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; [email protected]
Website;
August 27, 2004
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BISHOP BAGRAT GALSTANIAN ATTENDED A RECEPTION IN HONOR OF STEPHANOS II
GHATTAS PATRIARCH OF COPTIC CATHOLIC CHURCH
On Sunday, August 22, 2004 the Primate and the pastors of the Armenian Church
of Canada attended a reception at the Coptic Catholic community center in
Chomedey, Laval, in honor of the Patriarch of the Coptic Catholic Church of Egypt
Cardinal Stephanos Ghattas II.
Accompanying the Primate was Mr. Viken Darakjian. On this occasion, His
Eminence Bishop Galstanian discussed the bilateral relations between the two
churches at a national level. He then highlighted the importance of ecumenical
relations. A well-organized Coptic Catholic Church exists in Laval. The pastor is
Archpriest Emile Bakhouam, who has known Serpazan from his inception as Primate
of the Armenian Church Canadian Diocese.
During the reception Cardinal Stephanos II Ghattas presented the order of
Saint Gregory the Great to Mr. Mamdouh Stephanos, member of Notre Dame D’Egypt
community in Canada. Attending the reception were also Senators, Members of
Parliament, Members of National Assembly as well as spiritual representatives.
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THE FEAST OF ASSUMPTION OF THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD IN OTTAWA
On Sunday, August 22, 2004 the Saint Mesrob Armenian Apostolic Church of
Ottawa celebrated the Feast of Assumption of Saint Mary Holy Mother of God.
Very Rev. Fr. Ararat Kaltakjian, Vicar General of Canada, celebrated the
Divine Liturgy. The feast of Assumption of the Holy Mother-of-God (Verapokhoumn
Sourp Asdvadzadzni) is one of the five major holidays (Daghavar) of the
Armenian Apostolic Church.
In his sermon Fr. Kaltakjian highlighted the sanctity of motherhood as
exemplified by St. Mary, and talked about the Armenian tradition of blessing of
grapes at this time, symbolizing fruition of God-given blessings.
Immediately following the Divine Liturgy (Badarak) the “Blessing of the
Grapes” ceremony was performed. Afterwards, a reception was held in the church
hall.
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AN UNPRECEDENTED EVENING TO HONOUR THE 2004 ARMENIAN GRADUATES FROM HIGH
SCHOOLS
It is with deep spiritual joy that we announce to the faithful of the
Armenian Church Canadian Diocese that the Armenian College Ministry Department in
conjunction with a group of young Armenians called “Armenians for Higher
Education” have been working hard over the summer, planning an unprecedented event for
all High School graduates in the greater Montreal area to publicly show how
proud the Armenian community is of the accomplishments of the Class of 2004.
The event will take place on Sunday, September 19th at 6:00 pm in the
Bolsahay Cultural Center. There will be a separate cocktail for the graduates and
another one for the accompanying family members. Each graduate will receive a
certificate of merit from the Primate, His Eminence Bishop Bagrat Galstanian.
For more information please visit the website at or contact
the Diocesan office at 514-276-9479.
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THE PRIMATE TO PRESIDE OVER IMPORTANT MEETINGS IN KINGSTON, ONTARIO
This Friday, His Eminence Bishop Bagrat Galstanian will preside over the
Central Council meeting of the Diocesan Sunday School in Hamilton, Ontario.
Regarding the opening of the Sunday school the executive body will examine this
year’s spiritual, educational and cultural program of Diocesan Sunday schools in
all parishes.
On Saturday, the Ladies Guild Central Council as well as representatives of
local committees will be meeting with His Eminence Bishop Bagrat Galstanian for
consecutive consultations, in an attempt to revitalize the Women’s Guild
activities in the mission of the Armenian Church Canadian Diocese.
Saturday afternoon the Primate will be presiding over the Children’s Fund for
Armenia’s joint committees annual meeting in Kingston. During the meetings
discussion will focus on the growth of CFFA projects, it’s administrative
development as well as finding means for increased financial support to this
humanitarian project.
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NEW APPOINTMENT IN THE MOTHER SEE
By the Pontifical Order of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and
Catholicos of All Armenians, Very Rev. Fr. Anushavan Vardapet Jamkotchian, a
member of the Brotherhood of Holy Etchmiadzin, has been assigned as parish priest
of Saint Gregory the Illuminator Mother Cathedral of Yerevan.
Father Anushavan, having recently completed his education in the Rheinische
Friedrich-Wilhelms University (Bonn, Germany), has returned to the Mother See
to continue his service to the Armenian Church. Father Anushavan is a doctoral
candidate in the field of religious rights.
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HIS HOLINESS KAREKIN II CONSECRATED A NEW CHURCH IN UKRAINE
On the afternoon of August 23, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and
Catholicos of All Armenians, departed for Kharkov, Ukraine, for a Pontifical
Visit to the Armenian Diocese of Ukraine.
During the trip, His Holiness consecrated the newly built Church of the Holy
Resurrection in Kharkov, on Tuesday, August 24. The foundations of the church
had been blessed in July 2000. The consecration date coincides with the 350th
anniversary of the founding of the city of Kharkov. The Church of the Holy
Resurrection will be the first Armenian Church in all of eastern Ukraine.
Accompanying His Holiness during the visit were His Eminence Archbishop
Nerses Bozabalian from the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and Rev. Fr. Tiran
Petrosian as Staff-bearer to His Holiness.
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WORKING SESSION IN THE MOTHER SEE OF HOLY ETCHMIADZIN
On July 21-23 a working session on the theme “Green Theology” was held at the
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. This year’s session was organized by the
World Council of Churches’ Inter-church Round-Table Foundation of Armenia. The
concept of these sessions was initiated by Bishop Bagrat Galstanian when he was
Dean of the Vazgenian Theological Seminary in Sevan, Armenia.
The participants to this conference, the students of Etchmiadzin’s Kevorkian
Seminary, Sevan’s Vazkenian Seminary and of Yerevan State University’s School
of Theology, listened to a series of lectures by Oxford University professor,
Dr. Dimitry Orgonomou on the Orthodox theology regarding environmental and
ecological issues. The subjects covered included “Creation in the Old Testament”,
“Creation in the New Testament”, “Orthodoxy and ecology, rites and imagery”,
and “Theology and ecology, Patrology”. The working session of July 23 was
participated by representatives of Armenian and international organizations
dedicated to environmental preservation. Addresses were also delivered by the
Secretary General of Armenia’s Bible Society Mr. Hratch Sarkissian, Prof. Garine
Tanielian and Prof. Orgonomou.
Secretariat of the Diocese