It is a respected tradition in the Armenian Church for families to request requiem prayers for the soul of their loved ones who have passed away. Requiems are generally held on the fortieth day and on subsequent anniversaries.  The names of the deceased are read during the prayers of the Divine Liturgy and a special prayer service is conducted immediately following.

According to the teachings of the Armenian Church, those who have died enter into a period of rest while awaiting our Lord’s glorious second coming at the end of time. But while separated from the Christian community, the souls that are resting continue to be counted among the faithful, who “rest in the shadow of the church.”  We therefore pray for them, as we pray for all our earthly cares. Essentially, our prayer for the dead is that they rest in peace, that the Lord forgive them all of their sins and find them worthy of eternal life in the Father’s kingdom when Christ comes again.

Praying for the dead is a proclamation of our faith in Christ’s second coming, and our hope in the resurrection of the dead. When the Armenian Church prays regularly for the dead we are reminded that life is transient, and we are filled with hope because we believe that death is too.

Source: The Divine Liturgy of the Armenian Church – St Vartan Press

To organise a Requiem:

  • Visit or contact the church office to complete the requiem form before 10 a.m. on the Friday preceding the Sunday of the requested service to ensure the names of those requesting the requiem are included in the weekly service booklet.
  • Requiems may also be registered at the church office on Sunday mornings before 11.00 a.m. for remembrance of the deceased only.
  • You will need to provide the following information for the form:

–     name and relationship of deceased

–     names of those requesting the requiem (please limit the number of family          names)

–     the period of the death e.g. fortieth day or anniversary

–     names of other deceased family members to remember

  • The Edgarian hall is available to serve coffee (hokesoorj) or meals (hokejush) following the Divine Liturgy.  Information on cost and conditions of hall use is available from the church office.