The official online publication of the Primate’s Office of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of Great Britain and Ireland Issue 44 (Volume 4), 2 .November 2013

E-NE W S L E T T E R ...............Է-ԹԵՐԹԻԿ ≠≠ ST YEGHICHE CHURCH PARISH FOUNDING ASSEMBLY The Founding Assembly of the St Yeghiche Church parish in London will convene on Sunday, 3 November in St Yeghiche Church at 2:30pm. Armenians ages 18 and older are encouraged to register prior to the Assembly, to become dues-paying members of the St Yeghiche Parish. The Assembly will start at 2:30pm, with HG Bp Vahan Hovhanessian, Primate, presiding. The Founding Assembly will adopt the Parish Bylaws and elect the first Parish Council members, as well as other committees such as the balloting and auditing committees. Please note that the Assembly is an open meeting, as are all Armenian Church meetings. All are welcome to attend. However, only those who register at the Assembly as dues-paying members of the St Yeghiche Parish can participate in the voting procedure and run for executive positions, those who are not members of another parish. Furthermore, dues-paying members of one parish can participate in church services in any other Armenian parish in the UK. They can get baptized and married in any other parish they wish, but cannot run for administrative positions, i.e. Parish Council members, in any parish other than the one of which they are dues-paying members. Cranley Gardens, London 2014 PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOLY LAND The Primate’s  Office of the Armenian Church is happy to  announce  the  organization  of  the  “2014  Armenian   Church Pilgrimage   to   the   Holy   Land”,   Friday   6   to   Saturday14 June, 2014. The programme of the Pilgrimage will include visits to Armenian, Biblical and Christian sites in Jerusalem, Nazareth, Bethlehem, and Galilee, including River Jordan and the Dead Sea. There will also be fellowship hours, sing-along gatherings, brief biblical reflections and prayer sessions. The cost of the Pilgrimage is: £1,200 for shared- room accommodations, and £1,450 for private room. The amount covers the expenses for British Airways airfare, transfer to and from the airport in Israel, luxury hotels, tour guide, daily breakfast and dinner, airconditioned bus transportation, boat sail and cable-car ride. To secure your place in the 2014 Pilgrimage, for the price indicated above, please send your deposit of £500,  payable  to  “The  Armenian  Church  Trust   UK”  to The  Primate’s  Office, 25 Cheniston Gardens, Kensington, London W8 6TG. Your deposit must be received in thePrimate's Office by Thursday, 14 November. For further information please call the Primate’s Office or e-mail: pilgrimage2014@armenianchurch.co.uk. Click here to check the flyer. ARMENIAN CHURCH IN CARDIFF – REQUIEM AND ASSEMBLY On Saturday, 26 October, members of the Armenian Church Parish in Cardiff gathered in Ararat Church in Ararat Baptist Church, in Whitchurch, Cardiff for a special requiem service for the family members of the Armenian Parish community. Presiding over the service was HG Bp Vahan Hovhanessian, Primate who offered the traditional Armenian service of the requiem, Hokehankisd, assisted by Tubir Nyrie Afrikyan from St Yeghiche Church. Present at the services was the Very Revd Canon Patrick Thomas. Following Church services and  the  Bishop’s  reflection,  the  faithful  travelled  to  Village  Hotel  Cardiff  for  the  third   annual Parish Assembly. During the Assembly the minutes of the previous assembly was discussed and confirmed. The Parish Council presented its programme and financial reports, which were received by the Assembly. This was followed by the election of the 2013-2014 Parish Council members and the discussion of forthcoming programmes including the possibility of purchasing a church/school property. The assembly was followed by a lunch reception courtesy of the Mission Parish Council, and a council meeting. JOINT “BIBLE STUDY” AT THE SYRIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH By the kind invitation of His Eminence Abp Athanasius Toma, Primate of the Syrian Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom, aspecial Bible Study session is scheduled for next week, Thursday, 7 November 2013 at 7:30 PM in the Archdiocesan Residence of the Syrian Orthodox Church St Toma Syrian Orthodox Church, St. Thomas Cathedral, 7-11 Armstrong Road, London W3 7JL, with the presence of HE Abp Athanasius. The session will combine members of the Armenian and Syrian Orthodox Churches in London and will be offered by HG Bp Vahan Hovhanessian, Primate. This is a great opportunity to meet our brothers and sisters in the sister Syrian Orthodox Church and spend an evening reading and studying the Word of God together and to receive the blessing of HE Abp Athanasius. As a special session the theme of the   evening   will   be   “Reading   the   Bible   from   an   Orthodox   Perspective.”   Admission   is   free   and   all   are   welcome. Ample parking space available. Even if you have not been able to attend our previous sessions, please make an extra effort to be with us next Thursday in the Syrian Orthodox Cathedral. Barekh Mor. HOLY TRINITY PARISH, MANCHESTER: BADARAK & LUNCH On Sunday, 3rd November, the Holy Trinity Armenian Church in Manchester will be celebrating Divine Liturgy, Badarak scheduled at 11:15am followed a requiem service, Hokehankisd. The celebrant of the day will be the Very Revd Fr Garegin Hambardzumyan (PhD Cand). Following Church services, as always, lunch will be served in the Church Hall at 1:30pm. Donation Adults £6, and Children £3. To reserve your place at lunch please contact Penny Evenson at pennyevenson@gmail.com or call 0161 434 4996; or Elsie Couligian at 0162 554 9123. The Holy Trinity Parish, the oldest Armenian Church in the UK and the Western Hemisphere, has also its chapter of the Armenian Church Youth Fellowship (ACYF), which is preparing for its annual Christmas event. If you, or someone you know, may be interested in the Manchester chapter of the ACYF please contact Zareh Nersessian at 07813 864697. For information of Manchester’s  Sunday  School,  which  offered  a  beautiful  concert at the 2013 Armenian Street Festival in London, please contact Ara Couligian by e-mailing: Ara@b2b1.co.uk SUCCESSFUL OPERA EVENING IN A MAGNIFICENT CHURCH Last  Sunday  evening,  27  October,  by  7:00pm  the  beautiful  St  Yeghiche  Church’s  main  nave  was  almost  full   with Armenian faithful and their friends who have come to enjoy the second annual Opera Evening sponsored by the Armenian Church Trust UK. The programme of the Opera, which started at 7:30 as announced, organized by our own Anais Heghoyan who was also one of the performing stars of the evening, included pieces by composers Verdi, Mascagni, Puccini, Bizet,Dvořák, Rachmaninov, Armen Tigranian and many more.  It  included  also  a  few  surprise  performances  not  in  the  programme  such  as  Francesco  Sartori’s   “Con  te  partiro.”  A 20-minute wine interval between the two parts of the beautifully designed programme gave the guests the opportunity to greet and meet and enjoy  each  other’s  company.  Thanks  to  the  wonderful   and AMAZINGLY talented Anais Heghoyan, Paula Sides, Suzanne Shakespeare, Jassy Husk, Alex Tsilogiannis, our own Artur Bobikyan from   Manchester’s   Holy   Trinity   Church   and Ross Ramgobin for putting on such a quality performance of the Opera Gala. We hope Anais and her friends will continue organizing the annual Opera Gala which in the hearts of many of us has become a tradition we anticipate. St Yeghiche Church Group photo in the Armenian Convent in Bethlehem Mission Parish Council Meeting following the Annual Parish Assembly Mor Athanaius Toma Abp of Syrian Orthodox Church London, UK The Finale THE SOVIET REGIME AND THE DECLINE OF CHURCH AND RELIGION The lecture series ‘Armenian Religion,   Society,   Politics   Seminar’ by Dr Hratch Tchilinigirian, of theOriental Institute, Oxford University, continues exploring the contemporary crossroads where religion, society andpolitics intersect in Armenia and the Diaspora. On 5 November, the lecture will discuss the establishment of Soviet rule in Armenia and the near extinction of the institutional church, especially  in  the  1920’s,  30’s  and  40's.  The  Church  suffered  heavilyunder  decades  of  Soviet  rule,  anti-­‐‑religious propaganda and was stripped bare to its liturgicalfunctions. This process furthered  the  ‘secularisation’ of the church that had started in the 19thcentury. Particular focus will be on the relationship between the Armenian Church and theSoviet-­‐‑ State in the context of the 'Repatriation' of Armenians from the Diaspora to SovietArmenia in the mid-­‐‑ 1940s. Click here for details of time and location. WHAT’S REALLY GOING ON IN THE MIDDLE EAST? Join   Premier’s   Marcus   Jones   and   international   lawyer   and   consultant   to   the   Primate   of   the   Armenian   Church   in   the   UK,   Dr   Harry Hagopian as they unpack developments in the Middle-East-North-Africa  region.  Whether  it’s  the  conflict  in  Syria,  the  persecution  of Christians  in  Egypt  or  the  peace  process  in  Israel  and  Palestine,  each  month  with  the  help  of  an  extra  guest  we’ll  look  into  the various situations, what it means for Christians there and how we can be praying for the region. The show broadcasts on the last week of every month. Click here to listen to the three programmes already broadcasted. Also Dr Harry Hagopian blog can be accessed by clicking here. - See more at: http://www.premier.org.uk/mena#sthash.ba6HHiYn.dpuf. . ELECTION OF ACYF LONDON EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS On Monday, 28 October, the newly elected members of the Executive Committee of the Armenian Church Youth Fellowship (ACYF) met  with  HG  Bp  Vahan  Hovhanessian,  in  the  Primate’s  Office,  Hye Doon, to elect the various officers of the Executive Committee for the London chapter, and to report on the various forthcoming events and activities. The following were elected: Stepan Yeghiazarian, Chairman, Krikor Sabounjian, Vice Chairman, Alexander Adamov, Treasurer and Anais Heghoyan, Secretary. Congratulations to all. The committee members discussed with His Grace the preparations for the Christmas Carols Evening service at St Yeghiche Church scheduled on 24 December, as well as several other programmes. Details to come. ANNOUNCEMENTS:  STATEMENT:HG Bp Vahan Hovhanessian, President of Council of the Oriental Orthodox Church, issued a statement on the situationinSyria.Click here to read the statement.  BADARAK IN DUBLIN:The Armenian Church Parish will have its third Annual Assembly in Taney Church Parish in Dublin on Sunday, 17 November. The  day’s  programme  will  include  a  Requiem  (Hokehankisd) Service for the deceased members of the Armenian families in Dublin, followed by a lunch reception and the Assembly.  BIBLE STUDY: This Thursday, 7 November, the Bible Study group will meet at the Syrian Orthodox Churchof St Thomas, for a joint study session with our brothers and sisters in the Syrian Orthodox Church.  SUPPORT OUR MINISTRY: By donating online to the Armenian Church Trust UK (ACTUK). Click here. The  Primate’s  Office c/o Hye Doon, 25 Cheniston Gardens, London W8 6TG www.armenianchurch.co.uk information@armenianchurch.co.uk