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: armenian@idx.com.au

28 August 2007

PRIMATE’S PASTORAL VISIT TO THE ‘CITY OF CHURCHES’

Adelaide is known to Australians as the "city of churches" and on Sunday, 26
August the Liturgy of the Armenian Apostolic Church resonated among the
choruses of the city’s many church services as the small Armenian Community
of Adelaide congregated to celebrate the Divine Liturgy presided by Primate
of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of Australia and New Zealand, His
Eminence Archbishop Aghan Baliozian. This weekend marked Archbishop’s
biannual visit to the mission parish of Adelaide.

"The visit of the Archbishop is always a cause for celebration and brings
the community closer together" remarks Alec Balayance, Secretary of the
Armenian Cultural Association of South Australia (ACASA). "The visit is an
opportunity to have Holy Communion during an Armenian Mass as there is no
Armenian Apostolic Church in Adelaide."

What made this Mass even more special was the attendance of Attorney General
of South Australia, the Hon. Michael Atkinson MP who is also Minister for
Justice and Minister for Multicultural Affairs. At the invitation of ACASA,
the congregation was joined by Mr Atkinson who showed special interest to
learn about the faith of the Armenian people, he himself a faithful and
active Christian in his own church and parish. The Minister was accompanied
by his Chief of Staff, Mr Peter Louca and conversed at length with
Archbishop Baliozian following Holy Mass. Chatting also with other members
of the Community, Mr Atkinson expressed his delight to have finally had the
opportunity to spend time with the small but vibrant Armenian Community of
Adelaide which he had hoped to visit for some time.

The 2-day pastoral visit with the Primate rarely varies its routine for it
is a formula that binds the Community in fellowship, friendship and unity.
Saturday evening honoured Archbishop Baliozian with a community gathering, a
social evening with an artistic interlude of graceful Armenian dancing,
string quartet and a piano performance reverberating the music of Komitas.
On Sunday morning, Holy Mass was celebrated at the Chapel of the Christian
Brothers College which filled the heart and soul of the Armenian
congregation with hymns and prayers of the Armenian Apostolic faith.
Following the church service there was opportunity to mingle and converse in
the spirit of church community. The same evening a meal was shared among
friends in the hospitality of Mrs Jessie Babayan’s home.

Archbishop Baliozian returned to his residence in Sydney on Monday afternoon
after another special visit with his flock.

For information on Armenians in Adelaide contact the President of the ACASA,
Mr Gevik Abedian at gavedian@yahoo.com or the Honorary Secretary, Mr Alec
Balayance at albaphol@hotmail.com