The interfaith ceremony will include poetry, prayers, survivor testimonies, and the lighting of candles in remembrance of the one million Armenians killed in the Ottoman Empire massacre.
It is important that we remember this atrocity so that we can stop future genocides... we hope people leave the service vowing never to forget.
— David McFadden, PhD, professor of history
At a special memorial service on Tuesday, April 30 at 4:30 p.m. in the Egan Chapel of St. Ignatius Loyola, Fairfield University will commemorate the 104th anniversary of the horrific atrocities of the Armenian Genocide.
The annual service, which is held in recognition and remembrance of the one million Armenians brutally murdered during the first genocide of the 20th century, is co-sponsored by Campus Ministry; the Department of History; the Russian, East European, and Central Asian Studies program; the Murphy Center for Ignatian Spirituality; the Humanitarian Action program; and the International Studies program.
This year’s service is open to the public and will include testimonies of Armenian survivors read by Fairfield University students, staff, and faculty, and will feature priests and music from the Armenian Apostolic Church, interfaith prayers, poetry, and the lighting of candles.
The Armenian Genocide, also known as the Armenian Holocaust, refers to the Ottoman government's systematic extermination of Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire from 1915 through 1916. As many as 1.2 million died during the genocide, either in massacres and individual killings, or from ill treatment, exposure, and starvation.
When discussing the historical importance of the Armenian Genocide, History Professor David McFadden, PhD, explained “The Armenian Genocide was the first genocide of the 20th century and a model for Hitler, who famously said, ‘Who remembers the Armenians?' It is important that we remember this atrocity so that we can stop future genocides. We hope people leave the service vowing never to forget.”
