PRESS RELEASE
Armenian Prelacy of Canada
Contact
Name: Dania Ohanian
Phone: (514) 856-1200
3401 Olivar Asselin
Montreal, Qc H4J 1L5
E-mail: [email protected]
Monument Dedicated to Armenian Genocide of 1915
Erected at Armenian Prelacy of Canada
Montreal, Qc_ Under the Auspices of His Eminence, Archbishop Khajag
Hagopian, Prelate, on the occasion of the commemoration of the 90th
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, a divine wake was held at the Sourp
Hagop Armenian Apostolic Cathedral for the 1.5 million victims of the
Genocide, on the evening of April 22.
Among the clergy present for the service were, Very Reverend Father, Georges
Zabarian, Vicar General of the Armenian Catholic Church of the United States
and Canada, Reverend Mher Khatchigian and Reverend Movses Jimbachian of the
Armenian Evangelical Church, as well as, Archpriest Rev. Fr. Armen
Ishkhanian, Rev Fr. Karnig Koyounian and Rev. Fr. Hraïr Nicolian.
The Sourp Hagop Vartkes & Astghik Sarafian Elementary School choir also
performed during mass, after which, a candle-lit procession followed the
clergy to Prelacy grounds for the official opening ceremony of the monument
dedicated to the victims of the Armenian Genocide.
The monument, a “douf” cross on a grey granite slab, was carved by Varaztad
Hampartsoumian, a “khatchkar” artist from Yerevan, Armenia, and donated by
Levon Sargsian and Levon Varjabedian of Armenia.
The monument was bestowed to the Armenian community from Sarkis and Seta
Tabakian on behalf of their daughter Nanor. Special thanks are also extended
to Hagop Amirian and Sossi Dayian Arabiab, without whose efforts, this
project would never have been realized.
The event was also marked by a special acknowledgment given to laval
resident, Manoug Khatchadourian, a 103-year old Genocide survivor.
Other events
Under the Auspices of His Eminence, Archbishop Khajag Hagopian, Prelate, a
memorial service was held at the Sourp Hagop Armenian Apostolic Cathedral on
the morning of April 23, as well as on the morning of April 24, at the
genocide memorial monument at Parc Marcelin Wilson in Montreal.
His Eminence, Archbishop Khajag Hagopian, Prelate, also joined the Armenian
community of Canada in Ottawa for the protest in front of Turkish embassy on
the same day, and in the evening, attended the 90th anniversary
commemoration event, which took place in the St. Mary Armenian Apostolic
Church in Toronto, organized by Church’s Pastor, Very Reverend Fr. Meghrig
Parikian.
Among the clergy present at the commemoration event in Toronto were, the
Minister Harris Athanasiadis of St. Mark’s Presbyterian Church, Father
Michel Rouhana of Our Lady of Lebanon, Archpriest Oleg Kirilov, Rector of
the Russian Orthodox Cathedral, Christ the Saviour, Protopriest Marcos
Marcos of St. Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Church, Very Reverend Father Mikhael
Armanios of St. George & St. Rueiss Coptic Orthodox Church, Very Reverend
Father Yousif Mansoor of St. Joseph Syriac Catholic Church, Very Reverend
Father Elie Kirejian of St. Gregory’s Armenian Catholic Church, Very
Reverend Father Estephanos Issa of St. Mar Baraumo Syrian Orthodox Church,
Archbishop Mathias Desta of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church of Canada, the
Right Reverend Bishop Yurij of Toronto and Eastern Eparch of the Ukrainian
Orthodox Church of Canada, Father Kouroesh Barani of Toronto Iranian Gospel
Church, Reverend Father Ohanes Sarmazian of Cambridge Evangelical Church and
Der Gomidas Panossian of Sourp Nishan Armenian Apostolic Church in
Cambridge.
The clergy took turns delivering their message to the church attendants and
they almost all reiterated that if the Armenian Genocide had been recognized
in due time, then the subsequent genocides of the 20th and 21st Century
would not have taken place.
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