Archbishop Avak Asadourian
Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Iraq
- General Information
Born in 1942. Baptismal name is Vazken.
From 1962 to 1965 - Faculty of Urban Engineering of the Al-Hikma University of Baghdad (Iraq).
From 1968 to 1970 - Department of Philosophy at the Benedictine University, Lyle Harbor (Canada).
In 1972 - Master's degree in Philosophy at Tulane University, New Orleans, USA.
From 1972 to 1973 - Delivered lectures in the Department of Philosophy at Tulane University.
From 1970 to 1974 - St. Nerses Seminary of New York.
In 1996 - Master of Divinity Degree in the St. Vladimir Seminary.
In 1998 - Candidate of theological sciences (Ph.D), Holy Cross Pontifical University in Rome.
- Ecclesiastical titles and ordinations
In 1974 - Ordained to the diaconate by His Beatitude Archbishop Torkom Manoogian.
In 1977 - Ordained as a Celibate priest by His Grace Bishop Housik Santourian.
In 1978 - Rank of Archimandrite by His Eminence Archbishop Psak Toumanian
In 1980 - Rank of Senior Archimandrite by His Eminence Archbishop Sion Manoukian
Thesis entitled: "The History of Soteriology".
In 1982 - Consecrated as a Bishop by His Holiness Vazken I, Catholicos of All Armenians.
In 1993 - Rank of Archbishop by the Pontifical Encyclical of His Holiness Vasken I.
- Tenure
In 1973 - In charge of the Armenian upbringing of the AGBU Nubar Camp in New York.
From 1974 to 1975 - Vice-Dean in the AGBU Ararat Camp in Detroit.
From 1973 to 1976 - Administrative Assistant of the Eastern district, in the AGBU office of New York.
From 1974 to 1976 - Conductor of the Armenian choir in Westchester.
From 1976 to 1977 - Lectured at the Gevorkian Theological Seminary of Holy Etchmiadzin.
In 1977- Spirtual Pastor of the Holy Mother of God (now St. Stephens) Church of Elberon, USA.
In 1979 - Locum Tenens of the Armenian Diocese of Iraq.
From 1980 to 2022 - Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Ira.
