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
22 July 2009
SPECIAL REQUIEM SERVICE FOR VICTIMS OF FLIGHT 7908
Sydney, Australia – The tragedy of the air disaster of Caspian Air Flight
7908 last Wednesday has gripped the Armenian Community of Sydney having lost
two of its promising and finest youth in the tragedy. A number of local
families too lost loved ones among the 168 people killed on the flight bound
from Tehran to Yerevan which soon after take-off reportedly crashed in
north-western Iran.
The death of siblings, Arin and Ani Abcarian from Sydney has devastated
family and friends as well as the Armenian Community at large that is
mourning their loss along with the reported 40 Armenians on board this fatal
flight, 5 of which have been reported to be citizens of the Republic of
Armenia.
This evening, a special requiem service presided by His Eminence Archbishop
Aghan Baliozian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of Australia
and New Zealand was held at the Armenian Apostolic Church of Holy
Resurrection in Sydney for the community to unite in prayer, share their
sorrow and console their grief.
Present at the service were members of the Abcarian family with close
relatives and friends as well as those families who lost relatives that were
citizens of Iran. At the invitation of the Primate, Mr Gholamali Rajabi
Yazdi, Deputy Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Australia
representing the Ambassador, His Excellency Mahmoud Movahhedi was in
attendance as were representatives of community organisations and members of
the community who wished to pay their respects to the victims of the air
crash tragedy.
The requiem service began with prayers for the repose of the souls of those
killed after which the names of the 168 victims were announced in respect to
their memory. The message of condolence of His Holiness Karekin II Supreme
Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians was read and in honour of the
Iranian dignitary, Mr Gholamali Rajabi Yazdi, a communiqué extending the
sympathy of the Armenian Community to the Republic of Iran was presented in
Farsi by a local community member.
Archbishop Baliozian delivered his sermon in which he spoke so fondly of the
two Armenian-Australian youth whom he has warmly embraced and regrettably
got to know more closely as a consequence of this tragedy. He articulated
the quiet achievements of both Arin and Ani as outstanding young members not
only of the Armenian community but broader, particularly with Arin’s high
standing as a medical researcher and PhD student at Sydney University. Ani,
a university student herself, was greatly admired for her active
contribution to community life. He also conveyed his deep condolences to
the families who lost relatives in the tragedy.
Following the service, the congregation gathered in the church hall for
requiem coffee service which provided an opportunity for community members
to share their grief and comfort each other. The Deputy Ambassador of the
Islamic Republic of Iran to Australia met personally with families directly
affected by this tragedy and collaborated with other community members with
expressions of sympathy.
In times of such exorbitant tragedy, solace can be found in the unifying
force of community bonding but particularly for the Armenian people, solace
is found foremost in the presence of our Church and in the grace of our
Almighty Father.