Diocesan News
Armenian Memorial Dedicated in Grounds of Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin
Members of the Armenian Church and community in Ireland gathered in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, last Saturday afternoon (December 5) to dedicate a memorial to those who died in the Armenian Genocide which began in 1915.
The traditional Khachkar (Stone–Cross) Memorial was dedicated by the Primate of the Armenian Apostolic Church of UK and Ireland, Bishop Hovakin Manukyan. He was joined by the Church of Ireland and Roman Catholic Archbishops of Dublin, the Most Revd Dr Michael Jackson and the Most Revd Diarmuid Martin, President of the Methodist Church in Ireland, the Revd Brian Anderson, and representatives of other denominations.
The Khachkar is part of the Armenian Christian identity and they are generally carved from volcanic stone. The one which now stands in the grounds of the cathedral was designed by Aram Hakhumvan, who lives in Ireland and carved in Armenia by Arta Hambardzumvan. It features a Celtic Cross with an Armenian Cross standing out of it and the rest of the stone has many Irish and Armenian details including shamrocks and grapes.
Bishop Hovakin Manukyan and Archbishop Michael Jackson during the dedication of the Khachkar.
The Dublin Khachkar is the 167th memorial located in 52 countries around the world to mark the genocide. The Dean of Christ Church Cathedral, the Very Revd Dermot Dunne, explained why the cathedral was chosen: “Christ Church Cathedral lies at the spiritual heart of Dublin. It is the mother church of the Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough. The Armenian Church and community are very close to the dioceses and it felt fitting that the Khachkar should be located here both as a memorial to the victims of the genocide and as a visible sign of the link between our two Churches.”
During the service, Bishop Manukyan explained the significance, symbolism and theology behind the Khachkar. “The dedication of the Armenian Cross–Stone in the capital of the Republic of Ireland on the occasion of the centennial of the genocide is an expression of the long lasting connection between our church communities. The Cross–Stone will remain here as a reminder of our friendship and our commitment to peace as well as a memory to those who suffered in genocide and in war,” he stated.
In his sermon, Archbishop Michael Jackson said that the route towards expression and recognition of the Armenian Genocide taken by the Armenian people over the last 100 years was an integral piece in the long history of a noble nation and a wonderful people.
“It has brought us today to the point of articulation and expression of immeasurable national suffering and incalculable individual nobility around a long journey involving children, women and men who are the faces and the voices of the Armenian Genocide. Once the long journey of killing, grieving, rejection and enforced emigration began – every step of the route became precious, every wind in the road became unforgettable and every life lost became irreplaceable,” he said.
The Archbishop praised the work of the Armenian community in Ireland, in particular its chairman and his wife, Paul and Isobel Manook in establishing the memorial in Dublin.
Bishop Manukyan presented both Archbishop Michael Jackson and Dean Dermot Dunne with Armenian Crosses to thank them for their assistance in erecting the Khachkar in Dublin.
Caption (above right): The designer of the Khachkar, Aram Hakhumyan, the carver, Artak Hambardzumyan, and the chairman of the Dublin Parish Council of the Armenian Church, Dr Paul Manook.
Diocesan Communications Officer, Dublin & Glendalough
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Lynn Glanville
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