Bishop Artak Tigranian
Dean of the Monasteries of the Mother See
Bishop Artak Tigranian (baptismal name Gegham) was born on April 12, 1971, in the village of Dimitrov in Artashat Region, Armenia.
From 1978 to 1988, he received his primary education at the secondary Russian school of the village.
In 1988, he entered the Gevorkian Theological Seminary at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
On December 28, 1993, on the Feast Day of St. Stephen, he was ordained to the diaconate, by His Grace Bishop Anania Arabajian, in the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin.
On May 26, 1994, he successfully defended his thesis entitled "The Tradition of the Feast of Exaltation of the Holy Cross" and received a “good” mark.
From 1994 to 1995, he was appointed to serve as Director of the "Alex and Marie Manoogian" Treasury House of the Mother See.
On July 23, 1995, on the Feast Day of Transfiguration, he was ordained as a celibate priest by His Holiness Karekin I, Catholicos of All Armenians, in the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin, and given the priestly name of Artak.
From 1995 to 1999, he served in the Pontifical Residence as the Secretary and Staff Bearer to the Armenian Pontiff, His Holiness Karekin I, of Blessed Memory.
On October 08, 1999, he presented and successfully defended his doctrinal thesis entitled "Catholicos Karekin I Hovsepian; His Life, Spiritual and Research Works". On October 10 of the same year, he received the rank of Archimandrite (Vardapet) by His Eminence Archbishop Nerses Pozapalian, in the St. Mesrop Church of Oshakan.
From 1999 to 2000, Father Artak departed Armenia to serve as the spiritual pastor in the St. John the Baptist Church in Paris, in the Armenian Diocese of France.
From 2000 to 2001, he served as the Assistant to the Grand Sacristan of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
From 2001 to 2005, by Pontifical Order of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians; he served as the Grand Sacristan of the Mother See.
From 2006 to 2008, he was the Vicar General of the Diocese of Gougark, serving as the Abbot of the Monastery of Haghpat.
From 2006 to 2008, he served as the Assistant to the Grand Sacristan of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
On June 15, 2009, By the Pontifical Order of His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians; he was appointed to serve as the Dean of the Monasteries of the Mother See, where he serves today.
On April 18, 2010, in the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin, he was consecrated as Bishop by His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians.
