Armenian Church E-Newsletter, Issue 35

25 AUGUST 2012

ISSUE 35 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

H.H. KAREKIN II ISSUES A DIRECTIVE FOR HELPING ARMENIANS IN SYRIA

IN A LETTER, dated 16th August, 2012, His Holiness Karekin II informed our Primate that following several conversations and contacts with H.G. Bishop Armash Nalbandian, Primate of the Armenian Church of Syria in Damascus, His Holiness is calling on Armenians in Armenia and the Diaspora to raise funds to support the Armenians in Syria. According to Bishop Nalbandian, a special emergency relief committee for the Armenians in Syria has been formed to collect donations to support the Armenian Community. The relief committee has offices in Damascus and Aleppo. The funds raised will be distributed through the Diocese of the Armenian Church in Damascus, Syria. It is our Christian duty to help our brothers and sisters in Syria during these times of uncertainty and lack of security and peace. Please help us raising funds for the Armenians of Syria by sending your donation payable to: “The Armenian Church Trust UK” and post it to: The Primate’s Office, 25 Cheniston Gardens, London W8 6TG. The full amount of the donation will be transferred to the Armenian Church in Syria and a list of the donours will be published in future issues of the E-Newsletter. To read Vehapar’s letter addressed to Bishop Vahan in Armenian, click here. As announced earlier in the E-Newsletter and elsewhere, Bp Vahan has contacted Bp Armash and is keeping close contact with him regarding the situation in Syria, and had declared a day of prayer and fasting for peace and stability in Syria. Click here for more info.

JOIN THE PRIMATE IN MANCHESTER

NEXT SUNDAY, 2nd September, 2012 His Grace Bp. Vahan Hovhanessian, Primate, will be ordaining four young men to the Four Minor Orders of the Armenian Church ministry, commonly known as Acolyte, in Armenian Tubir (Dupir). The four young candidates, who have been serving at the altars of St. Sarkis and St. Yeghiche Churches in London for the past two years or so are: Hovik Hovhannisyan, Nairi Afrikyan, Arman Sarvarian and Alex Adamov. The ordination ceremony, which will follow the traditional Armenian Church service composed by our Church fathers hundreds of years ago, will take place in the Holy Trinity Church in Manchester, beginning at 11:00AM. The celebrant of the day will be H.G. Bishop Vahan. The Holy Trinity Church will be offering lunch following church services, £6 per person. Space is limited. Please call the Manchester Church Vicarage for further information: 016 1273 1074.

We at the Primate’s Office would love to hear from you. Please send your comments, feedback and observations to: The Primate’s Office, c/o Hye Doon, 25 Cheniston Gardens, 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

25 August 2012

Issue 35, Volume 3

24 PILGRIMS SIGNED UP FOR THE THIRD HOLY LAND PILGRIMAGE

BY THE DEADLINE FOR REGISTERING for the third Annual Pilgrimage to Jerusalem and the Holy Land, Monday, 20th August, 2012, there were 24 who have confirmed their participation in the Pilgrimage and sent their deposits to the Primate’s Office. As announced earlier, the third annual Pilgrimage to the Holy Land is scheduled to commence on Sunday, night, 6th January according to the following itinerary: Departure, Heathrow Airport, London Sunday, 6th January, 22:30, Return to Heathrow from Tel Aviv on Sunday 13th January, arriving London at 20:15. Still interested? You can join us. Having consulted with British Airways, the cost of the pilgrimage now is £1,200 each, for sharing a twin room, and £1,500 for single room occupancy. A deposit of £500 is required to register. The deposit MUST BE received at the Primate’s Office no later than Tuesday morning, 4th September.

PRIMATE SENDS LETTER OF CONDOLENCES TO THE ETHIOPIAN CHURCH

The Patriarch and head of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Abune Paulos, has died aged 76, last Thursday, 16th August, 2012. Abune Paulos was chosen to lead the church in 1992 - a year after the overthrow of the communist government of Mengistu Haile Mariam. Abune Paulos was the spiritual leader of 40 million Orthodox Christian Ethiopians living in Ethiopia and the diaspora. Archbishop Abune Natnael, was elected the Locum Tenens by the synod of Ethiopian Bishops, to prepare for the election of the next Ethiopian Patriarch. His Grace Bishop Vahan sent two letters of condolences to Abp. Natnael, one on behalf of the Armenian Church in Great Britain and Ireland and another one on behalf of the Council of the Oriental Orthodox Churches in Great Britain and Ireland. May the Lord rest the soul of the late patriarch in peace.

ACYF SERVICE PROJECT FOR THE MEKHITARIST MONASTERY

THE ARMENIAN YOUTH FELLOWSHIP (ACYF), operating directly under the supervision of H.G. Bishop Vahan Hovhanessian, Primate, is planning a Service Programme at the Mekhitarist Armenian Monastery in San Lazzaro Venice. The Service Programme will include volunteer work at the Library of the Mekhitarist Monastery to help in an ongoing project to digitalise their very valuable collection of books and update the Library’s catalogue. The Service Programme is scheduled for Thursday, 11th October to Sunday, 14th October. Already eleven young Armenian men and women have signed up for this programme, following its announcement on the ACYF Facebook a few days ago. The cost of the program, including roundtrip airfare London-Venice on British Airways, and lodging in Venice for the period of the programme and a group dinner on Friday night, 12th October, 2012 in San Marco Island in Venice, is £350. Remaining space is limited in the programme. If interested, please send your cheques payable to The Armenian Church Trust UK (ACT-UK) and post it to the Primate’ Office, 25 Cheniston Gardens, Kensington, London W8 6TG.

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

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

ACYF Meeting in Marseille, France

25 August 2012 Issue 35 Volume 3

TU-BIR OR NOT TU-BIR (cont.) – THE SERVICE OF THE ORDINATION

THE MAIN ACTION in the ordination service is the laying of the Bishop’s hand over the heads of the candidates confirming upon them the newly granted Order. This practice comes from the pages of the Bible and was handed down by the Apostles. Around this central liturgical act, the Armenian Church has hewn a beautiful liturgy through which the candidates receive what is known as the Four Minor Orders of the Armenian Church, combined traditionally known as Acolytes or Tubirs (Dupirs). Following the act of initiation of the candidates, as discussed in the previous issue of the E-Newsletter, which takes place at the entrance of the Church, the Bishop confers upon the candidates the following four Orders at different points on the central isle of the church, with the candidates kneeling: 1) Doorkeeper, which grants the candidate the right to unlock and lock the church doors and all the closets containing the vessels and vestments of the church; 2) Reader (or Lector), which grants the candidate the right to read the designated scripture readings of the day in public during church services; 3) Supplicant, which grants the candidate the right to pray over the sick; 4) Acolyte, which grants the candidates the right to light the candles and lanterns of the church and to carry candles during church services. At the conclusion of the bestowal of the Four Minor Orders, the Bishop gives the candidates the right to prepare the wafer (Nushklhar) used for the Holy Communion and the permission to carry the tray and the empty cruet of the wine for communion. A booklet is being prepared by the Liturgical and Worship Programme of the Primate’s Office, funded by the Armenian Church Trust UK (ACT-UK), which will include the text of the Ordination service in English and Classical Armenian and will be distributed to all attending the ordination service in Manchester, next Sunday, 2nd September.

SPONSORING A PILGRIM

PILGRIMAGES, SINCE THE EARLY CENTURIES OF CHRISTIANITY, have been an essential component of the ministry and mission of the Armenian Church all over the world. Writings of the early Church describe the difficulties Armenians endured traveling for weeks from Armenia to the Holy Land to participate in a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Pilgrimages are great opportunities to connect with the various locations and shrines that, combined, served as the context in which our faith was born. During the past two years since we started our annual pilgrimages, students and young men and women have approached the Primate asking him if the Church can help them financially to participate in the pilgrimage. Unfortunately, we have to turn such requests down because of the fact that we try to charge pilgrims exactly what the cost of the Pilgrimage is. In the past centuries, Armenian benefactors contributed financially to sponsor a pilgrim, who otherwise could not afford paying for his way. Can you help a young Armenian experience the spiritually uplifting and rejuvenating experience of the holy pilgrimage this year? Please send your donation of a full or partial pilgrimage, payable to the “Armenian Church Trust UK” to the Primate’s Office, 25 Cheniston Gardens, London W8 6TG. Thank you in advance!

ARMENIAN INSTITUTE’S CALL FOR ARTISTS

THE ARMENIAN INSTITUTE IN LONDON, is planning a 3-day event to be held in the popular art space of Shoreditch Town Hall from January 31 to February 3, 2013. During the day the art exhibitions, installations and film screenings will take place. In the evening the institute will have live performances. The intention of the Armenian Institute is to make this an annual event. For this year, the Institute has chosen the theme of displacement and regeneration and will be focusing on the Armenian experience of loss and resettlement. Artists interested to participate are encouraged to contact the Institute via e-mail: info@armenianinstitute.org.uk, by 16th September 2012. For further information please Click Here.

YOUNG TALENTED ARTISTS OF ARMENIA IN LONDON

HAYASTAN ALL-ARMENIAN FUND GB invites you to a Charity Concert by the “Young Talented Artists of Armenia”, a group of highly talented musicians who have won prizes at numerous music festivals, as well as national and international competitions. The ensemble includes two vocalists and six instrumentalists, playing the piano, cello, kanon, shvi, flute and saxophone. The programme will include works from all genres of music including Armenian compositions. The concert will take place at St. John's, Smith Square, London SW1P 3HA, on Saturday 10th November 2012, at 7:30pm. Tickets: £30, £25, £20, £15 and £10, with group and children's concessions. For tickets please email a.carapeti@btinternet.com or telephone: 020 8993 2266.

Are you interested to support the ministry of the Armenian Church by joining the Church choirs or altar servers? Please write to the Primate’s Office: primatesoffice@armenianchurch.co.uk

25 August 2012

Issue 35 Volume 3

Scripture Readings According to the Armenian Church Lectionary

Sunday – 26 August Isaiah 9:8-19

2 Corinthians 1:1-11 Mark 4:35-40

Monday – 27 August

Proverbs 10:1-7 Isaiah 44:24-26 Hebrews 4:11-15 Matthew 5:1-12

Tuesday – 28 August Ezekiel 18:30-32 1 Corinthians 2:6-10 Matthew 23:34-39

Wednesday – 29 August 2 Corinthians 3:4-17 Mark 6:45-56

Thursday – 30 August Proverbs 20:6-22 Job 42:12-17 Lamentations 3:22-56 Acts 13:25-33

James 5:7-11 Matthew 14:1-12

Friday – 31 August 2 Corinthians 5:6-18 Mark 7:24-30

Saturday – 1 September Ezekiel 44:23-24 Hebrews 12:1-7 John 14:25-31

DJIVAN GASPARYAN IN A CONCERT IN LONDON

WE ARE HAPPY to inform our readers about a forthcoming concert on 28th September featuring Armenia’s folk music icon Djivan Gasparyan. Master of the duduk, Gasparyan brings traditional Armenian music to the UK in this extremely rare appearance, accompanied by his ensemble. In this concert, Gasparyan will also rekindle his Grammy-nominated partnership with Iranian maestro Hossein Alizâdeh for a new finale collaboration. You can find all the info about the event by following this link: http://www.barbican.org.uk/music/event-detail.asp?ID=13567

“RECOGNISING THE SPIRIT OF ARTSAKH” – THIS SUNDAY

THE CONTINUING EDUCATION MINISTRY (CEM) of the Primate’s Office of the Armenian Church of Great Britain and Ireland is happy to offer a presentation by Russell Pollard titled, “Recognising the Spirit of Artsakh: A very personal perspective on the Life and People of Artsakh.” The lecture is scheduled on this Sunday, 26th August, 2012 at 1:30pm in Nevart Gulbenkian Hall. All are welcome. Admission is free.

CLASSES IN WESTERN ARMENIAN

COURSES IN WESTERN ARMENIAN will be offered for beginners, intermediates and advances students in Hye Doon by Professor Krikor Moskofian of the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS, University of London). Courses will start the first week in October. For further information or to register please click here, or e-mail: moskofiank@hotmail.co.uk

PRIMATE TO LECTURE AT LAMBETH PALACE

THE ANGLICAN AND EASTERN CHURCHES ASSOCIATION in conjunction with the Nikean Club, will be sponsoring this year’s Annual Constantinople Lecture. The guest lecturer will be His Grace Bishop Vahan Hovhanessian, Primate. The title of the lecture is: “The New Testament Apocrypha and the Armenian Church Canon of the Bible.” The lecture is scheduled on Thursday 22nd November 2012. And will take place at Lambeth Palace, London SE1 7JU, by special permission of His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury. The evening will start at 5:30 with Evensong followed by Bishop Vahan’s lecture and 7:00pm Buffet supper, carriages at 9:00pm. Tickets for the event, including buffet supper, are £23 per person. For tickets please write to The General Secretary, Anglican and Eastern Churches Association, c/o The Old Deanery, Dean’s Court, London EC4V 5AA, or e-mail: janet.laws@btopenworld.com. Closing date for booking tickets is: Friday, 9th November 2012. Places are limited and will be allocated to AECA & Nikaean members first. For further information, Click Here.

SAHAK-MESROP CHOIR OF MARSEILLE IN LONDON

For the first time ever in the UK, the Tekeyan Cultural Association cordially invites you to a choral concert by the 50-member, award winning and internationally renowned “Sahak-Mesrop Armenian Choir of Marseille.” The programme will include popular Armenian choral songs, under the direction of Khatchig Yilmazian. The concert will take place in St. Yeghiche Armenian Church, Cranley Gardens SW7 3DB, on Saturday, 6th October, 2012, at 7:30pm. Tickets: £25, £20 and £10. For tickets, please e-mail tca@tekeyantrust.org.uk, or telephone: 0208 879 0758, or 0208 544 8034.

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