PRESS RELEASE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of Australia & New Zealand
10 Macquarie Street
Chatswood NSW 2067
AUSTRALIA
Contact: Laura Artinian
Tel: (02) 9419-8056
Fax: (02) 9904-8446
Email: [email protected]
28 April 2006
REFLECTION .. CELEBRATION . REVIVAL
If you are one of many who question the relevance of the Armenian Church
today and if you feel the connection between Creator and created has faded
in the busy schedule of daily living and materialism, then the past week of
celebrations rejoicing the 40th anniversary year of the Armenian Apostolic
Church of Holy Resurrection in Sydney, Australia would have transformed your
outlook, revived your spirit and steered you back on track, in the direction
of your Maker.
Under the auspice of His Eminence Archbishop Aghan Baliozian, Primate of the
Diocese of Australia, the administration of Very Reverend Father Vardan
Navasardyan and the Armenian Church Council of Australia in NSW, a week long
celebration of events began Easter Sunday on the Commemoration of the
Glorious Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ with the reading of the
Encyclical of His Holiness Karekin II Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of
All Armenians. On this auspicious occasion, His Grace Bishop Sion Adamyan
from Armenia represented His Holiness and the Mother See.
Easter Monday which observes a day of remembrance in the Armenian Church
paid respect to the memory of founders, benefactors and servants of the
Church of Holy Resurrection whose contributions have left a living legacy.
The solemn requiem service, attended by over 200 congregational members that
included families of the deceased, was followed by “hokejash” ~ a dinner in
remembrance of the souls of the dearly departed, where church community
gathered together, one in spirit, rekindling relationships with new and old
friends.
Tuesday was a night of joyous festivity dedicated to the children of our
community. More than 300 children, parents and teachers with beaming faces
congregated in the Church for a prayer service, the theme of which was
“obedience and protection” ~ obedience to parents, obedience to God,
protection from parents, protection from God. The buzz of excitement at so
many children from all spheres of the community gathered together in the
house of God perpetuated when everyone packed the church hall to present
their own beautifully rehearsed performance and message of congratulations
on occasion of the jubilee anniversary of their Church.
It was Youth Night on Wednesday that once again saw an electrified crowd,
this time a crowd of teenagers and young adults congregating the pews of the
Church of Holy Resurrection. The theme of the service was “God is love” ~
recognising the grace of God’s love upon us and calling Him to fill our own
hearts with love. Youth representing different organisations or just simply
from the community combined in prayer, liturgical chants and reading of the
scriptures to glorify the name of the Almighty. A casual cocktail reception
followed in the church hall when youth from the various organisations
addressed the 200 plus crowd on their respective mission and how each
perceived its role and relationship with the church.
Thursday evening presented a symposium with guest speakers submitting both
secular and religious views on “The challenges facing the church today and
the church’s contribution to moral issues in today’s society”. Speakers
included Ms Gladys Berejiklian MP (Member for the Willoughby), Mr Stepan
Kerkyashrian (Chairman of the Community Relations Commission and President
of the NSW Anti-Discrimination Board), Reverend John Henderson (General
Secretary of the National Council of Churches in Australia – NCCA) and
Reverend Dr Ray Williamson (General Secretary of the NSW Ecumenical
Council).
Friday evening was dedicated to a round table with Armenian organisations
and political parties to discuss issues facing the community today. Of
primary importance and dominating discussions was the matter of Armenian
youth and developing their interest in community affairs to ensure the
perpetuation of the local Armenian community.
An ecumenical service on Saturday evening was attended by a number of heads
of churches and representatives. Joining in the service were the Roman
Catholic, Anglican, Uniting and Middle Eastern Churches as well as the
Armenian Catholic and Evangelical Churches. Reverend David Gill (former
General Secretary of the NCCA) gave the message of the day on “love and
unity”, a theme common to the ecumenical movement of today. Following the
prayer service, Archbishop Baliozian hosted a meeting in the Primate’s
office which preceded a banquet dinner in the Edgarian hall.
The culmination of the week long events concluded with the 40th Anniversary
Jubilee Concert at Willoughby Town Hall when a high calibre of Armenian
talent showcased Armenian culture at its very best. The evening began with
the reading of the Encyclical of His Holiness honouring the 40th anniversary
of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Holy Resurrection and celebrated the 40
year history with song, dance, recitations and an oral history presentation.
Ceremoniously and with great vitality, the community embraced the
celebrations forging ahead into another decade of discipleship and ministry.