Armenian Apostolic Holy Church The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin

On July 16, in the St. Gregory the Illuminator Church (Goris) of the Diocese of Syunik, an ordination of priests was held by His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians during the Divine Liturgy.

The Celebrants was His Grace Bishop Vahan Hovhannisyan, Director of the "Garegin A" educational center of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. His Grace Bishop Vahan  ordained and annointed three deacons serving to different structures of the Mother See and Dioceses to the Holy Order of Priesthood. During the Divine Liturgy, His Grace Bishop Vahan consecrated the candidates foreheads and hands with Holy Chrism (Muron) and gave them new names. 

Thus Deacon Gevorg Kadeyan was renamed Fr. Petros; Deacon Davit Sahakyan was renamed Fr. Movses and Deacon Armen Isahakyan was renamed Fr. Hakobos. Then the newly ordained priests offered their first blessing to those present.

The Celebrant, referring to the Feast of the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ in his sermon, specifically mentioned: "Through the transfiguration, Christ reveals his divinity to us and comforts us with the sacrament that the founder of our faith is not a simple teacher, prophet or miracle worker, but God Himself. Christ is God incarnate, who came down from heaven and dwelt among people, and that is why they called Him Immanuel, which means God with us”.

Bishop Vahan also emphasized that the Feast of the Transfiguration of Christ is an invitation to Christians to be in the presence of God.

Addressing to the newly ordained priests, the Bishop Vahan urged them to be cultivators without shame, strong in their priestly work, and brave in trials.

At the conclusion, the Celebrant commanded the people to be humble and support the priests to strengthen the mission of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church.

Then during the "Welcome" the present spiritual clergymen ascended to the Altar and conveyed their congratulations by kissing the anointed foreheads and hands of the new priests.

The new priests will follow a traditional 40-day seclusion period of fasting after which they will be appointed to serve in different Dioceses of the Armenian Holy Apostolic Church.