Divine Liturgy at the Armenian Apostolic Church of Holy Resurrection, Sydney
03.02.2019
On February 3, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians; offered a Divine Liturgy at the Armenian Apostolic Church of Holy Resurrection of the Armenian Diocese of Australia and New Zealand.
The Divine Liturgy was attended by Ms. Gladys Berejiklian, Governor of New South Wales; Mr. Paul Fletcher, member of the Parliament and Minister; Mr. Fred Nile, founder and president of the Christian Democrat party; Father Tovmas Varkis; Mr. Roy Williams, President of the New South Wales Ecumenical Council; Ms. Elizabeth Stone, General Secretary of the Australian Ecumenical Council; Bishop Daniel, Primate of the Coptic Church; Gwen Harris, President of the Emanuel Synagogue Council; members of diocesan and parish councils; representatives of Armenian organizations and philanthropists.
Led by the procession, the Catholicos of All Armenians entered the temple, where with the participation of devout Armenian and numerous guests he offered a Divine Liturgy.
His Eminence Archbishop Nathan Hovhannisyan, Director of the External Relations and Protocol Department of the Mother See and His Grace Bishop Haikazoon Najaryan, Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Australia and New Zealand assisted His Holiness during the Divine Liturgy.
During the ceremony, His Holiness Karekin II conveyed his blessings to the attendees. “During our pastoral visits, our meetings with our faithful people and children more strengthen our conviction that the Armenian people, strongly attached to the Holy Church of Christ, even in the most distant corners of the world, will keep his national and Christian identity. We praise the Lord for the grace granted to us to raise a gratitude prayer to heaven with you, repeating the words of the Apostle Paul: “All the brethren greet you. Greet ye one another with an holy kiss” (1 Cor. 16: 20). Apostle Paul himself, as a chosen vessel and a preacher of the Lord's word, went through the newly formed Christian communities, thereby linking Christian brothers and sisters being thousands of miles away from each other through a holy greeting. Today, we also, as Patriarch of the St. Gregory the Illuminator See, we have come to bring you the holy greetings from the Holy Etchmiadzin, the spiritual center of all Armenians and convey our pontifical message to our beloved children gathered here”, said His Holiness.
His Holiness stressed that because of the difficult circumstances and sufferings during history, the world-spread Armenian nation completed his long roads of Crucifixion with resurrection sunrises, as a source of light and power constantly recognizing our Lord Jesus, through whose power of Resurrection has once again gained strength of self-organization and preservation of its national Christian identity. According to His Holiness, wherever the Christian Armenian lives, even in the most remote and forgotten corners of the world, his soul flourished with the patriotic spirit of being a son of Ararat.
In his remarks, the Catholicos of All Armenians confirmed with satisfaction: “We are very excited and consoling that the Australian-Armenian community is experiencing new awakening, strengthens his life of faith, united around the Armenian Church, re-evaluating the glorious memories of the history and heritage of our ancestors. Today you are the Ambassadors of the Armenian People in Australia and due to you the Armenian Christian and faithful spirit are known here, as well as the ancient and rich heritage of our people and culture, love, peace, freedom to create.
Dear beloved, we are responsible for our time, and it is by our actions that it will be recorded as a time of restoration. It is with our new accomplishments and victories that time should move forward of rebuilding the Homeland and the Diaspora. Christ is our way, whom our fathers have recognized and whom we know”.
