Armenian Church E-Newsletter, Issue 25
E-NEWSLETTER................Է-ԹԵՐԹԻԿ OCK
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The official online publication of the Primate’s Office of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of Great Britain and Ireland Issue 25 (Volume 4), 21 June2013
PRIMATE DISCUSSES ROLE OF VIRGIN MARY IN THE APOCRYPHA
Temple Studies Group Symposium 15 June 2013
Last Saturday, 15 June, 2013, Bishop Vahan Hovhanessian, Primate, was one of the scholars to present a
paper at the seventh annual symposium of the Temple Studies Group. The symposium took place in the
Temple Church in London 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. The paper presented by His Grace to be published as part
of the proceedings of the Symposium, examined the roles attributed to the Virgin Mary in the apocryphal
literature of the New Testament. Elaborating on several examples from pseudepigraphic and apocryphal
writings, our Primate demonstrated that Mary‟s popularity in such literature was because of her affiliation
with our Lord as His mother, the virgin birth, her knowledge of stories about Jesus as His mother that
nobody else could have known, and the fact that not much is told about her in the canonical writings other
than the events associated with the birth of our Lord. Following the presentation a period of Question and
Answer followed. The Symposium also included the following papers presented by Professor John Hall,
Brigham Young University, Utah: “The Lady in the Temple before the Hebrews: Hathor of Egypt”;
Dr Laurence Hemming, University of Lancaster: “The Disappearance of Mary in the Temple: An Ambiguity
in the Latin Liturgy”; Dr Margaret Barker, Temple Studies Group: “The Lady known to Isaiah.”
DUBLIN PARISH COMMEMORATES ST GREGORY OF NAREK
On Sunday, 30 June, 2013, His Grace Bishop Vahan Hovhanessian, Primate, will be visiting the Armenian Church community in Dublin, Ireland. During his visit the Primate will celebrate Badarak in Taney Parish (Dundrum, Dublin 14, Ireland) and preside over a special programme dedicated to St Gregory of Narek, as part of the ongoing theme of the Armenian Church of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland for the year 2013-2014. The programme will include a brief introduction about the life and the writing of the saints. This will be followed by a video presentation of the film “The Pastor” which is a 2013 film production about the life and spirituality of the saint. A lunch/reception will follow in the hall of the parish. During his weekend visit to the Dublin Armenian Church community, the Primate will meet with the Mission Parish Council, to discuss matters related to organizing the church community further and the transitional process that they community started to becoming a full Parish. For more information about the Armenian Church community in Ireland, visit their official website, by clicking here.
NEW GENERATION CLAIMS ITS PLACE AT THE ARMENIAN ALTAR
On Sunday, 23 June, 2013, the youngest member of the Deacons‟ Training Programme of our Church here in London, HagopicMouradian, was the altar server in charge of incensing. For the first time in his life, he did the poorvar, leading the celebrant, Revd Fr Shnork Bagdasarian, Pastor, from the Sacristy to the Altar. Hagopic is a member of the latest team of altar servers who joined the training programme several months ago with Andre Sarian. The two young men have been participating in the church services regularly on Sundays and attending the deacons training sessions on Mondays. “It is truly inspiring,” said Bp Vahan, “to see British born young men revitalizing the Armenian Church with their service, time and talents.” The Deacons‟ Training Programme was launched three years ago by, at that time, Fr Vahan Hohvanessian, Primate, in an effort to prepare young men who are interested to support the Armenian Church in her ministry here in the UK and Ireland. The participants of the programme meet regularly with the Primate to practice the deacons‟ part of the Armenian Liturgy and understand the meaning of what is done and why is it done. While knowledge of the Armenian language is encouraged, it is not essential. If you or someone you know is interested in joining the programme and this team of elite young Armenian men, contact the Primate directly by e-mailing: primatesoffice@armenianchurch.co.uk, or call: 0208 127 8374.
UPDATES FROM THE ECUMENICAL CONSULTANT
During the course of his travels to the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region, Dr Harry Hagopian, ecumenical consultant to the Primate of the Armenian Church in the UK & Ireland, spent a few days in Lebanon where he met with HH Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, at Antelias, as well as with HB Patriarch NersesBedros XIX of the Armenian Catholic Church in Ashrafieh. He also held three rounds of discussions with RevdDr Paul Haidostian, President of Haigazian University and pastor of the Armenian Evangelical Church. One current theme focused on the situation of the Armenian communities - including refugees & displaced persons - affected by the ongoing crisis in Syria. He briefed HG Bishop Vahan Hovhanessian upon his return and will be submitting a confidential report of his overall observations to the WCC in Geneva.During his time in Beirut, DrHagopian also gave an interview to the Aztag daily on the successful Motion that he and DrHagopBessos from Edinburgh lobbied for at the Scottish parliament last month in support of the Armenian genocide.
PRIMATE &CHARGED’AFFAIRES: GUESTS OF HM THE QUEEN
His Grace Bp Vahan Hovhanessian, Primate, accompanied MrAraMargarian, the Charge d’Affairs of the
Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in a visit to the 2013 Royal Ascot, last Friday, 21 June, as official
guests of Her Majesty the Queen. The day-long event included a reception at a special lounge within the
Ascot; participation in welcoming the procession of Her Majesty the Queen, and casual meetings with
diplomats, hierarchs, and friends. Friday was the third day of this year‟s Royal Ascot. The feature race on
Friday is the Coronation Stakes, which traditionally brings together the leading three-year-old fillies in
Europe. Also on the card is the King Edward VII Stakes, which was formerly known as the „Ascot Derby‟, as
its conditions mirror those of the Epsom Classic. In 1926 the race was renamed in memory of King Edward
VII.
PRIMATE MEETS WITH THE AMBASSADOR OF IRAQ IN LONDON
His Excellency FaikNerweyi, the Ambassador of the Republic of Iraq to the United Kingdom received in his office in the Embassy His Grace Bishop Vahan Hovhanessian, Primate, and His Eminence Mor Athanasius ThomaDawood, Primate of the Syrian Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom. The two hierachs, born in Iraq, were the guest of the newly appointed Ambassador. The hierarchs were there greet and meet the Ambassador and welcome him to his new post. During the visit the hierarchs discussed with the Ambassador the recent developments in Iraq and the Middle East. Especial emphasis was put on the situation of the Christian communities in the region, including the Armenians and the Syriac Orthodox, who have been natives to the region for centuries. The Ambassador shared his concerns regarding the terroristic plots and agenda to target the Christians of the region. He reflected upon the long history of the children of all religions living peacefully in Iraq and the region for centuries. Prior to his recent post in London, MrNerweyi served as the Iraqi Ambassador in Moscow, the Russian Federation. He holds a Master degree in Social Sciences, Politics and International from University of Tampere in Finland.
His Excellency FaikNerweyi
Ambassador of Iraq
PLEASE HELP US HELP AN ARMENIAN FAMILY
The Primate’s Office received the following plea for help. “Arthur is an 18 year old man from St Petersburg in Russia. He is battling with Hodgkin‟s lymphoma for two years. Arthur initial treatment in Russia, with radiotherapy, chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant, was not successful. He suffered a relapse, and he had to undergo an operation to put in place a titanium construction for support. It was then recommended by Russian doctors for Arthur to go to the UK to receive experimental chemotherapy treatment not yet licensed in Russia. A campaign on Russian television by Rusfond Charityraised money for Arthur to come to the UK and be treated at the Harley Street Clinic. To this date £13,000 has been raised. The full amount must be raised by the end of June. The campaign to help Arthur has a Facebookpage www.facebook.com/SaveArthur. You can help also by sending your marked donation payable to “Armenian Church Trust UK” to: The Primate‟s Office, c/o Hye Doon, Cheniston Gardens, London W8 6TG. God bless.
THE ARMENIAN CHURCH: THEOLOGY, LITURGY AND ADMINISTRATION - VI
“Parish” in the Armenian Church terminology, is the Christian community in a specific geographical location (neighborhood, borough or city,). A parishioner is a person who lives within the specific geographical location, regularly worships in the same church, and financially and otherwise supports the mission, programs and ministry of that parish. Obviously, any Armenian Christian can participate in any Armenian Church service anywhere in the world. A Parishioner, however, is the person who, through his regular worship in the specific church, and through his support of the ministry and programmes of that church (through church membership dues, decided by the people of the parish) has a voice and a say in the administration of the Parish. In that sense, a parishioner is a member of the Church Assembly which is the highest administrative body in the local parish. A parishioner can vote for, or be elected to :the Parish Council, which is the executive committee pursuing the decisions of the Parish Assembly and supporting the priest in the religious and spiritual ministry of the parish; Diocesan Delegate, representing the local parish to the Bishop and at the diocesan annual gatherings; Auditing Committee which monitors the budget and finances of the parish and Parish Council; and Nominating Committee which organizes the annual Parish Assembly and prepares the list of candidates for the various administrative positions in the Parish.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
The St Sarkis Church Parish Council is pleased to announce the next date of the monthly Games Club to be Tuesday 25th June from 7pm – 10:30pm at the London Visitors Hotel, 42-44 Holland Road, Kensington, London W14 8BB. Please reserve your place by emailing stsarkisparish@armenianchurch.co.uk, as spaces are limited. Entry is for free. For map and public transport information, please visit http://bit.ly/Vby505. Facebook Event Page: http://tinyurl.com/oc72sxn
SrpazanSrjaran??? Due to popular demand the ACYF is planning its second summer SrpazanSrjaran next Sunday, 7 July, at 5PM. Armenian young men are welcome. Please e-mail acyf@armenianchurch.co.uk.
Less than three weeks left for the Third Armenian Street Festival, 14 July 2013. Join us and bring your family and friends along with you. Armenian Street Festival: For Festival stalls, click here. To volunteer, click here. For booklet donations, click here. You can also purchase raffles in advance by calling the Primate‟s Office at 0208 127 8364, or e-mail: festival@armenianchurch.co.uk.
There will be no Bible Study this Thursday, due to a conflict in the schedule.
THE PRIMATE’S OFFICE
c/oHye Doon, 25 Cheniston Gardens, London W8 6TG www.armenianchurch.co.uk information@armenianchurch.co.uk
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