Bishop Vahan Hovhanessian
Director of the Garegin I Educational Center
- General Information
Was born in 1963, in Baghdad, Iraq. Baptismal name is Sarkis.
From 1968 to 1980 - Primary and secondary school.
From 1980 to 1985 - College of Electrical Engineering of the University of Baghdad.
From 1985 to 1989 - Saint Nerses Seminary of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America, jointly with St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in New York.
From 1994 to 1998 - Fordham University (New York), “Coptic Reading: The Gospel of Thomas”, “Talmud and Rabbinics”, and “Islam and the Qur’an” classes.
- Ecclesiastical titles and ordination
In 1987 - Ordained to the Diaconate by His Eminence Archbishop Avak Asaturian.
In 1990 - Ordained as a Celibate priest by His Eminence Archbishop Avak Asaturian.
In 1994 - Rank of Archimandrite by His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Parsamian. Thesis: The Third Corinthians in the Armenian Church literature”.
In 2006 - Rank of Senior Archimandrite by His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Parsamian.Thesis: “New Testament Apocrypha and the Armenian Version of the Bible”.
In 2011 - Consecrated as a Bishop by His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians.
- Tenure
From 1990 to 1991 - Pastoral service in the Armenian communities of Baghdad and Mosul.
From 1991 to 1992 - Visiting Spiritual Pastor in the Holy Cross Church in New York.
From 1992 to 1993 - Sacristan in the St. Vartan Cathedral in New York.
From 1993 to 1999 - Spiritual Pastor of the St. Ghevond Armenian Church in Fair Lawn, New Jersey.
From 1999 to 2000 - Acting Dean at the Saint Nersess Armenian Seminary.
From 2000 to 2010 - Spiritual Pastor in the St. Martirosats Church in New York.
From 2006 to 2022 - Editor-in-Chief of the publications of the Orthodox Center for the Advancement of Bible Studies at the Peter Lank Publishing House in New York, and an Advisor of the Publications of St. Nersess Theological Review.
Since 2008 - Member of the Doctoral Theses Committee of the Gevorkian Theological Seminary and Chairman of the Consultation Unit: “The Bible in the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Traditions” of the Society of Biblical Literature.
From 2010 to 2014 - Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Great Britain.
From 2014 to 2022 - Primate of the Armenian Diocese of France.
In 2023 - Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
Since 2023 - Director of the Garegin I Educational Center of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin
