DIOCESE OF THE ARMENIAN CHURCH OF THE UNITED KINGDOM AND THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

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

Issues 28, Volume 5

ARMENIAN CLERGY IN VIENNA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

The main building of the Vienna University in Vienna, Austria, was converted into a hub of over thousands of scholars who have come to share and exchange their findings in the field of Biblical Scholarship as part of the annual congress of the Society of the Biblical Literature (SBL), 6-10 July. One of the scholars in this international conference was our own Fr Garegin Hambardzumyan whose  paper  was  titled,  ‘Wisdom  Versus  Happiness  in  Ben  Sira’  which  was  followed  by  a  period   of exchanging questions and answer and discussion. Our Primate was also present at the congress and  presented  a  paper  titled  ‘The  Apocryphal  “Questions  of  the  Queen  of  Sheba and Answers by King  Solomon’.”  Bishop  Vahan  also  chaired  the  academic  session  of  the  unit  ‘Bible  in  the  Eastern   and  Oriental  Orthodox  Traditions’  within  the  Society  of  Biblical Literature. An impressive book exhibit of recently published scholarly works in the field of Biblical Theology accompanied the duration of the SBL conference in Vienna. Congratulations to our two clergy.

ACYF MAKES FRIENDS AND SUPPORTS ORPHANS IN ARMENIA

On 1-4 July, while participating in the Special Church Youth Assembly in Holy Etchmiadzin, members of our own Armenian Church Youth Fellowship (ACYF) had golden opportunities to meet and mingle with their counterparts from all over the world representing dioceses in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Armenia, Russia and Australia. The group was honoured to meet and be blessed by His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians and to meet other clergy and hierarchs including HE Abp Hovnan Derderian and HG Bp Gevork Saroyan, Dean of the Seminary. Our ACYF executives managed also to conduct a charitable work while in Yerevan by visiting the Marie Izmirlian Orphanage there and donating gifts to the orphaned children. Click here for photo album. God bless you our church youth! For more information about the activities and mission of the ACYF please visit their Facebook page.

BACKGAMMON TOURNAMENT AT ARMENIAN FESTIVAL

As in the previous years, the Festival Committee will be hosting a Backgammon Tournament at this   year’s   festival   as   well,   on   Sunday,   3rd   August,   starting   at   2:00pm.   The   tournament   will   take   place in the St Sarkis  Church  Courtyard  at  2:00pm.  Don’t  miss  your  chance  to  play  the  community   and win a cash prize!!! There are limited spaces available so pleasestbook your place, for £10 entry, in advance by calling Anaïs on: 07931 377 539. Prizes are: 1 Prize - £50* (Based on 16 participants); 2nd Prize - £30* (Based on 16 participants). Badarak on that day is scheduled to start at 10:30, and will be followed by a procession to Iverna Garden where the traditional and ancient Armenian Church service of the blessing of the field will take place. The procession will be followed by the ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Mayor and dignitaries which will officially open the 2014 Armenian Street Festival.

12 July, 2014

ACYF Memebrs

Yerevan Orphanage

Register now £10 per person

PRIMATE URGES WELSH ASSEMBLY TO COMMEMORATE GENOCIDE On Monday, the 7th July, HG Bp Vahan Hovhanessian, Primate, presided over an impressive session of speeches and exhibits organized by the Armenian Parish Council in Cardiff, Wales, in the Senedd Building (Welsh Parliament). The purpose of this session was to put a case forward why the 24th April should be recognised as Armenian Genocide Day by the Welsh Assembly. The programme started with the opening remarks by Mr John Torossyan, Chairman of the Cardiff Armenian Church Council, who emphasized the importance of the designation of a day of remembrance. Bishop Vahan in  his  remarks  stated,  ‘I  am  here  to  thank  the  Welsh  Parliament  for   their courageous act several years ago  and’  added  His  Grace,  ‘to  urge  this  august  body  to  designate   a  day  of  remembrance.’  Canon  Patrick  Thomas  offered  a  perspective  on  the  Genocide  and  why  it   must be remembered. Dr Ara Kanikanian and Dr Paul Manook offered recollections from their own families tragedies. Representing the Armenian Embassy was Mr Haik Khemchian, Consul.

PILGRIMAGE TO ARMENIA: REGISTRATION DEADLINE- 15 AUGUST

The Primate’s   Office   announced   the   registration   deadline   for   the   ‘2014   Pilgrimage   to   Holy   Etchmiadzin  and  Armenia’  to  be  15 August, 2014. The Pilgrimage, 15-21 October of this year, will include trips to visit the Mother See and Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin as well as historic sites and shrines in Armenia including the monastery and seminary in Sevan, Lake Sevan, the monastic university and complex of Datev, the underground cathedral of Geghart, the shrine of St Mesrob Mashtots and many others. The pilgrimage will cost: £950.00 for private/single room and £830.00 for shared room/2-in-one room, which will cover airfare, hotel transfer in Yerevan, lodging in luxury hotels in Yerevan, breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as admission to all facilities and programmes including a night at Yerevan Opera House costs. To register for the pilgrimage,   please   send   a   deposit   of   £500   to   the   Primate’s   Office,   c/o   Hye   Doon,   25   Cheniston   Gardens, London W8 6TG no later 15 August. For more info, call: 0208 127 8364.

‘HOLY TRINITY’ DISCUSSES ARMENIA CHILDREN’S HEALTH

On Sunday, July 6th, after the service of Divine Liturgy celebrated by the V. Rev. Fr. Garegin Hambardzumyan, visiting pastor the faithful of the Holy Trinity Armenian Church in Manchester were invited to an insightful presentation. Following the fellowship hour, Dr. Ara Nahabedian, a member of the Holy Trinity Parish Council (Wardens) presented the speaker of the day, Mrs. Kathy Mellor, midwife. In her comments Mellor elaborated on various neo-natal projects run by her in Armenia and Artsakh. A period of Q&A was followed, allowing those present learn more about this important project which helps thousands of families in our motherland to save their newborn children. For more information about this project contact Kathy Mellor by clicking here. Recently, the Holy Trinity Parish has been running several such interesting and important educational programmes including its Bible Study sessions. For more information about these programmes and to become a member of the Parish please click here.

Kathy Mellor

TRADITIONALARMENIAN FOODATPEMBROKE,OXFORD

On Monday, 30th June the Oxford University Armenian Society and Oxford Armenian Mission Parish members gathered together for a formal dinner at Pembroke College, University of Oxford. Prior to the dinner, Very Rev. Garegin Hambartzumyan led an Evensong Prayer at Pembroke College Chapel, passing his blessings to all the Armenian students in Oxford and congratulated them with the successful completion of yet another academic year. The Oxford Armenian Choir participated in the Evensong singing the beautiful hymn "Ashagertk Christosi" (The Disciples Of Christ) as well as some other hymns from the Divine Liturgy. The formal dinner was a great success with people enjoying traditional Armenian food prepared by the Pembroke College chief on special request. Many thanks to all the guests and especially to our dear Hayr Garegin for making the evening a truly unforgettable one.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

 THANK YOU: The Primate’s  Office  acknowledges with gratitude the receipt of an anonymous donation of the amount of £500, made in memory of the late Edward Al-Bazi. May the Lord rest his soul in peace.

 STREET FESTIVAL UPDATES: Have you purchased the Festival raffle tickets, available in advance? If not, please do so by contacting the Festival Committee: festival@armenianchurch.co.uk. To support the Festival click here.

 IN LIEU OF BIBLE STUDY: Next session, Thursday, 17 July at 7:00PM in the Nevart Gulbenkian Hall, a talk will be offered by Dr George Piligian, MD: ‘Life:  Amazing  Parallels  Between  Cells  and  Living’. All are welcome.

 MOVIE NIGHT: ‘Lost  and  Found  in  Armenia’  will  launch  the  monthly  St  Sarkis  Parish  Council  ‘Movie  Night.’  SUPPORT THE ARMENIAN CHURCH IN UK: Click here. Remember the Armenian Church in your will.

The  Primate’s  Office,  Hye Doon, 25 Cheniston Gardens, Kensington, London W8 6TG – 0208 127 8364 – primatesoffice@armenianchurch.co.uk