Churches in London during the past 2 years, and have been active members of the Deacons’ Training Programme. Congratulations and God bless their commitment and efforts in serving the Lord through the Armenian Church. Stay tuned for the date and location of the ordination service. Meanwhile, if you are, or someone you know is, interested in serving at the altar and would like to join our Deacons’ Training Programme, please contact the Primate’s Office (0208 127 8364). Be the first to reply to the Lord’s command “Follow me, and I will make you fisher of men,” and join the DTP!

“FORGIVENESS AND HEALING: INTRIGUING PARALLELS” – LECTURE

THE CONTINUING EDUCATION MINISTRY (CEM) of the Primate’s Office of the Armenian Church of Great Britain and Ireland is happy to announce the offering of the lecture “Forgiveness & Healing: Intriguing Parallels between the Physical and Spiritual Effects” by George Piligian, MD, Preventive Medicine, Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, USA. The lecture will take place on Thursday, 19th July at 7:00pm in the Nevart Gulbenkian Hall of the St. Sarkis Church. Dr. George Piligian will continue the series of lectures he started two years ago in London exploring the topic of science and Christian faith. His lecture “Forgiveness & Healing: Intriguing Parallels between the Physical and Spiritual Effects,” will shed light on the intriguing parallels between healing processes in the body and the spiritual healing of Christ. A wine reception will follow. Admission is free and all are welcome. Please mark your calendar to join us, and bring a friend with you!

PRIMATE TO MEET WITH ARMENIAN YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN

THE ARMENIAN CHURCH YOUTH FELLOWSHIP (ACYF) is planning a meeting with the Primate, Bishop Vahan Hovhanessian, on Monday, 6th August, at 8:00pm in the Nevart Gulbenkian Hall. All young Armenian men and women are invited to the meeting. A fellowship will follow. During the meeting with the Primate those present will discuss several activities for young Armenians in London and Great Britain in the forthcoming months, including a pilgrimage to the Armenian monastery of San Lazzaro. Interested? Send your contact info to: acyf@armenianchurch.co.uk.

CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO SUPPORT THE ARMENIAN CHURCH TRUST – UK

(ACT-UK) WWW.ARMENIANCHURCHTRUST.ORG.UK

20 July 2012 Issue 30 Volume 3

SIGN UP NOW FOR THE 3RD PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOLY LAND

THE PRIMATE’S OFFICE is happy to confirm the following as the dates for the third annual Pilgrimage to the Holy Land: Departure, Heathrow Airport, London Sunday, 6th January, 22:55, and return to Heathrow from Tel Aviv on Sunday 13th January, arriving London at 20:15. The cost of the pilgrimage is £1,000 each, for sharing a twin room, and £1,400 each for single room occupancy. The cost includes airfare, lodging, local transportation, daily breakfast and dinner. To reserve your seat in our Pilgrimage with the prices mentioned above, please send your deposit of £500 by Sunday 12th August, 2012. An extra processing fee (charged by British Airways) will be added to applicants who send their deposit after the 12th of August. As in the previous years, the 2013 Pilgrimage will include visits and discussion sessions at the important shrines such as Nazareth, the Church of the Annunciation, Bethlehem, the Sea of Galilee, Jerusalem, the Sepulcher, Mount Tabor, the Mount of Temptation, and the Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem. Pilgrims will stay in 4-star hotels, and transportation will be via luxury coaches. Special arrangements are being made for those who are interested in the Pilgrimage but prefer flying from Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff, Dublin, or another country. If so, please contact he Primate’s Office for the special arrangements.

PRIMATE ELECTED PRESIDENT OF COUNCIL OF CHURCHES

LAST TUESDAY, 17TH JULY, twenty seven bishops, clergy and deacons, representing the following six churches that make up the Council of the Oriental Orthodox Church: Aritrian, Armenian, Coptic, Ethiopian, Indian and Syrian, held their regular meeting of the Council. Those present discussed the situation at the mother lands of these churches, such as Egypt, Syria and Iraq, and various ecclesiastical, pastoral and administrative issues related to the ministry of the dioceses of these churches in the UK. The Council discussed also the Oriental Orthodox Council’s dialogues with the Anglican and Catholic churches in the UK. A key item on the agenda of the meeting was the election of its new executive officers. We are happy to inform our readers that His Grace Bishop Vahan Hovhanessian, Primate of the Armenian Church in GB and Ireland was elected the President of the Council of Oriental Orthodox Churches by a unanimous vote. Congratulation to Bshop Vahan and to the Armenian Church in GB & Ireland.

PRIMATE CELEBRATED VARTAVAR BADARAK IN ST. SARKIS

LAST SUNDAY, on the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, H.G. Bishop Vahan celebrated the Divine Liturgy in St. Sarkis Church. Reflecting on the biblical miracle of the Transfiguration, the Primate stated, “The same Lord who was transfigured on Mount Tabor and revealed His comforting and spiritually renewing divine presence to Peter, James and John, promised us to be there whenever two or more people gather in His name. Consequently, every Sunday can be a “transfiguring” experience for us, if we participate in the Badarak with pure hearts and with genuine expectations to meet the Lord.” Assisting the Primate at the altar, in addition to the altar servers, were Revd Fr. Shnork Bagdasarian, Pastor, and Very Revd Fr. Bisak Hatapbian.

Tell your friends and join us on Sunday, 29th July, at the Second Annual Armenian Street Festival

20 July 2012

Issue 30 Volume 3

Scripture Readings According to the Armenian Church Lectionary

Sunday – 22 July Isaiah 3:16-4:1 1 Corinthians 1:25-30 Matthew 18:10-14

Monday – 23 July Isaiah 46:12-13 Galatians 3:13-22 Luke 15:1-10

Tuesday – 24 July Proverbs 8:1-4 Malachi 2:5-7 1 Peter 5:1-7 John 16:33-17:8

Wednesday – 25 July 1Corinthians 2:12-3:10 Matthew 18:15-22

Thursday – 26 July

Numbers 20:23-29 Deuteronomy 34:5-12 Joshua 24:29-33 1 Samuel 15:34-16:13 Hebrews 11:1-31 Luke 20:34-40

Friday – 27 July 1 Corinthians 5:9-6:10 Matthew 18:23-35

Saturday – 28 July Jeremiah 17:7-8 Isaiah 61:3-7 2 Timothy 1:6-14 Luke 11:29-32

NO HOKEHANKISD @ ST. SARKIS ON 29TH JULY

In an effort to prepare for the Festival and appropriate welcome to the dignitaries which will visit our Festival, church services on Sunday 29th July will end at 12:00 noon. There will be no Hokehankisd service following Badarak. Requests for Hokehankisd will be honoured the following Sunday.

DINNER/RECEPTION W/ARMENIAN OLYMPIANS

THE ARMENIAN COMMUNITY AND CHURCH COUNCIL (ACCC) of Great Britain cordially invites the members of the Armenian community to a Dinner and Reception with the Armenian Olympians to take place on Saturday, July 28, 2012 at the Palm Court of the Hurlingham Club. The Guest of Honour of the Dinner & Reception, which is scheduled to start at 7:00 pm, is His Excellency Mr. Serzh Sarkissian, the President of the Republic of Armenia. Minimum donation: £100. Funds raised will be donated to the Armenian Paralympic team. For further information about the event please click here to visit the ACCC website. For further information about the venue of the dinner and reception, please Click Here to visit the website of the Hurlington Club. As announced in earlier issues of the E-Newsletter the President will also be visiting the Second Annual Street Festival to take place in Iverna Gardens and the St. Sarkis Armenian Church grounds on Sunday, 29th July, and open the festivities of the day with the cutting of ribbon ceremonies. For further information,CLICK HERE.

PRAYER REQUESTS

THE HOLY BIBLE encourages us to pray for each other—9A[7j;zhq irarou famar orphsxi bv,kouiq! Ardarin n;rgo/o[ a[;rsanqe ,at axd;zik h0 “Pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much" says the Apostle James (5:16). If you are, or someone you know is, in need of prayer, for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact the Primate’s Office by e-mail: primatesoffice@armenianchurch.co.uk, or telephone 0208 127 8364, and convey the name of the person for whom prayer is requested, and if possible, the reason for the request. The Primate will personally remember the person in his daily prayers. We will also be happy to share the prayer request in our Sunday Church bulletin, with our worshipping faithful in the churches ONLY if the person requesting the prayer wishes to have the request published.

THE PRIMATE’S OFFICE:

Is open Monday-Friday from 11am-3pm. Phone: 0208 127 8364 or email: primatesoffice@armenianchurch.co.uk. During the weekend, please leave a message and someone will return your call. Appointments are welcome through the above mentioned contact information. For Hokehankist, please contact the local church priest or office directly.

HELP US HELP ARMENIAN GRADUATES

Armenian graduates of UK universities contact the Primate’s Office regularly seeking employment in the UK. If you or someone you know can help these bright Armenians find a job please contact the Primate’s Office by Clicking Here or telephoning: 0208 127 8364..

E-NEWSLETTER FOR YOUR RELATIVE OR FRIEND

Forward your relative’s or friend’s e-mail address to: information@armenianchurch.co.uk, and we will be happy to add him or her to our E-Newsletter growing mailing list.