Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan
Primate of the Diocese of Tavoush
Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan (baptismal name Vazgen) was born in 1971, in Gyumri, Armenia, where he received his primary education.
From 1988 to 1994, he studied at the Gevorkian Theological Seminary of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
In 1994, he was ordained to the diaconate that same year by Bishop Anania Arabajyan.
In 1995, he successfully defended his graduate thesis entitled “The Commendatory and Theology of Khosrov of Andzrez on Daily Prayers in our Church" and received a mark of "excellent".
On July 23, 1995, he was ordained as a celibate priest, by the Catholicos of All Armenians, His Holiness Karekin I, of Blessed Memory.
In 1996, he assumed the editorship of the monthly journal publication of the Mother See, "Etchmiadzin". He continued his work as a vice-president of the newly established Christian Education Center. Father Bagrat provided training to teachers at the American University of Armenia in Yerevan, and in the region of Armavir in the cities of Vagharashapat, Masis, Artashat and Aparan. He was a founding member of "Gantegh" for religious television programming. During this period, he taught the subjects of the Holy Liturgy, Church History and Theology and Armenian Church hymns, in the Gevorkian and Vaskenian Seminaries in Armenia.
From 1996 to 1998, he was the staff bearer of the Catholicos of All Armenians, His Holiness Karekin I, of Blessed Memory.
From 1998 to 2000, he studied at the Holy Resurrection Theological College and the University of Leeds, England, specializing in theological and pastoral study and received a Bachelor's degree. In addition to his studies, he also served the Armenian community of Manchester at the Holy Trinity Armenian Church as a visiting Pastor.
In 2000, by the Order of His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians; he was appointed to serve as Dean of the Vaskenian Theological Academy in Lake Sevan.
In 2002, upon the successful defense of his thesis entitled "The Problem of Sacrament of the ‘Anointing the Sick’ in the Armenian Church", which was published in 2011, in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, he received the rank of Archimandrite (Vardapet).
In 2002, he was assigned to serve as president of the Executive Committee overseeing the Information Services Department of the Mother See. The duties included advising on spiritual programming on "Shoghagat" television. Father Bagrat also served as a moderator on the series, "To Know the Gospel".
In 2002, His Holiness Karekin II appointed Father Bagrat as the Locum Tenens of the Diocese of Aragatsotn, Armenia.
On May 2003, the annual Diocesan Assembly of the Armenian Church Diocese of Canada elected Very Reverend Father Bagrat Galstanian to serve as the third Primate of the Diocese.
On 22 June 2003, on the Feast of Holy Etchmiadzin, he was consecrated as a Bishop by His Holiness Karekin II, in the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin.
In 2008, Bishop Bagrat was re-elected as the Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Canada for the second time.
On September 21, 2012, he defended his doctoral thesis entitled “Armenia's healthcare system: historical, social and theological rim, development prospects of the past, present and the future” in theology and biology Ethics in Montreal's Concordia University.
In 2013, by Pontifical Order of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians; Father Bagrat was appointed to serve as the Director of the Office of Social Doctrine of the Mother See.
His Grace Bishop Bagrat Galstanyan has published numerous theological, social, cultural articles, sermons, as well as the work “The issue mystery of the consecration of the diseased in the Armenian Church”, "Thoughts" spiritual meditation booklet.
In 2013, His Grace was awarded the Diamond Jubilee medal of Queen Elizabeth II.
In 2015, by Pontifical Order of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians; was appointed to serve as the Primate of the Diocese of Tavoush.
On July 25, 2017, by the Order of the Pontiff of All Armenians, His Grace was appointed as a Member of the Supreme Spiritual Council.
