Monsignor Sarkis Ouzounian
1922 - 2015

Dear Parishioner, friends and guests.

We dedicate the following page to the works, spiritual and cultural leadership and memory of the late Monsignor Sarkis Ouzounian, whose priestly milestone included service in several countries, developing and establishing new churches, baptisms, weddings, burial and cultural enlightenment for lay and religious participation ending his earthly journey by the 70th Anniversary of his priesthood and 93rd Birthday in Sydney Australia.

Monsignor Ouzounian is the founder of our church in Australia and has served our community over many years. We thank him for his gracious gift and sacrifice and celebrate his life.

Follow in the footsteps of our dearly beloved Msgr Sarkis Ouzounian in the service of God and our community.
Find out about religious life, ask your questions today!

My Life - MONSIGNOR SARKIS OUZOUNIAN

I was born in 1922, April 22, in Lebanon. Exiled by the genocide of 1915, the deportations... No, I was not born then. But my parents suffered. My brothers, all of them who were born in Cilicia suffered, except me who was born in Lebanon.

We are originally from Hadjn. Hadjn is in the Tavros Mountains, where the first principate of the Kingdom of Cilicia was established.

In 1932 I went to the monastery of Zmmar as a Neophyte seminarian in the Armenian language. When ten-year old I entered the monastery.

I was ordained by Archbishop Abrahamian in 1945, by the hand of Archbishop Sarkis Abrahamian. I was ordained priest and he said 'Your name is Sarkis, keep it and be Sarkis in my memory'.

Bzommar Chapel, where I started my vocation.

Priestly Vocation

At the age of 10, I entered the monastery of Bzommar.

Prayer for Priestly Vocations
Lord Jesus, good and valiant Shepherd,
You who wants none of your sheep to be lost
and looking carefully to the return of the lost.

You who sees that many of your faithful are deprived of spiritual cure,
We beg thee , awaken august youth in our families who
thirst for bliss and passion of devotion,
feel ready to devote themselves to the salvation of souls.

In the Christian world,
many believers, and we are some of them,
Wish to enrich their knowledge of you,
And among non- believers
many people of good will
wish to hear the message of your peace.

"The harvest is plentiful, the laborers are few. "
We pray to you Lord do arouse workers for your harvest: missionaries, educators and pious believers
ready to meet infinite spiritual needs of the world
to serve you, your church and our country without any fee.
Amen.

Storyline - the early years

As an archimandrite. And my first mass was in Burj Hamud in the church Saint Savior. I was the principal of the school from 1945 to 1946. The Mesrobian School is a special school of Bzommar

In 1946 the Patriarch sent me to Baghdad, Iraq.
in 1946 the Catholicos- Patriarch sent me as an envoy to Baghdad. I served there from 1946 to 1948 May.
I taught religion studies there.

In '48, September '48 I returned to the Mesrobian School, in Burj Hamud, Beirut, where I was again the principal of the school and the parish priest. I founded the Catholic Armenian Youth... I reorganised the Catholic Armenian Youth Union, and also I founded the Catholic Armenian Men’s Group (Scouts).

I was sent to Kesab, Syria. Kesab is a village where all are Armenians. The archimandrite, who was the parish priest, had gone to Paris to see his brothers. I was sent there temporarily.

I was sent as a parish priest to Damascus.
From 1951 to 1954, I served the catholic Armenian community in Damascus.

In '54 the Catholicos moved me to Zahlah, Lebanon, to serve in the catholic Armenian Church and to the school...

The Catholicoses are free to move the archimandrites as they wish. Subsequently I was called to be a parish priest there were many Armenians and nuns. Our nuns had a school. I taught religion there, courses of Armenian language and served the people as a parish priest. Until 1962.

In 1962 I was sent to Amman. Jordan. I stayed there from 1962 to 1967, serving also to the Armenian people and School principal.

Storyline - Australia

In 1963 Australia had opened its doors for immigration. And the Armenians, from Middle East, from all around Middle East were coming to become Australians. They were migrating, migrated. I was the cause to send a lot of families, either apostolic, or catholic, to Australia.
In 1968, the immigrants, the immigrants in Sydney wanted me from the Catholicos Patriarch to come and serve them. They felt the lack of a clergyman, of a church. Yes. They applied to me because I was in Middle East, in Amman, in Jerusalem; I was not in Jerusalem officially.

I was the first priest, the first archimandrite who came to Australia. I organised the catholic Armenian people, the catholic Armenian people in Sydney. Yes. I knew English... but not very well. I improved my English in Sydney. I carried it to a certain level. I was useful to the people. I organised - how do you say a "census" in Armenian? I did a census. I bought a church for them, in Sydney. It was a Protestant church; now, today it is a splendid church in Lidcombe, Sydney.

In December 22, 1980, I went to Melbourne to rest.

The Australian archbishop (Little) wanted me to stay here in Melbourne, because I speak French, Italian, English, and Armenian. I also speak other languages, I also speak Turkish and I also speak Arabic. I do not know to say all these, anyway, six languages.

Yes, He wanted me to be the responsible priest of the French speaking people. Their priest retired. He went to Mauritius.

Let us strive to keep our youth as Armenians, to give them Armenian instruction, Armenian Christian faith. I do not say catholic. I do not say apostolic. I say Armenian Christian faith.

70th Anniversary of priesthood and 93rd Birthday

Dear Parishioner,

On Sunday 22nd March 2015, immediately after Sunday Holy Mass, the Church of Sydney will be celebrating Monsignor Sarkis Ouzounian 70th Anniversary of priesthood and 93rd Birthday with a luncheon in the church hall.

Monsignor Ouzounian is the founder of our church in Australia and has served our community over many years. We thank him for his gracious gift and sacrifice and celebrate this very important milestone in his life.

Fr Basil.

Monsignor SARKIS OUZOUNIAN CELEBRATES HIS 93rd BIRTHDAY and 70 YEARS OF PRIESTHOOD.

By Paul Georges Manoukian 22-03-2015.

Frail and serene, Monsignor Sarkis Ouzounian, seated in the church hall of our Lady of Assumption Armenian Catholic Church, in Sydney, looked on at his entourage as a person accepting his fate.

Amongst the 90 persons or so who were there, not everybody knew him but all sensed a day of tribute and respect. One where humanity decides to stop all the mundane things that normally occupies their Sundays and say, let us see what is life all about. There were very few young people, alas, as the milestone and life of this humble yet great man would have been an example of a man who lived with the strength of his apostolate.

Father Basil Sousanian narrated the life of Monsignor Ouzounian, which is covered in the ensuing article conducted by the AGBU's Recollections Oral History Project. Following this tribute, solicitor George Shad added his feelings in knowing this “beautiful man”, a deep sense of admiration for the Monsignor’s life in the early days of the community’s settlement. He thanked those present and mainly the delegation of the Armenian Catholic parish of Melbourne who travelled to Sydney for that occasion. That tribute is also covered by the speech of Magdy Batty, a trustee of the Holiest Hearts Of Jesus and Mary, Armenian Catholic Church, Melbourne ...where Monsignor Ouzounian spend over 30 years of his apostolate. There were moist eyes when the audience became aware that Monsignor Ouzounian, prior to his permanent postings in Melbourne, travelled by car to celebrate Mass each third Sunday and slept in his car to rest, a far cry from the current jet travelling of modern times.

This was followed by a tribute by Father Raffi Berberian who is in Australia from Lebanon for a short time and is staying in Melbourne. Father Berberian passed on the homage of the patriarch Nerses Bedros Tarmouni and the priestly society of the convent of Bzommar of which Monsignor Ouzounian is a member.

Monsignor SARKIS OUZOUNIAN 70th Anniversary of priesthood and 93rd BirthdayFinally Pierre Tanzimat added a sense of humour by relating Monsignor’s Sarkis culinary introduction to fellow Irish priests in the Brunswick presbytery where Monsignor Ouzounian resided in Victoria. The ‘blue’ birthday cake did honour to that culinary tradition.

Watching this frail person, in all his splendour, on whom God bestowed this long journey, one cannot help to wonder of that creative circle, where man reaches with age the same level of purity of the new born, where the mind of man empties itself in preparation of the next journey.

Yes, Monsignor Ouzounian you are still a witness to God’s work and may the creator allow you to do so for a long time to come.

Mgr Sarkis Ouzounian 70 Years Anniversary of Ordination as a Priest.

by Magdy Batty 22-03-2015.

Many of us migrated to Australia in the 60’s, and made Melbourne our home. For our worship we joined the Armenian Orthodox, the Maronite, the Melkite and Roman Catholics.

So you can imagine, It was a great joy when Fr Sarkis Ouzounian appeared in Melbourne in 1977 for the first Time.

Later, he came to Melbourne on the 3rd Sunday of every month and celebrated mass for us. It was a 2 day difficult drive. At his suggestion we formed and incorporated the ACBS or The Armenian Catholic Benevolent Society.

In December 1980 it was our good fortune that Fr Serge moved permanently to Melbourne and this was our gain.

He was appointed by the Catholic Archdiocese as a Chaplain for the Armenians and the francophone people in Melbourne.

Monsignor SARKIS OUZOUNIAN 70th Anniversary of priesthood and 93rd BirthdayWith Fr Sarkis’ patience, with his dedication and with his untiring efforts we learned to be proud Armenians. He reminded us that we are sons of martyrs. He taught us to sing the hymns in Armenian. This is quite an achievement seen that the majority of us don’t speak Armenian. In summary, he helped us to renew our love and be faithful to the Armenian rite.

Christmas 1992 saw us realise our dream and an important objective by celebrating our first mass in our own church in Ferntree Gully. We all know of Fr Serge’s dedication to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, so it was no surprise when Fr Serge named it the church of The Holiest Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

The church was consecrated in 1997 by the late Patriarch Kasparian and Fr Serge was elevated to a Monsignor.

Unfortunately Mgr Serge fell ill in October 1999 and retired in Justin Villa.

During Pope John Paul 2nd visit to Melbourne in 1986, The Pope celebrated mass at the MCG, the biggest sporting arena. Fr Serge with his choir led the chanting of Sourp Sourp Eucharistic hymn to the delight of 85,000 people who were there.

When we moved into Ferntree Gully Fr Serge was contented in his humble and very modest place of residence, celebrated mass the same way, with hymns sung, sermon prepared, whether 8 or 80 people were in attendance. Welcoming everyone, never sounding a sour note to anyone.

I’ve got to tell you about an important Church Council Meeting we held in September 1990 when we found the property at Ferntree Gully. By that time we have done our research, seen the Bank.

The meeting started at 6PM in the evening. We were still considering donations, Contributions and whether we can afford the purchase and the repayments. Obviously we had reservations and lacked courage. Attending were a teacher, office managers, finance people, business people. Deliberations and discussions went on and on after 4 hours, FR Serge who was quiet all that time, stood up and said “buy the church and God will provide”. We all agreed.

Here is a man who committed to love, love of God and love of his church and where there is love, there success, riches and happiness follow.

Monsignor Serge, we were blessed to have you as our pastor for 30 years, you were part of our lives and part of our families. We Loved and respected you and we still do.

The whole Melbourne community, the Armenian Catholics, the Armenian Apostolics, the Mauricius, the people from Olinda and the Dandenongs, join with the Sydney community to wish you health and long life.

Congratulation on your 70 years anniversary of your ordination and happy 93rd birthday.

«Ես եմ Յարութիւն և կեանք»
"I am the life and the resurrection"

MEMORIAM FOR THE LATE MONSIGNOR SARKIS OUZOUNIAN 1922 - 2015

Monsignor OUZOUNIAN passed away late on Monday 4th May 2015, at age 94 after serving over 70 years of priestly life in the service of the Armenian Community and specially the Armenian Catholic Community of Australia.

The Armenian Catholic Church of Our Lady of Assumption will hold a vigil on Friday 8th May 2015 between 6pm and 9pm, and the requiem mass will be held on Sunday 10 May 2015 at 11am.

The body of Monsignor Ouzounian will be buried on the grounds of the Patriarchal Congregation of Bzommar in Lebanon.

You are all invited to pay homage to that great apostle of our Church.
Father Basil.

Priesthood journey summary.

 Mgr. Sarkis was born in Lebanon on April 22, 1922.
 Studies at the seminary of Bzommar
 Member of the Congregation of Bzommar
 In Rome, at the Catholic Pontifical Armenian College to continue his philosophical and theological studies.
 Ordained as a priest in Rome on April 1, 1945
 He was sent on a mission to:
         Zahle
         Anjar
         Amman
         Sydney
         Melbourne (Armenian and French communities)       
 He founded two new parishes in Australia where he exercised his ministry as a priest until his death.
 On Sunday 22nd March 2015, we celebrated Monsignor Sarkis Ouzounian 70th Anniversary of priesthood and 93rd Birthday.

"I am the life and the resurrection".

Sydney Australia - 8 May 2015

THE Mor Malatius Malki Malki, Metropolitan Patriarchal Vicar of the Syriac Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia and New Zealand at Armenian Catholic Church Lidcombe,at the funeral of Mons Serge Ouzounian. ( Died at the age of 93 ) A serving priest of more than 70 years.

Bzommar Convent - 15 May 2015

Friday, May 15, 2015 at 11:00h in the morning, the funeral ceremony of Mgr. Sarkis Ouzounian took place in the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption at the monastery of Bzommar. It was presided by His Beatitude Nersès Bedros XIX, Catholicos Patriarch of Cilicia of Armenian Catholics, which was attended by their Excellencies the bishops, priests, nuns and seminarians of the Catholic Armenian community. During the ceremony, His Beatitude gave the eulogy of the deceased.

After the Office of the Dead, the clergy, in procession and singing hymns of intercession, headed to the cemetery where the body was placed in one of the vaults for members of the congregation. Condolences were received in the lounge of the seminary Saint Michel Blessed Maloyan at the monastery of Bzommar. May his soul rest in peace.