ԱՌԱՋՆՈՐԴՈՒԹԻՒՆ.ՀԱՅՈՑ.ՄԵԾՆ.ԲՐԻԴԱՆԻՈՅ.ԵՒ.ԻՐԼԱՆՏԱՅԻ DIOCESE OF THE ARMENIAN CHURCH OF THE UNITED KINGDOM AND THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

Տ.Վահան.Եպս..Յովհաննէսեան,.Հայրապետական.Պատուիրակ.եւ.Առաջնորդ The Right Revd Bishop Vahan Hovhanessian, Primate and Pontifical Legate

Issue10, Volume 5

LENTEN REFLECTION: THE SUNDAY OF EXPULSION

“Expulsion” is the theme of the coming Sunday in Lent. Following the first week of Great Lent and having reflected upon the state of eternal joy that God created us to enjoy before the fall of Adam and Eve, the Church invites us to contemplate the destructive consequences of sin. The theme is based on the biblical story of Adam and Eve‟s expulsion from Paradise and from the state of happiness as a result of their rejection of God‟s will. The Biblical story is a spiritual reflection on man‟s arrogance and disobedience to God based on the misconception that having explored his life he now knows better what is good for him than the Almighty. It is a reminder of the sad state of man‟s alienation from his loving Father and the source of his happiness, peace and life. This Sunday and the week to follow invite us to reflect on our own obedience to God today and how we understand and follow His commandments.

FOURTH ARMENIAN STREET FESTIVAL – SUNDAY 3 AUGUST As announced during the past year the Primate‟s Office had already contacted the Royal Borough of Chelsea and Kensington to coordinate the arrangements for annual Armenian Festival sponsored by the Armenian Church of the UK and Ireland. In order to make sure that this year‟s festival, scheduled on Sunday, 3rd August, is as successful as the previous ones, HG Bp Vahan Hovhanessian, Primate, has asked MrDickranBedrossian to chair a permanent Church Festival Committee, which will be responsible for preparing the annual Church Festivals. Joining MrBedrosian on the committee will be Mr. Charles Boyadjian, Mr Steven Mouradian, and as always the Primate‟s Office staff. The Festival will commence after Badarak with an Ecumenical Church procession, including hierarchs from sister Orthodox, Catholic and Anglican churches, and will include stalls, games, food and drinks and a church concert. Stay tunued for more info.

LENTEN LECTURES IN ST YEGHICHE PARISH

The St Yeghiche Church Parish Council is pleased to announce the offering of weekly lectures and reflections on the Sundays of Greal Lent. Starting with the first Sunday of Great Lent, Poon Paregentan (2 March) and during the entire Lenten period, each Sunday following the celebration of close-curtained Badarak, the Very Revd Fr ArenShaheenian, Visiting Pastor, will be delivering a brief lecture explaining the meaning of each of the six Sundays of lent This series of talks will be followed by a question and answer session. Please join us. All are welcome." Fr Aren holds a PhD in Theology from Italy and is the author of a book explaining the meaning of Badarak and the Armenian Church Liturgy. For more information about these lectures and any other St Yeghiche Parish programme or event please contact Keghvart at: kkvartanian@aol.com

LENTEN EVENING DEVOTIONS IN MANCHESTER

As Lent begins, we start considering the relationship between us and our Heavenly Father. It‟s a time for both private and public reflections on life and on the various gifts that Gad has bestowed upon us. This year V. Rev. Fr. GareginHambardzumyanwill be leading the faithful in Manchester, by organizing a WEKLY DEVOTION consisting of a brief reading from the Scripture, a prayer from a spiritual book and a short message for reflection. Every Wednesday, each member of the Manchester parish will receive an email containing that day‟s prayer and message. It was agreed that right at 9p.m. all the members of the parish will stand for a prayer regardless their physical location. This way our widely spread community will offer its prayers and praise to our Lord in unison as one whole fellowship.May the Almighty God make us worthy to glorify His name with thanksgiving.may He look upon us with His all-merciful eye, as we start our journey through this spiritually nurturing season.

PRIMATE’S OFFICE SCHEDULES LENTEN VIGILSAND DINNERS The Primate’s Office is happy to announce the scheduling of the weekly Lenten Vigils every Friday evening during Great Lent at 6:45PM in the St Sarkis Church in Kensington, London. Special booklets have been published to help the faithful participate in the service which include the text of the entire service in Classical Armenian, and its English translation and transliteration. A brief reflection will follow by His Grace elaborating on an aspect of our Lenten journey. Following the Vigil a Lenten Dinner will be offered in the Gulbenkian Hall courtesy of one of the Church parishes or organisations. Join us this Friday evening, 7 March, 2014, for the traditional Lenten Vigils, followed by Lenten dinner: £5 per person. Children under 12 free. Our host for this Friday is the Primate‟s Office. May the Lord accept our prayers and fasting of Great Lent.

INVITATION: ST SARKIS PARISH ASSEMBLY

The Pastor and Parish Council of the St Sarkis Church in Iverna Gardens Kensington is happy to invite its parishioners to the third Annual Parish Assembly which will take place this Sunday, 9 March, at 3pm. Members of the Parish who have paid their dues for the year 2013, are encouraged to join the assembly. Following Badarak parishioners will be invited to partake of a light lunch and register to participate in the assembly. If you are a member of the Parish in the previous years but have not yet paid your 2013 membership dues. It is not too late. You can pay your 2013 dues on the day of the assembly or prior to that and participate in the Assembly. Dues- paying members vote in the procedures of the Assembly and can elect and get elected for Parish administrative positions. For more info please contact the Parish Council by email: stsarkisparish@armenianchurch.co.uk or tel: 020 7937 0152. Most importantly please join us on Sunday, 9 March. New members are always welcome.

.

MANCHESTER CHURCH RAISES MONEY FOR DISABLED CHILDREN

On Sunday, March 2nd, the Holy Trinity Church in Manchester was packed with faithful for a celebration of a Divine Liturgy and a charitable buffet lunch afterwards organized by the ladies association of the church. Funds raised at the event will be donated to the Astghavard Centre for disabled children in the town of Vardenis. Fr. Garegin, the visiting pastor, the ladies‟ guilt and the parish council of the Holy Trinity Church thank everyone for their generous donations towards this good cause!!! On the same day a very insightful talk was offered by Dr. Theo van Lint, Calouste Gulbenkian Professor of Armenian Studies at the University of Oxford. The speaker elaborated on „The Book of Lamentations‟ by St. GrigorNarekatsi (11th. c) and the „Book of Devotions‟ written by a 17thcentury English poet and preacher John Donne. The talk was particularly useful for the faithful as during the whole period of Lent we need to contemplate on reconciliation of our thoughts and deeds with the will of God. Thank you, dear Professor van Lint for the beautiful talk!!!

6 March, 2014

ANNOUNCEMENTS:  BADARAK COURSE: HG Bp Vahan Hovhanessian continues offering a course on the theology and spirituality of our

Divine Liturgy, Badarak, on Monday evenings. The course will now meet in Gulbenkian Hall, at 7:00pm, and is offered free of charge. Registered members will receive printed notes of each session. Make an effort to join us and ask all the questions you wanted to ask about this central celebration of our faith. Those interested to sign up for the course are requested to contact the Primate‟s Office via e-mail or telephone: 0208 127 8364.

 GARINEH OPERA: 'Garineh' the first completed operatic work written by an Armenian composer, originally performed under the title of 'LebledjiHorHor Agha' in Istanbul in 1875 will be performed by the London Armenian Opera on Saturday 29 March (7:30pm) and Sunday 30 March (6:30pm), in the Tabernacle. To purchase tickets online, click here, call 01923 773 277 / 07867 672 787 / 07850 777 520 or E-Mail: LondonArmenianOpera@virginmedia.com.

 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: The Primate’s Office has prepared a list of Frequently Asked Questions (collected from different people and parish council members), which is published in a document accessible by clicking here. Please send your questions or comments to the Primate’s Office.

 BIBLE STUDY: Every Thursday at 7:00PM. Next session, 13 March in Gulbenkian Hall. The Primate’s Office, Hye Doon, 25 Cheniston Gardens, Kensington, London W8 6TG – 0208 127 8364 – primatesoffice@armenianchurch.co.uk