Parishes across the Eastern Diocese will offer a special requiem service on Sunday, August 21, in memory of the victims of the explosion in Yerevan, and the Coptic Church fire in Egypt.
Both disasters took place on Sunday, August 14: concurrent with the Armenian Church’s observation of the Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother-of-God. In the midst of this perennially uplifting celebration, news of the two heartbreaking tragedies brought grief to the Armenian faithful and their brethren of the Oriental Orthodox churches.
On the afternoon on August 14, a dreadful explosion in a fireworks warehouse in Yerevan, Armenia, took a terrible toll in human lives, with 16 people killed, another 17 still missing, and more than 60 injured as of this writing.
As rescue workers searched the disaster zone in the capital city’s popular Surmalu marketplace, His Holiness Karekin II, the Catholicos of All Armenians, offered this solemn prayer: “From the depths of our heart, we ask the Lord to grant peace and tranquility to the souls of the victims. We pray that the Holy Spirit will bring comfort to their families and loved ones. For the many people injured, we continue to pray for their recovery, wishing them the Lord’s care and strength. Almighty God, you ask you to help our people, and protect our country, in every time of crisis. Amen.”
The Eastern Diocese joins His Holiness in his prayer, petitioning our Lord for mercy, consolation, healing and protection for our countrymen.
Prayerful Solidarity
That same day, in Egypt, a horrific fire swept through a Coptic Church crowded with worshippers. The disastrous blaze at Abu Sefein Church in Giza left 41 people dead—among them, 18 children—with dozens more injured, according to the latest reports.
Diocesan Primate Fr. Mesrop Parsamyan wrote to the leader of America’s Coptic Orthodox community, Bishop David, extending condolences from the Eastern Diocese. Coptic Christians share ancient ties of culture, theology, and friendship with their Armenian brethren. Both communities belong to the Oriental Orthodox family of the churches, and maintain close relations internationally and in the United States.
“In the spirit of our Holy Mother-of-God, who gazes with tender love on all her children, let me take this moment of crisis to express again the deep sense of care, support, solidarity, and love that the Armenian faithful feel towards our brethren of the Coptic Church,” the Primate wrote.
He added that both communities stand together in prayer for the lives lost at Abu Sefein Church, and for the Armenians who died in the explosion in Yerevan on the same day. (Click here to read Fr. Mesrop’s letter.)
In keeping with the Primate’s wishes, all Diocesan parishes will offer a special hokehankisd service this Sunday, August 21, in memory of the victims of these two tragedies (as well as for the victims of the horrible July 4 massacre in Highland Park, IL). Please join our faithful this Sunday as we pray for the repose of these souls; and offer your own prayers in the days to come.