Historic Ascension Day Service in Armenia


A significant moment occurred last week in the history of links between the Church of England and the Armenian Apostolic Church. Possibly for the first time in the history of our inter-church relations, an Anglican priest was invited by the Armenian Church to preside at an ecumenical celebration of the Eucharist for the Feast of the Ascension.

The invitation came to the Revd John Barker, our priest-in-charge in Yerevan, from His Grace Bishop Hovakim, the Director for Inter Church Relations of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The service was held in Bishop Hovakim’s home diocese in the north of Armenia, in a monastery church in Harichavank. It was a powerful sign of unity as Christians celebrated together the Ascension of our Lord.


Present at the service were representatives of the Armenian Apostolic Church, including seminarians who are studying at Harichavank, plus members of the Anglican congregation in Armenia bolstered by a visiting
group from the UK that was led by Canon William Taylor from the Diocese of London.





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