July 15 marked the 30th anniversary of the ordination of Archpriest Reverend Father Bartev Karakashian.
Due to the Coronavirus, the occasion to observe the milestone was postponed by the Parish Council of Holy Resurrection Church to October 17.
About 60 guests, including members of the Reverend Father’s family, were welcomed at a dinner presided by Archbishop Najarian in the hall of the Ararat Sports & Cultural Association in Frenchs Forest to tribute Father Bartev. The evening’s MC was Parish Councillor Mr Arek Yapoudjian, who in honour of our fallen soldiers in Artsakh, invited those present to observe a minute’s silence, after which the Archbishop prayed ahead of the opening of the jubilee occasion.
The speakers on the occasion were Reverend Father Norayr Patanian, Reverend Father Avetis Hambardzumyan, Chairman of the Parish Council Mr Bedros Zorlu, Mrs Marina Avagyan-Tchaprazian, presenter of the Voice of the Armenian Church radio program, Parish Councillor Mr Zaven Yaghljian, Mr George Najarian of ACYA, Parish Councillor Mr Vasken Amirzaian and Chairman of the Diocesan Council Mr Sarkis Der Bedrossian.
Father Bartev first thanked the Archbishop and Father Avetis for approaching His Holiness Karekin II Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians for the Encyclical from the Mother See, conferring him the rank of Archpriest. He then read the congratulatory messages top him of Mrs Zarouhi Manougian as well as those of the Patriarchal Vicar of Constantinople, Archpriest Reverend Father Krikor Damadian and the Very Reverend Father Haroutioun Damadian.
In his closing remarks, Archbishop Najarian said, “We are all concerned about Armenia and Artsakh in these difficult days, but on such occasions we are energised. Father Bartev is a spiritual soldier. From my past eight years of experience, I can testify that whenever I have asked him to go to another Australian or New Zealand city where a small pocket of Armenians reside, as a pastor, he has immediately packed his bags and happily set off. His soul is above his body. He lives with eternity in him, he lives with God. He has always been ready like our clergymen in Artsakh today, who are on the border. From the depth of his heart, the Archbishop congratulated the Reverend Father stating that the Archpriest title would not put an end to his hard work but would refresh and open even wider his field of service.”
On this auspicious occasion, the Parish Council of the Holy Resurrection Church prepared a commemorative booklet which featured the encyclical of His Holiness Karekin II, the heartfelt messages of Archbishop Najarian, Archpriest Father Norayr Patanian, Father Avetis Hambardzumyan, Deacon Vartan Elmasian as head-deacon, Mr and Mrs Bedros and Ilda Zorlu and from the Parish Councils of Holy Resurrection Church, Holy Trinity Church and St Mary’s Church, as well as the biography of the honouree.
At the request of Father Bartev, the donations of the guests amounting to $4,000 on the occasion of his 30th anniversary were gifted to the Artsakh Support Fund.
Please click on this link to view the commemoration booklet to mark this special event.
