Primate attends 9/11 Interfaith Commemoration

In the afternoon of Sunday 11 September, His Eminence Archbishop Aghan Baliozian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of Australia and New Zealand accompanied by Reverend Father Bartev Karakashian attended an Interfaith Memorial Service at St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney to remember those killed in the 9/11 attacks. The 10^th anniversary commemoration was co-organised by the Consul-General of the United States in Sydney, Mr Niels Marquardt and former Consul-General of Australia in New York, Mr Ken Allen.

The service was attended by heads of churches united with interfaith brethren of Islam and Jewish faiths. Representatives from each of the faith communities addressed the congregation with words of solace and tributes to the victims of the most significant terror attack the world has ever seen.

The tragedy of 9/11 shook the entire world and affected countless families in many nations with the loss of loved ones. Australia was not immune from this pain with ten Australians losing their lives on that fateful day. The names of the ten victims were solemnly read in memoriam. Family members of these victims were among the invited guests attending the service.

Meet Dr Sasa – an Armenian speaking Burmese Doctor

Dr Sasa Maung Taing will be visiting Australia from 2 to 18 September. Among his speaking engagements he will visit our Sydney parish to meet with the Armenian Community on Wednesday 14 September.

Dr Sasa was born in a Chin village in Western Burma. No one in his village could read or write and there was no electricity, no running water and no sanitation. There was absolutely no medical care of any kind and women would often die in childbirth and many children died of simple treatable diseases such as diarrhea and vomiting.

In the course of his journey from village boy to teacher to doctor he has had to learn six languages and spent years in foreign colleges. One of these languages is Armenian. He graduated with honours from the national Armenian medical school in Yerevan in 2009.

He is totally committed to providing health care for his people and since becoming a doctor has run a training school for Community Health Workers, training 320 students from 160 different Chin villages. They graduated in March 2011, and HART Australasia provides the essential drugs for these wonderful young people to administer in their clinics.

When: Wednesday 14 September at 7.30p.m.

Where: Edgarian Hall – 10 Macquarie Street, Chatswood

Admission Free

Children’s Choir at the Ryde Christian Heritage Concert

On Sunday 28 August, the Loosavorich children’s choir of the Church of Holy Resurrection led by choirmaster, Deacon Vartan Elmasian participated in the Ryde Christian Heritage concert singing hymns from the Divine Liturgy. The concert was held at St Anne’s Church in Ryde. It followed the annual Ryde Christian Heritage Walk, an event which commemorates the first Christian service held in the area by Rev William Henry on August 26, 1796.

Photographed with the choir & Deacon Elmasian are Reverend Father Avetis Hambardzumyan and Mayor of Ryde, Councillor Artin Etmekdjian.