Consecration of the Icon of the Holy Martyrs of 1915


On Sunday 24 April I was privileged to be invited by His Grace Bishop Hovakim Manukyan, the Primate of the Armenian Church in the UK and Ireland, to the Divine Liturgy at St Yeghiche Church, London. The occasion was the annual commemoration of the Armenian genocide. During the liturgy a replica of the icon of the Holy Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide was consecrated, the original having been dedicated last year in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, when, on the centenary of the genocide, the martyrs were canonised by the Armenian Church. I was particularly moved when His Grace Bishop Hovakim asked me to join him in blessing the icon with Holy Myron (chrism).



In his sermon Bishop Hovakim called his people to be united with their homeland, "where Artsakh once again struggles for its independence and its basic human rights". Artsakh is the traditional Armenian name for the region of Nagorno-Karabakh where in recent weeks conflict has erupted. His Grace reminded Armenians living in Great Britain "to speak the truth boldly so that peace, security and justice will transcend lesser interests". "This icon will remain in our Churches as a shining light speaking about this truth that cannot be hidden", said Bishop Hovakim.

The faithful in St Yeghiche Church prayed, "Through the prayers and intercession of the Holy Martyrs of the Genocide of 1915 and of all the martyrs of the past and present, may the Lord have mercy on us".



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Farewell to the Diocese in Europe

Image
Deacon Frances and I packed up our office yesterday and turned over our official files, emails and equipment. Thus a close working together for 22 years comes to an end. So it is hard to believe that today, St David's day, a new chapter begins, after 44 years of stipendiary ministry, 22 years as deacon then priest and 22 as a bishop.  Here are just a few memories from the last couple of months...   But now it is time to begin a new chapter.  O God, by whose command the order of time runs its course: forgive our impatience, perfect our faith and, while we await the fulfilment of your promise, grant us to have a good hope because of your Word,  even Jesus Christ our Lord. (St Gregory Nazianzus, 330 - 390)
Read more

Archbishop of Canterbury's Pentecost Letter: A European Consequence

Image
In his Pentecost letter, the Archbishop of Canterbury warned of certain consequences for provinces of the Anglican Communion which have failed to stand by the three moratoria . (No authorisation of blessings services for same-sex unions; no consecrations of bishops living in same-sex relationships; and no bishop authorising any ministry within the diocese of another bishop without explicit permission). One consequence would be that representatives from such provinces w ould not be able to participate in the formal international interchurch dialogues of the Communion. One of those dialogues is the Anglican-Old Catholic International Co-ordinating Council ( AOCICC ), the official instrument set up to deepen the relationship of communion established in 1931 between the Anglican Communion and the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht . As the member Churches of the Union of Utrecht are all European, the AOCICC is effectively a European body. (I am one of the members, appointe
Read more

Advent in Helsinki: Mary, the Church's calling, and the One who brings us out of darkness to light

Image
Outside the Cathedral in Helsinki Yesterday, 8 December, was a very full Advent day, with activities redolent of the themes of the season. It was, of course, the Feast of the [Immaculate] Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary when we contemplate the mystery of the one who was prepared, through grace, to become the Mother of the Redeemer.  At the Vallila Help Centre (above, with Coordinator Eeva and Fr Tuomas) St Ambrose of Milan (whose feast we also celebrated this past week) was the first to refer to the Blessed Virgin as the Mother of the Church,  Mater Ecclesiae,  a title which helps us consider not only her role in giving birth to the Redeemer from whom the Church itself was born, but also how in her own life she responded to God's call in faith and love, as the Church today is also called to respond to the needs of the world.  It was with this in mind that I was so moved by a visit to the Ukraine Vallila Help Centre, a project supported by USPG and this diocese, which provides
Read more