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Diocese of the Armenian Church of the United Kingdom and Ireland Volume 1, Issue 12
30 October 2015
Service at Westminster Abbey to Celebrate the Lives of the Newly-Sainted Martyrs of 1915
Armenian Church News
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
In this issue:
Historic Ecumenical Service at Westminster Abbey
A Voice from the Choir
Meeting with the Archbishop of Canterbury
The Feast of the Discovery of the Holy Cross
New Publication and Book Reading in Cardiff
His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, presided over the service at Westminster Abbey on 28th October, 2015 celebrating the lives of the Armenian Martyrs of 1915. The ecumenical celebration was attended by His Excellency Serzh Sargsyan, the President of the Republic of Armenia and H.R.H. the Prince of Wales. The event was initiated and organized by the Armenian Ambassador, His Excellency Dr. Armen Sarkissian. His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, along with The Rt. Rev. and Rt. Hon. Dr. Richard Chartres, Bishop of London, blessed those
present and delivered their messages to the faithful. During the service His Eminence Archbishop Nathan Hovhannisyan, Director of the External Relations and Protocol Department of Mother See, His Grace Bishop Hovakim Manukyan, Primate of the Armenian Church in the United Kingdom and Ireland, Rev. Fr. Garegin Hambarzumyan, Dean of the Gevorkian Theological Seminary, Rev. Fr. Movses Sargsyan, visiting pastor at St. Yeghiche Church and Rev. Fr. Shnork Baghdassarian, Pastor of St. Sarkis Church were part of the entourage of His Holiness. The solemn celebration was also attended by Primates and representatives of sister Oriental and Eastern Orthodox Churches and the
Armenian Church News Page 2
Roman Catholic Church. Amongst those attending were His Eminence Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, Archbishop Emeritus of Westminster, His Eminence Archbishop Elisey of Sourozh of the Russian Orthodox Church and His Grace Bishop Angaelos, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom. There were more than 2,300 faithful of the Armenian Church from the United Kingdom and Ireland, Armenia and other Diaspora communities present at the historic solemn service. The Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr. John Hall started the service with his words of bidding. The Reverend Professor Vernon White, Canon in Residence, read Hebrews 4:14-16 and His Grace Bishop Hovakim Manukyan, Primate of the Armenian Church in the United Kingdom and Ireland, read St. Mark 10:35-45. During the service prayers were led by the Reverend Christopher Stoltz, Minor Canon and Precentor of Westminster, and read by Asadour Guzelian, son of survivors from Cilicia and himself born in Cilicia; Baroness Cox; Shakeh Major Tchilingirian, mother of a great-grandchild of survivors from Cilicia; Ellen Adamian, great-granddaughter of survivors from Moush and Sassoun; His Excellency Dr Armen Sarkissian, Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to the Court of St. James’s, former Prime Minister of
Armenia (1996-1997) grandson of survivors from Erzerum and Alashkert; and the Reverend Professor Vernon White, Canon in Residence. Along with the Anglican clergy, the deacons of the Armenian Church, Stepan Ovanessoff and Hovik Hovhannisyan chanted psalms in Armenian (Սաղմոսասաց). Deacons Sarkis Kalaydjian and Deacon Arman Harutiunian incensed the procession (Բուրավառակիր). The service was sung by the St. Yeghiche Armenian Church Choir, directed by Aris Nadirian. Music during the service was accompanied by Arthur Bobikyan, Organist. At the beginning of procession soloist Anais Hegoyan sung “Deep Mystery” (Խորհուրդ Խորին), the song from Armenian Divine Liturgy, often sung during the Patriarchal Liturgies. The choir sung the Armenian hymns “Wondrous and Ever-Provident God” (Հրաշափառ Աստուած), “Astonished and Appalled” (Հրաշացան պակուցմամբ) from the Rite of Canon of the Holy Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide and “Hear the Voice that Pours from Every Armenian’s Heart, O God” (Ամեն Հայի սրտից բխած), the Anthem of the Catholicos of All Armenians. The ecumenical prayer symbolized the victory of life,
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“The ecumenical prayer symbolized the
victory of life, righteousness and
fraternity over death, injustice and enmity”
righteousness and fraternity over death, injustice and enmity. It was a unique event to give tribute and to respect the memories of those - especially our Anglican sisters and brothers - who helped Armenian refugees giving them shelter in their churches in the late 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century during the aftermath of WWI. The message of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians can be found on the website of the Armenian Church: http://www.armenianchurch.org/index.jsp?sid=3&nid=3013&y=2015&m=9&d=290 The address of the Right Reverend and Right Honourable Dr. Richard Chartres
Anais Heghoyan (mezzo-soprano), sang the Armenian Hymn ‘’Deep Mystery’’ during the precession of the Catholicos of All Armenians at Westminster Abbey. She shares her impressions of this special service with us. She is also the Chair of the Armenian Church Youth Fellowship, London Chapter. It was a great honour to sing and be part of the musical representation for the Ecumenical Service dedicated to the centenary of the Armenian Genocide and the Celebration of the Lives of the Newly-Sainted Armenian Martyrs of 1915. The presence of H.R.H. The Prince of Wales, His Excellency Serzh Sargsyan - President of the Republic of Armenia, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians,
Armenian Sacred Music at Westminster Abbey A Voice from the Choir
KCVO, Bishop of London can be found at: http://www.armradio.am/en/2015/10/29/service-at-westminster-abbey-remembers-the-lives-of-armenian-martyrs-of-1915-photos/
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His Excellency Dr. Armen Sarkissian, Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to the Court of St. James’s, The Right Reverend and Right Honourable Dr. Richard Chartres KCVO - Bishop of London, His Eminence Archbishop Nathan Hovhannisian, The Very Reverend Dr. John Hall – The Dean of Westminster, His Grace Bishop Hovakim Manukyan - Primate of the Armenian Church of the United Kingdom and Ireland - amongst many other dignitaries and clergy - transformed this highly meaningful service in to an historic event that will not be forgotten by the 2,300 strong congregation who were present. Komitas’s masterpiece “Khorhourt Khorin” was played on the Harrison and Harrison organ (that was installed for the Coronation of King George VI in 1937) by pianist and composer Artur Bobikyan. Aris Nadirian, St. Yeghiche’s Choir Master and I sang two solo verses as His Holiness approached with his cortege up the aisle. In his address the Bishop of London mentioned that the architects of the Abbey consulted the engineers of King Leon II of Armenia during its construction. The acoustics of the Abbey enhanced the hauntingly beautiful tones of the Sacred Armenian music. H.R.H. The Prince of Wales, His Holiness Karekin II and The Very Reverend Dr. John Hall – The Dean of Westminster were each extremely complimentary towards Aris Nadirian, Artur Bobikyan and myself. The choir and I felt extremely proud to have sung at this special service and to have represented the voices, musically, of the 1.5 million Holy Martyrs who were massacred during the Armenian Genocide of 1915.
“Komitas’s masterpiece “Khorhourt Khorin” was played on
the organ that was installed for the
Coronation of King George VI”
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Ecumenical Meeting with the Archbishop of Canterbury
On 26th October, His Grace Bishop Hovakim Manukyan, along with Mr. Haig Didizian, had a private audience with the Most Reverend and Right Honourable Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury. During the fraternal meeting, The Right Reverend and Right Honourable Dr. Richard Chartres KCVO, Bishop of London and The Right Reverend Nigel Stock, Bishop of Lambeth, were also present.
His Grace conveyed to the Archbishop the fraternal greetings of His Holiness Karekin II and informed about the visit of His Holiness to London. The Archbishop reciprocated the greetings and conveyed His best wishes to His Holiness. In the course of the friendly discussion, Mr. Haig Didizian spoke about the legacy of Karekin I of blessed memory and the recently inaugurated Karekin I Theological Centre in Holy Etchmiadzin for the higher education of the clergy. They also spoke about the good bilateral relations that exist between the Armenian and Anglican Churches and about the blessing of the Holy Muron. The Bishop of London mentioned to the Archbishop that Mr. Didizian was the Godfather of the ceremony which took place on 27th September this year at the Holy See of Etchmiadzin under the auspices of H.H. Karekin II, H.E. the President of the Republic of Armenia, the members of his government and the hierarchy of the Armenian Church as well as the representatives of all sister churches from all over the world, including the representatives of the Anglican Church. The participants also spoke of the importance of organizing mutual visits between the heads of the two Churches.
At the end of the meeting, Mr. Didizian presented the Archbishop of Canterbury with the book entitled "100 1915-2015" by Hrair Hawk Khatcherian for the Archbishop’s private collection.
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Feast of the Discovery of the Holy Cross
On Sunday 25th October, the Feast Day of the Discovery of the Holy Cross, His Grace Bishop Hovakim Manukyan celebrated the Divine Liturgy in St. Sarkis Church and explained the meaning and importance of the Holy Cross in every Christian’s life. He said “When we see the cross we should remember the one who was crucified for our redemption.” He spoke about Christian life as an imitation of the life of Jesus Christ. He also urged the faithful to participate in church singing more actively and bring their children to the church.
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This is the story of a boy in his early teens, who leaves his home and journeys 200 miles to his grandmother’s town. He makes the 21 day journey in the company of his beloved dog (Kaylo) and a mule (Vartoug). The story is set in the late summer of 1896, during the height of the Hamidiyan Massacres in Asia Minor. These were a prelude to the Armenian Genocide of 1915, and the story shows that the seeds of Genocide were sown long before then. The story is written in the hope that it will be read by teenagers, young adults and those who have little or no familiarity with Armenian history of the period. The narrator grows from a happy, pampered boy into a mature youngster who can make hard decisions for himself. It is a coming of age story, and a story about irredeemable loss. His old life ends, and he is pushed by events into taking a certain path in his life. Circumstances shape our destiny. This is an adventure story of survival and self-discovery. Anyone reading this book should be able to visualise themselves as the boy, even though the events take place more than a hundred years ago. The narrator is the embodiment of what it means to be a Western Armenian: forever cast out of his homeland. The point is not laboured, after all it is the same for all displaced persons; the boy’s story could be happening right now in parts of the Near/Middle East. The politics have been kept to a minimum as a young teenager probably would not have been discussing it in detail. Hopefully, the story will provide an insight into the way of life for Armenians at the time. Details of distances, phases of the moon, days of the week etc. bring the story to life. Foreign words have been footnoted and a glossary provided, as well as a list of personal names and their meanings. There are also short historical notes to guide the reader. The book has been written as a continuous narrative, without chapter headings. However it clearly falls into two parts: before and after the event that changed the boy’s life. The maturing of the boy is shown through his actions when he meets various people on his journey; kind people, bad people, helpless people. An elderly adventurer called Baron Garabed, who helps him early in his journey, provides some more background to the story. The psychological implications of violence - graphically described in the narrative - often results in trauma. This, in certain types of behaviour, is hinted at in the text: a coldness, false bravery, survivor's guilt, haunting and recurring nightmares.
In the Shadow of the Sultan An Historical Coming of Age Novel
“The story is set in the late summer of 1896,
during the height of the Hamidiyan Massacres
in Asia Minor”
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: R. P. Sevadjian is a third generation Diasporan Armenian, whose family left Asia Minor in the 1800s and were scattered across the world, with no members remaining in their ancestral homelands. Born and raised in Africa, she now lives in the UK. For further information, please write to [email protected] DISTRIBUTOR: Moufflon Bookshop 38 Sofouli Street 1096 Nicosia, Cyprus Tel. 22 665 155 www.moufflon.com.cy [email protected] AND AVAILABLE FROM: amazon.co.uk & amazon.com
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Dear friends,
AGBU London Branch is pleased to present “Together for Armenia” concert dedicated to the Centenary of the Armenian Genocide and the 24th Anniversary of Armenia’s Independence.
This concert will be the biggest concert of the AGBU London Chamber Orchestra to date and will introduce five international Armenian soloists: Nairi Azezian - Flute (Finland), Sylvie
Zakarian - Marimba (USA), Anais Heghoyan – Mezzo (UK), Ani Batikian – Violin (Armenia) and Sarkis Zakarian – Piano (Bulgaria).
The orchestra, whose Patron is the renowned violinist Levon Chilingirian OBE and is itself formed by Armenian and non-Armenian professional musicians currently residing in UK, will
perform under the baton of conductor Gustavo Ubeda.
The programme will comprise pieces by Armenian composers Komitas, Ganatchian, Alan Hovhaness and Kristina Arakelyan, American composer Pasquale Tassone, a specially
commissioned work by British composer Roland Roberts and concluding with Beethoven’s “Emperor” Piano Concerto.
The concert will be held on Saturday 7th November at 19.30 in St. John’s Smith Square, London. Tickets are available on-line and at the box office at St. John's Smith Square (£20, £15, £10).
Please follow the link below for online tickets
Saturday, 7 November, 2015 - 19:30
AGBU London Chamber Orchestra
Together for Armenia
We hope you will be able to support this memorable event. It promises to be a fitting musical tribute to Armenia as a heroic nation remembering its victims and celebrating its future, while
bringing all Armenians together.
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Armenian Church News Page 10
London Armenian Opera “Davit Bek”
London Armenian Opera will be Performing Armen Tigranian's Opera "Davit Bek" on the 18th and 19th of December 2015 at 7.30pm at the Benjamin Britten Theatre at the Royal College of Music, Prince
Consort Road, SW7 2BS.
Ticket prices: £35, £25, £15 Concessions (under 16 & disabled) = 20%
(Not suitable for children below 8 years of age)
To book tickets please contact: 01923 773 277 or 07867 672 787
Or email:[email protected] Cheques made payable to London Armenian Opera to:
10 Beacon Way, Rickmansworth, WD3 7PG www.londonarmenianopera.com
Upcoming Events DIOCESAN PROGRAMMES Forthcoming Events in November and December Bible Studies Every Thursday, at St. Sarkis Church Gulbenkian Hall led by the Primate and the clergy of the Diocese. Bible Studies are an important part of the church’s ministry as they provide opportunities for the faithful and those who are interested and curious to have a deeper understanding of Christianity and to ask questions about their faith, beliefs and concerns. During Bible studies we make observations (what do passages in the Bible say?), provide interpretation (what do they mean?) and ask how applicable these passages are to our lives today. Open to everyone. Forthcoming dates: November: 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th December: 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd Deacons’ Training Deacons’ training takes place every Sunday at 5:00pm in the Vicarage, St. Sarkis Church. In November and December rehearsals are taking place for special hymns of the Midday Prayer - Ճաշու շարական, which are sung during the Divine Liturgy. For more details please contact the Diocesan Office. International Conference “Building Inclusive Societies Together” visit to Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, a Conference by the Council of Europe Sunday to Tuesday 1st-3rd November Bishop Hovakim Manukyan will represent the Armenian Church at this important conference. For more details, please contact the Primate. Lecture: “Challenges Facing Eastern Christianity Caught in Extremism and Destruction in the Middle East” Dr. Hratch Tchilingirian, the Oriental Institute, University of Oxford. Monday, 30th November, 7:00pm at Armenian House The Middle East is the cradle of Christianity and multi-ethnic Christian communities are amongst the most ancient natives in the region. Four of the five most important hierarchical centres in Christianity are in the Middle East today whose roots go back two millennia (namely, the Patriarchates of Antioch, Alexandria, Jerusalem, and Constantinople). While small in numbers relative to global Christianity, communities in the Middle East, especially the Levant, have ecclesial significance for the wider Christian world. This talk will discuss the many challenges that Eastern Christians face in the Middle East today, including war, militant extremism, interreligious conflicts, exile, socio-economic decline and migration.
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Dr. Hratch Tchilingirian is a sociologist of religion and associate faculty member of the Oriental Institute, University of Oxford. From 2002 to 2012 he taught and held various positions at University of Cambridge and has published and lectured extensively on inter-ethnic conflicts in the Caucasus, the Armenian Church, minorities in the Middle East, and Diaspora (www.hratch.info). Workshop: Being a Christian in a Secular World Wednesday, 9th December, 7:00pm at Armenian House Bishop Hovakim Manukyan, Primate, PhD, Church History, will lead this workshop on being a Christian in the modern world and challenges of evangelism on the occasion of the feast of St. Thaddeus and St. Bartholomew, the first evangelizers of Armenia. The discussions will be facilitated by Dr Hratch Tchilingirian. An evangelizing church needs to open up to the people and not be timid to enter the public realm. Such a presence could become possible through the Church’s engagement with the world, as well as the testimony and example Christians provide in their working and living environment. What are the opportunities for the Church to engage with the secular world? How could the Church function in the secular world of media, education and culture and find ways of collaboration in these spheres? How do the diaconal, charitable activities of the Christian faith become realities in the world today? These are some of the questions that will be explored by the Primate. Cardiff Parish Special Prayer Service at the Genocide Memorial - Temple of Peace 8th Anniversary Remembrance Service at Genocide Memorial Saturday, 7th November, Cardiff (10: 00am Poppy laying; 11:00am Welcome by the Cardiff Parish at Ararat Church (Whitchurch); 11:30am Divine Liturgy & Hokehankist; 2:00pm presentation of two books on the genocides of 1896 and 1915: “In the Shadow of the Sultan” by R.P. Sevadjian and “Memoire” by Delphine Jacquart. Pontifical Prayer Հայրապետական Մաղթանք and Divine Liturgy Sunday, 8th November, 11:00am at St. Yeghiche Church His Grace Bishop Hovakim, the Primate, will celebrate the Divine Liturgy and deliver the sermon on the occasion of the 16th anniversary of the pontificate of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians. Armenian Church Trust (UK) Donors Meeting Saturday, 14th November For more details, please contact the Diocesan Office. Youth Meeting in Manchester Wednesday, 18th November Meeting with the Armenian Church Youth Fellowship (ACYF) Manchester Chapter. For more details, please contact Mr. Zareh Nersessian (Chairman) on 07813 864 697.
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Lecture: “St. Gregory of Narek, Doctor of the Universal Church, with the Canonised Armenian Martyrs” Tuesday, 24th November, 7:30pm By the invitation of the Society of St. John Chrysostom, the Primate will pay a visit to the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral and speak about the centenary of the Genocide and canonisation of the victims. Dublin – Dedication of Memorial Khachkar (Cross stone) Saturday, 5th December, 2:00pm in Christ Church Cathedral, Christchurch Place, Dublin 8, Republic of Ireland. The dedication of specially sculpted Khachkar Memorial, service and concert on the occasion of the opening of the first ever memorial dedicated to the Armenian Genocide in the Republic of Ireland, thanks to the efforts of the Armenian Church Parish in Dublin. Dublin – Divine Liturgy Sunday, 6th December, 12:30pm at Taney Parish Church, Taney Road, Dundrum, Dublin 14, Ireland. Pembrokeshire – Divine Liturgy Saturday, 19th December, 1:00pm Following the Divine Liturgy in St. David’s Cathedral, St. David’s, Pembrokeshire, the unveiling ceremony of a full size bronze statue will take place. The statue is a gift from all Armenians to the Church in Wales in gratitude for their recognition of 24th April as Armenian Genocide Day.
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Prayer intentions for November:
We invite our faithful to pray for justice and peace in the world, especially for the refugees from the Middle East who are trying to find shelter in Europe. We ask for the intercessions of the Holy Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide for the refugees and for having God’s mercy and grace pour forth wherever justice is shaken, wherever tranquility is disturbed, wherever security is violated, wherever human rights are trampled, wherever social welfare is threatened, wherever faith and identity are fanaticised.
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.
Armenian Church News
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: [email protected]
PLEASE NOTE OUR CHANGE OF POSTAL ADDRESS
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:
Parishes of our Diocese:
Cardiff - Tel: + 44 771 279 2304, +44 2920779248. [email protected]
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. [email protected]
Holy Trinity Armenian Church 229 Upper Brook Street Manchester, M13 0FY
Tel: 0161 273 1074 www.armenianchurchmanchester.org/
St. Sarkis Church Iverna Gardens
Kensington, London, W8 6TP Tel: 020 7937 0152
http://www.stsarkisparish.co.uk
St. Yeghiche Cathedral 13b Cranley Gardens
Kensington, London SW7 3BB Tel: 020 7373 8133
http://www.styeghiche.org.uk/
Editorial Board: His Grace Bishop Hovakim Manukyan, Primate Garen Arevian
Hovik Hovhanissyan
Aznive Simon
Gagik Stepan-Sarkissian
Sossi Yeretsyan
