Sunday 4 October 2015

Diocese of the Armenian Church of the United Kingdom and Ireland Volume 1, Issue 8 3 October 2015 Arm


enian Church News
Festive Celebrations at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin: 26-29th September 2015

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Later that day His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, consecrated two Khatchkars (Cross-stones) that are replicas of the originals from the Monastery of St. Davit of Derjan in Aparan, Western Armenia. The two Khatchkars have been installed through the initiative and blessings of His Holiness and by the generous donations of Mr. and Mrs. Hagop and Mrs. Donna Didizian.
Following the service, a special reception was held during which His Holiness Karekin II extended His blessings to the Didizian family. Mr. Hagop and Mr. Chris Didizian were granted the Order of St. Gregory the Illuminator for their beneficial and church-devoted endeavours, by His Holiness Karekin II.
Prior to the blessing of Holy Muron on 26th September, there was a special Ecumenical Service in the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin. The Prayer Service was attended by the 39 leaders and representatives of the Christian churches and organizations who would participate in the Blessing of the Holy Muron in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
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The Primate along with the faithful of the Diocese attended festive celebrations dedicated to the blessing of the 3rd Holy Muron of 21st century, which took place in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. The solemn blessing of Holy Muron by His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians took place on 27th September, on the Feast of the Holy Cross of Varak. Twelve Archbishops and Bishops assisted the Catholicos of All Armenians in the blessing ceremony. Mr. Hayk Didizian from London was entrusted with the unique role of ‘Godfather of Holy Muron’.
The following day, on 28th September, the Karekin I Educational Centre at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin was inaugurated. The Centre was sponsored by Mr. Didizian and his wife Elza and dedicated to the memory of the late 131st Catholicos of All Armenians - Karekin I.
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Diocese of the Armenian Church of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland
His Grace Bishop Hovakim Manukyan, Primate
Diocesan Office
Tel. 0208 127 8364 primatesoffice@ armenianchurch.co.uk

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The Message of His Holiness Karekin II Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians On the Occasion of the Blessing of the Holy Chrism Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, September 27, 2015
In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Beloved and pious faithful,
“Through the strength of Your All-Holy Spirit, let this oil be: The oil of joy and garment of light... holiness of body and soul..., the seal of justice, the weapon of faith, and the martyr triumphant against all the works of the intriguer.”
Prayer for the Blessing of the Holy Chrism
By the providence of our merciful God, in this year of the 100th anniversary commemorating the Armenian Genocide, a new joy flows in our lives through the Blessing of the Holy Chrism. Today is a great feast. It is the Feast of the Holy Cross of Varag, the cherished commemoration of the miraculous revelation of the relic of our Lord’s cross, brought to Armenia. On this glorious day and with boundless spiritual joy, we offered the Blessing of the Holy Chrism in the spiritual center of all Armenians the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
We offered our prayers up to our heavenly Father, appealing for Him to transform this material oil through the grace of His Holy Spirit into holiness and grace-bestowing strength. Through the prayers of our forefathers, we asked that it be “an oil of joy and garment of light... holiness of body and soul... the seal of justice, the weapon of faith, and the martyr triumphant against all the works of the intriguer.” We appealed that through its sacred anointment, the flow of divine gifts will continue to the souls of our faithful, on our land of Armenia, and the lives of all our people.
The Holy Chrism is the visible sign of sealing with Christ, which we accept through the sacrament of Baptism and Christening, as an inheritor of the Savior. Through the Holy Chrism, we are clothed with the holiness of Christ, we are cleansed of sin, so that we may live with the justice of God. The Chrism is an awakening and springtime for souls; a blossoming of faith, virtuous life, and pious good works; a shield against evil, and the victory, glory and luminous crown of the faithful; since our heavenly Father through his Only Begotten Son called us from death to life, from the servitude
of sin to the freedom of grace, and to the inheritance of the heavenly kingdom.
Today through the mercy of God, the sons and daughters of our nation have converged from all corners of the world as pilgrims in Holy Etchmiadzin, to bring their prayerful participation in the Blessing Service of the Holy Chrism. The presence of thousands of our faithful sons and daughters testify to the importance and value of the Holy Chrism in our lives, which is the seal of our Christian identity and the mortar of our national unity. Within the Chrism we also see the care and nurture that God has for our people, Who distributed the grace of His salvation throughout the lands and people of Armenia surrounding Mount Ararat. In the Chrism, we see the holy mountain of Ararat, on which the ark of salvation of the patriarch Noah came to rest, and the olive branch brought by the dove became the symbol of God’s peace. And the oil of the olive tree, became the blessed ingredient of the Holy Chrism. In every drop of the Chrism, we behold our Lord’s oil of anointing,
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The Holy Chrism, through its spiritual strength, became a weapon of faith as well 100 years ago for our people who were the victims of the Genocide of the Armenians, who became victorious Martyrs, keeping their loyalty to God and their patrimony. Our people afflicted by genocide, survived and defeated death with their Chrism-sealed faith. Our path for the next 100 years was a path of rebirth; and today, under the canopy of our independent statehood, new horizons of national awakening are dawning. This Chrism prepared with confidence and hope in our newly ordained life, blessed in this revered year commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, and with the intercessory prayers of our sanctified Martyrs, is hereby proclaimed to be the CHRISM OF VICTORY, with the belief that it shall seal the souls of our faithful with the courageous and undefeatable spirit of our Holy Martyrs, all of the Lord’s witnesses and our forebears who defended our patrimony.
Dear ones, let us value our Chrism as the Chrism of a holy life, the Chrism of renaissance, so that through spiritual renewal, and with our righteous life and works of mercy, we continue our path of
ascent. Let us regard the Chrism as the mortar and cement of national unity, so that we may overcome the difficulties of our life, to dispel the worries and challenges. Today, when the world is full of crises, conflicts that take human life specifically in the Middle East where unspeakable suffering and losses are borne by our people as well, when tranquility is shattered on the borders of our homeland, and the recognition of the rights our people has yet to receive its just verdict, it is imperative for us to strengthen our homeland through solid unanimity, so that it becomes the refuge for the peaceful and secure life for all of our people, for the victory of our righteous cause, and the inspiring force for national revival.
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May the Holy Chrism being dispersed from Holy Etchmiadzin dispense holiness and the sweet scent of spiritual virtues throughout the world and in the life of every Armenian, in blessed national-
brought to Armenia by the very hand of Saint Thaddeus the Apostle. We see the baptism of the King of Armenia Tiridates, his royal house, and all the people, by the hand of Saint Gregory the Illuminator in the Arsanias River, in the waters of the Eastern Euphrates, under the luminous Cross of the Lord which appeared in the heavens. In the Chrism is the image of our God-granted Holy Etchmiadzin; the reflection of our Chrism-consecrated monasteries and churches, cross-stones and manuscripts; and the portraits of our saints who disbursed the light of the Chrism through their lives. The Chrism unifies and blends our past and present, and yes, we believe for all of the coming centuries, since our people kept unshaken the seal of the Chrism when faced with all tribulations, with unquestionable confidence, that it is the “oil of joy and garment of light... holiness of body and soul... the seal of justice, the weapon of faith, and the martyr triumphant against all the works of the intriguer.”
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On this blessed and soul-renewing day, we offer our thanks up to Almighty God, for granting us once more the grace to offer the sacred service of Blessing the Holy Chrism, with the participation and prayers of the president of the Republic of Armenia, His Excellency Serzh Sargsian; Archbishops Mushegh and Shahan, representing our spiritual brother Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia; His Beatitude Archbishop Nourhan Manougian, the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem; His Eminence Archbishop Aram Ateshian, Vicar General of the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople; the honorable heads and honored representatives of the sister Churches; our oath-bound clergy; high ranking state leaders of the Armenians; heads and representatives of diplomatic missions accredited in Armenia; and the manifold pious faithful of our Church from within Armenia and who have traveled from the Diaspora. We extend our fraternal greeting with spiritual joy to His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia; to His Beatitude Mesrob Mutafian, Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople; and to the spiritual heads of our sister Churches, with the prayer and wish that the Lord always keep His Holy Church unshaken and vibrant, with the life-giving message of the Gospel, to illuminate the life of mankind and the mission of leading humanity to salvation.
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We pray for our All-Merciful Lord to grant peace and security to the world, our homeland and our native land of Armenia and Artsakh. May the lives of our people and all mankind be abundantly blessed by the graces of the Lord’s Holy Spirit.
May the grace, love and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you and with all. Amen.
ecclesiastical fields, in Armenian families, on the borders of our homeland, throughout our armed forces defending our nation, and in the hearts of all sons and daughters of our Holy Church; turning into the power of victories and new achievements of good works. One of our patriarchs of blessed memory, Simeon of Yerevan, says of the Chrism that is dispensed from Etchmiadzin, “Just as the rays of the sun announce the beauty and benefit of the sun, as a result of which the earth is administered and remains green; so too does the Holy Chrism always proclaim the beauty and benefit of Holy Etchmiadzin, which illuminates your souls and bodies.” May the eternal light of the Chrism of Holy Etchmiadzin always be sealed within the souls of our people, so that they may always renew their oath to God, their oath to our Apostolic Holy Church and cherished homeland. May the peace of God proclaimed by the olive branch brought by the dove from the slopes of Ararat, strengthen the spirit of justice and humanitarianism in the world, and reinforce the solidarity and cooperation among men and nations.
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Armenian Independence Day
24th Anniversary Celebration Concert
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On 26th September 2015, at St. Yeghiche Armenian Church, a special concert took place to celebrate the 24th Anniversary of Armenian Independence, organised by the Heritage and Cultural Committee of the ACC UK and under the auspices of The Diocese of the Armenian Church of the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The ceremony started with national anthem of the Republic of Armenia, followed by the national anthem of the United Kingdom. Then after Mr. Raffi Sarkissian’s opening speech, a congratulatory speech was delivered by Dr Hratch Kouyoumjian, Chairman of RAG/ADL Chapter, London. Afterwards all enjoyed wonderful performances by world renowned Armenian Bass, Barseg Tumanyan, accompanied by young Armenian composer Kristina Arakelyan. In the middle of the concert,
congratulatory speeches were made by Mr. Ara Palamoudian, Chairman of the Armenian Community Council of United Kingdom, and by Mr. Armen Liloyan on behalf of Dr. Armen Sarkissian, Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia in the UK.
To close the evening, a congratulatory speech and blessing were given by Rev. Fr Movses Sargsyan on behalf of His Grace Bishop Hovakim Manukyan, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church in Great Britain and Ireland.
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Spirituality and Religious Life
Deacons and the Deacons Training Programme
One of the most important parts of the diocesan life is prayer and the liturgical life; celebration of Holy Mass (Sourb Badarak) in the Churches, morning and evening services and liturgy of the hours. However, it is impossible to celebrate liturgy and provide solemnity in the service without Church choirs and the valuable services of deacons.
The deaconate is one of the main orders of the threefold ministry in the Church and the ordination of deacons has clear biblical evidence. “Now in these days, as the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose by the Greek- speaking Jews against the Hebraic Jews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So the twelve summoned the community of disciples and said; “It is not desirable that we neglect the word of God to serve tables. So, brothers, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we will put in charge of this need. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” And the statement pleased the whole group, and they chose Stephen (a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit), and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus (a convert from Antioch), whom they stood before the Apostles. And they prayed and placed their hands on them.” The deacons were the first assistants of the Apostles. And the deaconate continued throughout history.
In the Catholic, Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches it is a transitional
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ministry, as after their ordination deacons can be elevated to the sacred order of priesthood. However, there are deacons who make lifelong commitment to remain as deacons and continue their services in the churches.
The deacons are committed members of the parishes who serve in the Church apart from their main jobs in their secular life. The Diocese of the Armenian Church in the UK and Ireland is blessed to have such deacons who have been serving in the Church for a few decades. Stepan Ovanessoff has been serving at St. Sarkis Church since 1957 (68 years) and is a retired Chartered Accountant. Sarkis Kalaydjian has been serving at St. Yeghiche Church since 2003, and is a retired bus driver. Vartkes Keshishian has been serving at St. Yeghiche since the first day of consecration in 2001, and works as a footwear retailer.
Six years ago, the former Primate of the Diocese, His Grace Bishop Vahan Hovhanessian, launched a Deacons Training Programme. Following its establishment and a number of spiritual retreats, four deacons were
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ordained at St. Sarkis Church on 16th November 2014. These new deacons are: Arman Harutyunian, a retired British Telecom engineer, who has been serving for 20 years at St. Sarkis Church; Hovik Hovhannisyan, who is a private property landlord and has been serving at St. Sarkis Church for 5 years; Nairi Afrikyan, an artist, who has been serving at St. Yeghiche Church for 3 years; and Richard Cherkerzian, Vice President at Bank of America, has served at St. Yeghiche Church since 2007 and is now serving at St. Sarkis Church.
The role of deacons is important in the liturgical life of the Church. In order to make sure that the services are held properly and continuity is provided, the Primate’s Office will continue the Deacon’s Training Programme. The classes will include Armenian Church music, grabar-liturgical Armenian, history of the Armenian liturgy and Church history. The programmes are on our website and those who are interested can register to participate in training.
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Our History and Heritage
The Genocide Memorials of Wales
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From the Hamidian genocide of the mid-1890s to the first genocide of the 20th century in 1915, Wales - more than any other part of the UK - has understood and sympathised with the plight of the Armenians.
In recent years, Wales as a nation - and in particular three Welshmen - have taken the moral high-ground in the recognition of the Armenian genocide. We must acknowledge that without the support of these three individuals who have campaigned steadfastly for over a decade we would not be where we are today.
Our eternal thanks to:
Mr. Eilian Williams
Mr. Stephen Thomas
Rev. Dr. Canon Patrick Thomas

As a result of their efforts, Armenians have a degree of closure and have been able to express their grief at memorials situated in Caernarfon, Cardiff, Hawarden and the soon-to-be erected
memorial at St. David’s Cathedral. Three of the memorials proudly carry the word “genocide” - coined by Raphael Lemkin in the 1930s.
It is ironic therefore that the word “genocide” is so controversial in other regions of the UK considering Lemkin had the Armenian genocide of 1915 uppermost in his mind when he coined this word.
In 2013, the Church in Wales’s recognition of the 24th April as “Armenian Genocide Day” paved the way for a memorial to be erected in the holiest place in Wales (the Etchmiadzin of Wales) – at St. David’s Cathedral, Pembrokeshire. Within the sanctuary of St. David’s we hope that this memorial will stand for as long as there is a Cathedral on the site. The simple statement on the plaque needs no explanation: “In Memory of the Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide 1915”
The inspiration for the memorial in St
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David’s came from a pilgrimage to Hawarden where we discovered that in appreciation of the help given to the Armenians by W.E. Gladstone during the “Hamidian” genocide of 1894/6, the Armenians of Tbilisi had donated a stained glass window, chalice and silver Bible to St. Deiniol’s Church and The Gladstone Library in Hawarden.
Our hope is that enduring memorials such as these will inspire others to question and seek the truth about the Armenian genocide and in so doing brush aside the political and financial camouflage that so often distorts historical fact.
The current refugee problem we are witnessing, stemming from the Middle East, is not a new phenomenon. The current persecution of Christians and other minorities in the Middle East should not be a surprise. The reality is that since the mid-1890s, Assyrians, Armenians, Jews, Greeks and many other minorities have continually been displaced or massacred. 1915 was a genocide for these minorities. It is regrettable that the lessons of the past have been ignored and history distorted to suit the political agenda of the moment. We hope that these memorials by their enduring nature will outlast the politics of the day and help to portray a better, more balanced history.
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About the Memorial St David's by Canon Patrick Thomas
The proposed statue is the gift of the Armenian Community in Wales to St. David’s Cathedral (as the Mother Church of Wales) in gratitude for the recognition of 24th April as “Armenian Genocide Day” by the Bench of Bishops of the Church in Wales. 2015 is the centenary of the Armenian Genocide during which approximately 1.5 million Armenians died.
The statue is the work of Mariam Torosyan, a Cardiff-based Armenian artist. It portrays the Virgin Mary and the Christ-child (the subject of the icon traditionally placed on the altar of Armenian churches). During the Armenian Genocide the men were normally separated from their families and killed, while the women and children were sent on death marches towards the Syrian Desert, during which they underwent appalling suffering. The archetypal Mother and Child thus have a particularly appropriate significance as the subject of the memorial. Many Welsh Armenians are descended from the small percentage of women and children who survived the death marches.
The memorial also includes a representation of the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin, the focus of Armenian Christianity. This is a reminder both that Armenia was the first officially declared Christian nation (in the year 301), and that both Holy Etchmiadzin and St. David’s are centres of pilgrimage for their respective peoples (the two were bracketed together by a nineteenth century visitor to Armenia). It also symbolizes the growing friendship and understanding between the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church and the Church in Wales, which has been pioneered by the Dean and Chancellor of St. David’s Cathedral.
Deir Zor (sometimes called Deir-es-Zor or Deir-el-Zor) in the Syrian Desert is to
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Armenians what Auschwitz is to the Jews. A memorial church was built there by Armenians in memory of the 200,000 or more people who perished there during the Genocide. In 2014 the church was deliberately desecrated and destroyed by Islamic militants. One Welsh Armenian rather poignantly remarked to me “that is another reason why we want a memorial to the martyrs of the Genocide in St. David’s. We know that it will be kept safe there”.
The brief inscription on the memorial will be in three languages: Armenian, Welsh and English.
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Upcoming Events
4th October: the Primate will celebrate the Divine Liturgy at Holy Trinity Church in Manchester. Following the celebration of Divine Liturgy, the Primate and clergy of the diocese will offer a Blessing of the Waters, for the newly consecrated Holy Muron.
11th October: on the Feast of the Holy Translators there will be a solemn liturgy at St. Yeghiche Church in London. At the end of the liturgy there will be a requiem service in memory of the parents of the benefactors of the Church. The liturgy will be celebrated by guest clergy, Very Rev. Fr. Shahe Ananyan, Head of the Inter-Church Relations Department of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
18th October: the Primate will visit the parish in Dublin and celebrate the Divine Liturgy.
28th October: there will be an Ecumenical Prayer Service celebrating of the lives of the newly-sainted Armenian Martyrs of 1915, Westminster Abbey, at 7:00 pm.
Editorial:
The main objective of the diocesan e-newsletter is to serve and reach out to Armenians throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland. The community members and organizations are welcome to send their announcements for the e- newsletter, including information not only about public events but also about important family events such as christening, matrimony or passing away.
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Prayer intentions:
September and October
We pray and ask you to remember in your prayers our brethren and sisters in the Middle East, particularly in Syria and Iraq. We ask the mercy of God for those suffering because of wars and for those who have become refugees. Please, also remember in your prayers that peace and stability may prevail on the borders of Armenia and Kharabakh.

Worship Services in the Armenian Churches
Services are held in the Armenian Churches every Sunday starting at 11:00 am. For further details, please contact the parish nearest to you:
Armenian Church News
Holy Trinity Armenian Church
229 Upper Brook Street Manchester, M13 0FY
Tel: 0161 273 1074
www.armenianchurchmanchester.org/
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St. Yeghiche Cathedral
13b Cranley Gardens Kensington, London SW7 3BB Tel: 020 7373 8133 http://www.styeghiche.org.uk/
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Parishes of our Diocese:
St. Sarkis Church
Iverna Gardens Kensington, London, W8 6TP Tel: 020 7937 0152 http://www.stsarkisparish.co.uk
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Cardiff - Tel: + 44 771 279 2304, +44 2920779248. john@jagproperties.co.uk
Dublin - Tel: +44 2891 863559. http://www.armenians.ie/
Mission Parish of Birmingham – Tel: +44 121 675 1469. St John’s Church, Stratford Road, Birmingham, B11 4EA
Oxford Campus Ministry:
Oxford - Tel: +44 7810 490242. armenian.society@studentsclub.ox.ac.uk
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We invite those who have questions or wish to gain deeper understanding of the faith, moral discernment, teachings and traditions of the Armenian Church to contact the Office of the Diocese of the Armenian Church in United Kingdom and Ireland:
The Primate’s Office
The Armenian Vicarage
Iverna Gardens
London, W8 6TP
or email:
primatesoffice@armenianchurch.co.uk
PLEASE NOTE OUR CHANGE OF POSTAL ADDRESS
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Diocese of the Armenian Church of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland
His Grace Bishop Hovakim Manukyan, Primate
Diocesan Office
Tel. 0208 127 8364 primatesoffice@ armenianchurch.co.uk 

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