MELBOURNE: On Sunday 6 April, the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne hosted a historic Evening Service at St Paul’s Cathedral in Melbourne’s CBD to mark the 110th Anniversary of the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides, reported the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU).
The service which was led by the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne was attended by prominent religious, community and political figures including His Grace Evgenios of Kerasounta - Bishop of the Greek Orthodox Diocese of Chora (Northcote), Father Khacher Harutyunyan - Parish Priest, St Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church, Mar Benjamin Elya - Bishop of the Diocese of Victoria and New Zealand of the Assyrian Church of the East, The Revd Sandy Boyce - Executive Officer of the Victorian Council of Churches, Federal Senator Raff Ciccione - Chair of the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee, and Ann-Marie Hermans MP - State Member of the Victorian Legislative Council.
The church service, which was attended by over 350 members of the community, included prayer readings from representatives of the Anglican, Armenian, Assyrian, and Greek churches, as well as a The Litany delivered by Father Harutyunyan and the choir of the St Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church.
At the conclusion of the service, the Edith Glanville Humanitarian Award, which recognises individuals or groups who have demonstrated an exceptional contribution to supporting the rights of disadvantaged, or oppressed peoples was presented to the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne and accepted by The Bishop Administrator of Melbourne, The Rt Revd Genieve Blackwell, who expressed her thanks to the Armenian National Committee of Australia.
Robert Vardapetyan, who conferred the award said, “This year’s recipient, the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne, shares a unique connection with Armenian Genocide survivors. At the height of the Genocide and in its aftermath, the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne, alongside the Victorian Council of Churches, spearheaded relief effort; raising funds through local congregations and conducting the blessing of the Commonwealth steamers which transported and distributed aid to genocide survivors in the Middle East.”
He added, “To this day, the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne continues such humanitarian initiatives through charitable organisations such as the Melbourne Anglican Benevolent Society, which provide direct relief to those suffering from poverty, sickness and distress.”
Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU) Michael Kolokossian expressed his thanks to the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne and said, “We are deeply grateful to the Anglican Church for their profound solidarity and compassion in commemorating the Armenian Genocide. Their commitment to truth, justice, and remembrance honours the memory of the victims and strengthens the bonds of shared humanity and faith."
