PRESS OFFICE
Armenian Holy Apostolic Church Canadian Diocese
Contact; Deacon Hagop Arslanian, Assistant to the Primate
615 Stuart Avenue, Outremont Quebec H2V 3H2
Tel; 514-276-9479, Fax; 514-276-9960
Email; adiocese@aol.com Website;
Students of St Sahag-St Mesrob Saturday School Returned from Armenia
On July 29, 2004, graduating students of Toronto’s St. Sahag
St. Mesrob School arrived from Armenia in a very high spirit and with
great enthusiasm. On Sunday, August 1, the group attended the Divine
Liturgy at the Holy Trinity Armenian Church and received Holy
Communion.
Prior to his sermon, Rev. Fr. Zareh Zargarian, Pastor of the church,
invited the students to come forward to the presbytery (tas) and to
present their impressions of Armenia. One by one the students related
their memorable experiences and impressions of the
Motherland. Fr. Zargarian then spoke about the importance of
safekeeping and maintaining the Armenian cultural and national
heritage, as well as of constantly being aware of our sense of
belonging.
Following the Divine Liturgy, a reception was held in the Church’s
Magaros Artinan Hall in honor of Mrs. Sona Zeitlian from Los Angelos,
on the occasion of the publication of her most recent book titled “The
Input of Armenians in Egypt’s Early Middle Ages and Contemporary
History”. The book-launching was organized by the “Gamar” Cultural
Association of Holy Trinity Church. The book was presented by the well
known scholar from Montreal Miss Armine Keoshkerian, who offered a
comprehensive overview of this interesting dissertation. The author
then related pertinent information about the subject and what had
motivated her to write the book. The reception was concluded by
Rev. Fr. Zareh Zargarian’s praise for the book and by his blessings.
Camp Sevan Participants visited St Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral
On Tuesday, August 03, 2004 participants to the Sevan Summer Camp of
the Tekeyan Cultural Association visited St Gregory the Illuminator
Armenian Cathedral to ask for His Eminence Bishop Bagrat Galstanian’s
blessings and prayers.
Around 70 children aged between 4-13 gathered at St Gregory the
Illuminator Church and prayed that Almighty God grant the Motherland,
Armenia, family members and beloved ones good health and a prosperous
life. His Eminence Bishop Bagrat Galstanian, Primate, and Rev Fr
Vazgen Boyajyan greeted the teachers of for the camp and the
participating students.
Mrs. Ardemis Boyadjian is the principal and her assistants are Dzeron
Ohanian, Marie Mouradian, Mariana Tarkonian, Stephanie Boyadjian and
Patrick Kamel.
In his words of praise, Bishop Galstanian expressed his joy and
appreciated the organizers of the Sevan Summer Camp. His Eminence
encouraged the participants to be loyal to Armenian traditions and
values.
First Annual Armenian Youth Pilgrimage to St Catharine’s
The oldest and the first Armenian Apostolic Church in Canada,
St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Apostolic Church of
St. Catharine’s, Ontario, will be hosting the first Annual Armenian
Youth Pilgrimage.
His Eminence Bishop Bagrat Galstanian will join the pilgrims from
Montreal, Laval, Toronto and Ottawa at this historic event that will
take place starting Saturday, August 14th. in the evening and continue
on Sunday, August 15th. with the 74th. Annual “Blessing of the
Grapes” Holy Badarak and traditional Picnic.
His Holiness Karekin II Extends Sympathies to Pope John Paul II
His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All
Armenians, has sent a letter of sympathy and support to Pope John Paul
II, related to the terrorist events directed against Catholic churches
in Iraq on August 1, 2004.
The letter of His Holiness states in part, “We are saddened that some
extreme elements are attempting to endanger the centuries of
friendship and peaceful co-existence among the Christian and Muslim
peoples of the East, and offer our prayers to the Almighty that the
love of our Lord Jesus Christ will enter into the hearts of men,
reconcile them one to another, and that violence and war will be
eliminated from the region and all of humanity.”
The Catholicos of All Armenians has sent a similar letter to the
Patriarch of the Armenian Catholics, His Beatitude Nerses Bedros XIX.
Statement from Mother See on Church Bombings in Iraq
The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin learned with sorrow from the
Armenian Diocese of Iraq of the terrorist events of August 1, the
result of which caused loss of life and many to be injured. Five
churches were damaged, among them being an Armenian Catholic church.
The Armenian Apostolic churches and Diocesan headquarters of Iraq were
not attacked or damaged.
The Armenian Apostolic Holy Church expresses her sympathies to the
families of the victims and all Iraqi people, and wishes complete
recovery to the wounded and injured. We pray that the centuries of
friendship and peaceful co-existence among Christian and Muslim
peoples in the East will not be endangered by similar condemnable
violence; for peace to be re-established in the region; and that the
Iraqi people continue with the creation of their safe and progressing
lives.
Montreal Children’s Hospital
The Armenian Holy Apostolic Church Canadian Diocese team gave a
helping hand to its community on the occasion of the 89th
commemorative anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. After a “Toy
Drive” that took place in the spring, the team came for a visit at The
Children’s on April 22, 2004, to distribute the toys the young
patients.
The Diocese of the Armenian Church of Canada;
Prayers Needed For Maritsa Rina Laleyan-Yemenidjian
Maritsa Rina Laleyan-Yemenidjian, age 52, of Montreal, Canada, is
presently in deep coma at Sacre Coeur Hospital in Montreal. The
Diocese of the Armenian Church of Canada asks the faithful to pray for
the full recovery and well being of Maritsa Rina Laleyan-Yemenidjian.
Anyone wishing to send prayer notes and caring thoughts may do so by
writing to the attention of Deacon Hagop Arslanian at adiocese@aol.com
and they will be forwarded to the Yemenidjian Family.
The power of prayer will bring miracles to this family and they need
our support via this prayer request.