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: primate@armenian.com.au
1 April 2008
PONTIFICAL LEGATE VISITS ARMENIANS IN SINGAPORE
Sydney, Australia – His Eminence Archbishop Aghan Baliozian, Pontifical
Legate of India and the Far East left for Singapore on 26 March 2008 to meet
with community members and also preside over two special sacraments at the
Armenian Apostolic Church of St Gregory the Illuminator, the very first
church in Singapore built by the Armenian Community in 1835.
On the evening of his arrival, on occasion of the 173rd anniversary of the
Church, Archbishop Baliozian celebrated the Divine Liturgy and delivered the
sermon in which he reflected on the mission of the Armenian Church in the
lives of Armenians of the Diaspora most especially in the history of the
earlier South-east Asian communities. Despite the diminished communities,
Armenian churches continue to exist.
The Liturgy was attended by the local Armenians who are for the most part
expatriates living in Singapore for business purposes. The community
numbers around 30 and on this special occasion were joined by family members
visiting from Istanbul and Canada. Whilst the Armenian Church of Singapore
has a long, illustrious history it however serves mostly as a historical
monument in Singapore today with no resident clergy and a trickle of
parishioners. So opportunities when Archbishop celebrates Mass, breathes
life into the church and nourishes the faithful.
Following the church service, a community dinner was held in honour of the
Pontifical Legate in the picturesque gardens on the grounds of the church
aside the quaint parsonage. This provided an opportunity for all to share
their personal stories with the Archbishop and renew old friendships or get
better acquainted with the newer community members.
Also joining the pastoral visit of the Archbishop was Mr Haik Sookias Jr,
Chairman of the Armenian Church Committee of Calcutta who took the
opportunity to visit Singapore to meet with the Pontifical Legate. Between
events the two made time for meetings to discuss issues relating to the
Armenian College and Philanthropic Academy of Calcutta .
On Thursday 27 March Archbishop presided over the wedding ceremony of a
Melbourne couple whose wish it was to marry in the historic church. With
their families, having travelled from Australia, they shared the special
occasion with community members of Singapore and held a reception following
the ceremony in the gardens.
On Friday 28 March Archbishop Baliozian was delighted to conduct the baptism
ceremony of baby William Robert Der Kevorkian in St Gregory the Illuminator
Church. William Robert is the son of Mr Greg Der Kevorkian, Honorary Consul
of Armenia in Thailand who flew to Singapore with his wife and extended
family to baptise baby William in the Armenian Church. William is also the
grandson of Mrs Linda Der Kevorkian and the late Dr Norayr (Bob) Der
Kevorkian, the former Honorary Consul of Armenia in Thailand and
representative of His Holiness Karekin II Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos
of All Armenians in Singapore. As past President of the Board of Trustees
of St Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church and a true custodian of the
church, the baptismal blessing of baby William held special significance for
the Archbishop and the Der Kevorkian family.
The visit of Archbishop Baliozian is especially cherished by pocket
communities and sparks vigour in the lives of community members.
"It was a lively week for the Church in Singapore and an honour for the
local community that Srbazan was present to preside over a series of
important events" commented Pierrre Hennes, an Armenian resident of
Singapore and Church Committee member. "These included the 173rd anniversary
of the consecration of the Church; the marriage of an Armenian couple from
Australia who travelled specially to Singapore to celebrate in our church,
and the baptism of a Bangkok-born Armenian child. Singapore is truly at the
crossroads of the Armenian community of Asia. By visiting Singapore,
Srbazan not only unites the local community, but plays an essential role in
building bridges among the small and dispersed communities across Asia. By
strengthening our ties, he is assuring that our important age-old heritage
in Asia will continue to be preserved, honoured and cherished for centuries
to come."
Before his departure from Singapore, the Archbishop held discussions with
community members about 175th anniversary celebrations in 2010. He returned
to his residence in Sydney on Saturday 30 March.
The Armenian presence in Singapore has never been large, at most 830 people
in Singapore and Malaysia in the early 19th century when the church was
built. However, it is said that Armenians impacted the social, civic and
economic life of the early British trading settlements in both countries.
So much so that it traces the existence of four Singaporean icons to
Armenians: the Church of St Gregory, the Raffles Hotel, the Straits Times
newspaper and the "Vanda Miss Joaquim" orchid ~ popularly known as the
Singapore orchid that is the national flower of Singapore.
For information on the Armenian Church of St Gregory the Illuminator in
Singapore email armen60@singnet.com.sg
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress