His Holiness Karekin II Awards the "St. Nerses the Gracious" Medal to Anglican Church Representative
On August 14, a solemn ceremony was held in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin to bid farewell to the outgoing official representative of the Anglican Church to the Armenian Church. His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians presided. The farewell ceremony was held on the occasion of the pending departure of the Very Rev. Fr. Phillip Storr Venter, Apokrisarius (representative) of the Archbishop of Canterbury to the Catholicosate of All Armenians. Members of the Brotherhood of Holy Etchmiadzin and staff of the Mother See attended the ceremony.
His Grace Bishop Yeznik Petrossian, Secretary of the Department of Inter-Church Relations for the Mother See, delivered an opening speech where he recalled the nearly seven years of industrious activity of Fr. Phillip, and the progression of relations and development of contacts between the Armenian and Anglican Churches. His Grace noted that Fr. Phillip was instrumental in the strengthening of those relations and contacts. In his speech, Bishop Yeznik also mentioned some of the many activities which occupied Fr. Phillip's time during the past seven years. Among the activities he organized were: the Pontifical Visit of Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin I of blessed memory, to Great Britain; last year's visit of Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey to Armenia on the occasion of the 1700th Anniversary of the Proclamation of Christianity as the Official Religion of Armenia; the multiple visits, meetings and exchange programs of Chaplains in the Armed Forces serving in both countries; and the higher education of young members of the Brotherhood of Holy Etchmiadzin in the Theological Universities of England.
As a sign of appreciation, the Catholicos awarded the Medal of St. Nerses the Gracious to Fr. Phillip through a Pontifical Encyclical, which was read by His Grace Bishop Paren Avedikian. At the conclusion of the ceremony, His Holiness addressed those in attendance, emphasizing his high appreciation of Fr. Phillip's work in Armenia and his services in strengthening the long-standing fraternal relationship between the two Churches.
The "Lousavorich" choir group of the Vazkenian Theological Seminary of Sevan presented a musical program during the entertainment portion of the event.
