27th DIOCESAN ASSEMBLY
Mona Selyan
On May 28 and 29, 2010,
the Armenian Diocese of Canada held its 27th Diocesan Assembly,
presided over by his Eminence, Bishop Bagrat Galstanian, Primate. Accompanying Bishop Galstanian at the head
table were Ara Boyadjian, Chairman of the Diocesan Council, and the officers of
the assembly: Mona Selyan, English recording secretary; Vasken Altounian,
Armenian recording secretary and Jean Phillipe Tashjian, Chairman of meeting.
Diocesan Delegates representing St. Gregory of Vancouver,
St. Vartan of Mississauga, St. Gregory of St. Catharines, Holy Trinity of Toronto, St. Mesrob of Ottawa, St. Gregory of Montreal,
Holy Cross of Laval and the host parish of St. Mary’s Hamilton were present and eager to represent
their home parishes.
Clergy present for the meetings included Rev. Fathers
Myron Sarkissian, Komitas Mirzakhanyan, Datev Menengitchian, Zareh Zargarian,
Parseh Vanlian and Very Rev. Father Apgar Hovagimian.
The meeting sessions took
place on Friday evening at St. Mary’s and Saturday at the Crown Plaza Hotel in
downtown Hamilton,
where the out-of-town delegates were staying.
Bishop Bagrat talked about ‘Shoghagat’ Armenian Television station
(official station of the Holy See of Etchmiadzin) and reported that from August
10 through September 19, three representatives of the station will visit the
Canadian Diocese to prepare a documentary film reflecting Armenian church life
here, and will give all secondary materials (photos etc.) as archival documents
to the Diocesan Council when they depart.
After much discussion on
relevant matters and brainstorming on this year’s Primate’s Appeal, the
assembly was closed with prayer and benediction.
We look forward to the 28th
Diocesan Assembly in 2011 to be held in the newly-constructed Holy Cross Church
of Laval. There is a prayerful possibility and sincere hope that His Holiness
Catholicos Karekin II will be in Canada at that time to attend!