Patriarch Visits Plovdiv Armenian Community

Lraper Church Bulletin 11/07/2005
Contact: Deacon Vagharshag Seropyan
Armenian Patriarchate
TR-34130 Kumkapi, Istanbul
T: +90 (212) 517-0970, 517-0971
F: +90 (212) 516-4833, 458-1365
[email protected]
[email protected]
<; ARMENIAN PATRIARCH VISITS PLOVDIV ARMENIAN COMMUNITY His Beatitude Mesrob II, Armenian Patriarch of Istanbul and All Turkey, left Istanbul on Saturday 25 June 2005 for Plovdiv in Bulgaria in order to preside over the 75th birthday, 50th anniversary of priestly ordination and 45th anniversary of episcopal ordination of His Grace Archbishop Dirayr Mardigyan of Romania and Bulgaria. Having said the pilgrimage prayer in the Holy Mother of God Patriarchal Church in Kumkapi, the Patriarch travelled by car, accompanied by the Reverend Fathers John Whooley and Drtad Uzunyan. The Very Revd. Fr. Yeghishe Uchkunyan had already left for Plovdiv on Friday 24 June by bus, heading a group of 90 pilgrims, members of the Surp Takavor Armenian Church Choir and their families. His Beatitude was met at the Bulgarian border by the Very Revd. Fr. Yeghishe Uchkunyan, the Vice-Chairman of the Armenian Diocesan Council of Bulgaria Yeghyazar Uzunyan, and Mgrdic Sertsimsek, an Armenian benefactor from Istanbul. His Beatitude and his entourage were then invited to lunch at a restaurant in the city of Svilengrad in Bulgaria by the Diocesan Council. The group arrived in Plovdiv around 16:00 hours and checked into the Novotel where they were to stay overnight. His Beatitude was met at the entrance of the hotel by His Grace the Armenian Archbishop of Romania and Bulgaria and by Bedros Sirinoglu, the Chairman of the Board of Administrators of Surp Prgic Armenian Hospital in Yedikule, Istanbul. At 19:00 hours, the Patriarch was taken on a short tour of the city of Plovdiv, visited Pinarcik Hill with its magnificent panorama of the city and its environs and then visited the Armenian Cemetery in Plovdiv, where he visited the Saint John the Baptist Chapel and said a prayer for the repose of the souls of all deceased believers before the monument of the Armenian Martyrs. At 20:00 hours, His Beatitude joined Archbishop Dirayr for an official dinner, attended by the Very Revd. Fr. Yeghishe Uchkunyan, the Reverend Fr. John Whooley, the Reverend Fr. Drtad Uzunyan, the Revd. Archpriest Kevork Khatcheryan of Plovdiv, Mr and Mrs Yeghyazar and Victoria Uzunyan, Mr and Mrs Bedros and Leda Shirinoglu and Mr Mgrdic Sertsimsek. The Divine Liturgy and the Following Celebration The services in the historic Armenian Church in the old quarter of Plovdiv began at 09:00 hours on Sunday, 26 June 2005. His Beatitude the Patriarch presided over the services, while Fr. Yeghishe Uchkunyan offered the Holy Eucharist. Participating were Archbishop Dirayr Mardigyan, the other clergymen, the Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia in Sofia, His Excellency Sergei Manasaryan, the pilgrims from Istanbul and members of the Armenian community of Plovdiv. The hymns during the liturgy were sung by the members of the Surp Takavor Church Choir, conducted by Sevan Shencan. His Beatitude delivered a homily mentioning the week of fasting which preceded the Feast of the Holy Transfiguration of Christ our Lord. He then offered some considerations on the great confession of Saint Peter the Apostle at Caesarea Philippi. Answering the Lord's question, "Who do you say I am?", Saint Peter the Apostle replied: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:15). The Lord answered, "On this rock I will build my church..." (v. 16:18). At the end of his homily, reminding those present of the anniversaries celebrated, His Beatitude made a public tribute to Archbishop Dirayr's long years of service to God, to the Church and the Armenian people and wished him happiness and good health for many more years to come. The Patriarchal Bull of His Holiness Catholicos Karekin II of All Armenians was brought in and His Beatitude Patriarch Mesrob solemnly read it from the bema. Archbishop Dirayr then thanked Catholicos Karekin II and Patriarch Mesrob II for the honour they had given him and recalled the memory of the former primates of the Diocese, Bishop Ghevont Turyan, Archbishop Stepanos Hovagimyan, Bishop Yervant Perdahciyan and Bishop Kusan Garabetyan, who had all served under the aegis of the Armenian Patriarchs of Constantinople, being not far from the metropolis. To conclude this part of the service, Patriarch Mesrob blessed and dismissed the faithful. The Patriarch then visited the little museum of church artefacts adjacent to the Armenian Church of Plovdiv, following which he presided over the luncheon at the cultural centre in the same complex. Armenian children and youths had prepared an outstanding cultural programme that consisted of poetry, folk dancing and songs which received an enthusiastic ovation from the full hall. Archbishop Dirayr Mardigyan delivered a humorous speech and then presented benefactors Bedros Sirinoglu, Mgrdic Sertsimsek and the Revd. Fr. Drtad Uzunyan with gifts of original paintings from Plovdiv. The concluding speech was delivered by the Patriarch who invited Archbishop Dirayr Mardigyan to Istanbul in order to celebrate his anniversaries there as well. His Beatitude also presented Yeghyazar Uzunyan (Chairman of the Plovdiv Parish Council and Vice-Chairman of the Diocesan Council), Hripsime Tovmasyan (teacher of the children and the youths who had performed), and the Revd. Archpriest Kevork Khatcheryan of Plovdiv with Armenian language books published in Istanbul. The Patriarch then took a stroll through the streets of old Plovdiv, visiting antique shops and church suppliers'. After a short rest at the hotel, he returned to his see in Istanbul by car.