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]
7 February 2005
LAUNCH OF 1600TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS OF THE ARMENIAN ALPHABET IN
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
Sydney, Australia – Sunday, 6 February, 2005 on the Feast of St Vartan the
Warrior, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated by His Eminence Archbishop Aghan
Baliozian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of Australia and
New Zealand. During the Divine Liturgy, the Encyclical of His Holiness
Karekin II Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians dated 29
January 2005 was read proclaiming 2005 the year of commemorating the 1600th
anniversary of the discovery of the Armenian Alphabet by St Mesrob Mashdots
at the instigation of King Vramshabouh and Catholicos Sahag. Also during
the Divine Liturgy, Hayrabedagan Makhtank was performed with the full rank
of clergy and deacons as it was the name day of His Holiness Karekin II.
In this auspicious year of celebration and in acknowledgment of the national
treasure that is the Armenian Alphabet, Archbishop Baliozian will soon
launch the Inaugural Archbishop’s Writing Award aimed at stimulating thought
and consciousness in Armenian youth about the relevance of maintaining the
values and faith of Armenian heritage in communities of the Diaspora in the
21st Century. The topic for the 2005 Award is “The Armenian Alphabet is
important for the Armenian identity”.
The Archbishop’s Writing Award will become an annual event and is open to
all Armenian youth from Grades 5 to12 residing in Australia, New Zealand and
South-East Asia.