London Ecumenical Stations of the Cross Recalls the Witness of Modern Martyrs

London, 20 March, 2026

An ecumenical Stations of the Cross bringing together Churches of the Middle East was held on Friday, 20 March at St Mary’s Cathedral, Ealing, in west London, offering a solemn Lenten reflection on the witness of contemporary martyrs.

Organised by the ACN parish group at Ealing Abbey in collaboration with Middle Eastern Churches, the service gathered representatives and choirs from the Coptic, Chaldean, Maronite, Melkite, Armenian, Assyrian, Syriac Orthodox, Syriac Catholic, and Latin Church communities. The evening focused on prayerful meditation on Christ’s Passion and solidarity with those who continue to suffer for their faith.

Bishop Hovakim Manukyan, Primate of the Armenian Church in the United Kingdom and Ireland, participated alongside clergy, youth, and faithful of the Armenian community. During the Eighth Station, reflecting on Christ’s encounter with the women of Jerusalem (Luke 23:27–31), the Armenian delegation proclaimed the Gospel and sang the hymn “Holy God”, traditionally used in the Armenian Good Friday Burial Service.

At this moment, the icon of the Holy Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide was displayed, linking the Passion of Christ with the witness of those who have suffered for their faith. In his reflection, Bishop Manukyan noted that Christ’s words — “Do not weep for Me, but for yourselves and for your children” — call believers to look beyond visible suffering and examine the human heart, where injustice and division take root.

He also drew attention to the continuing suffering of Christian communities, particularly in the Middle East, while affirming that the Cross must always be understood in the light of the Resurrection, which proclaims the victory of life over death.

The service concluded in a spirit of Christian unity, with prayers for persecuted Christians and an appeal to support clergy in the Eastern Churches through Mass stipends.