Armenian Apostolic Holy Church The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin

On December 26, the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church celebrated the Feast Day of St. Stephen the Proto-Deacon and First Martyr, which is also the feast of the deacons serving in the Church.

On the occasion of the Feast, in the Holy Arakelots Church of Sevanavank, with the blessings of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians; 3 seminarians from the 5th level of the Gevorkian Theological Seminary, were ordained into the diaconate, by His Grace Bishop Artak Tigranyan, Dean of the Monasteries of the Mother See.

The day before, in the evening of December 25, 12 students from the 2ndth level; 12 students from the 4th level and 3 students from the 5th level were granted the rank of sub-deacon

Following the sacred ceremony of the ordination, His Grace Bishop Artak conveying the sacrament of the day to the newly ordained deacons and those present, blessed them with the Holy Right Hand reliquary of St. Stephen.

At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, the clergymen and attendees had the opportunity to bow down and receive blessings from the relic of St. Stephen brought from the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin to Sevanavank on the occasion of the feast.