Ordination of Eight New Priests in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin
03.09.2002
On Sunday September 1, during the celebration of Divine Liturgy, eight deacons of the Armenian Church were anointed and ordained into the Holy Order of the Priesthood in the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin by His Grace Bishop Sion Adamian, Primate of the Diocese of Armavir. All eight deacons are graduates of the Gevorkian Theological Seminary.
On the evening prior to the ordination, a public examination of the candidates? profession of faith was conducted in the Cathedral. Rev. Fr. Torgom Tonikian testified for the spiritual and religious training and virtues of the candidates. The candidates unanimously rejected and anathematized the heretics and schismatics and vowed to follow the true faith of Jesus Christ, the Apostles and the Armenian Patriarchs. As a sign of their orthodox faith, they recited the dogmatic creed of the Armenian Church, written by St. Gregory of Datev.
The following morning, during the Divine Liturgy, the candidates ascended to the Holy Altar of the Cathedral with the recitation of psalms. Turning to the faithful, they raised their hands as a sign of their renunciation from secular life and devotion to a spiritual one. The ordaining bishop anointed the foreheads and palms of both hands with Holy Chrism (Muron) and gave them new names. Deacon Babken Bozikian was renamed Father Trdat, Deacon Armen Yezekian became Father Petros; Deacon Hovhannes Khachatrian became Father Nahapet; Deacon Aramayis Mouradian became Father Psak; Deacon Levon Panfiorov became Father Nishan; Deacon Gevorg Sarkissian became Father Gabriel; Deacon Gevorg Makarian became Father Adam; and Deacon Arthur Karapetian became Father Asoghik. Following their anointing, His Grace passed the chalice used to prepare and distribute Holy Communion to the newly ordained priests, transferring to them the power and right to celebrate the Divine Liturgy and distribute the Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ to the faithful.
At the end of the service, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, the bishops, and members of the Brotherhood of Holy Etchmiadzin ascended to the Altar and conveyed their congratulations by kissing the anointed foreheads and hands of the new priests.
Later that same day, during the Evening Service, the service of the "Blessing of the Cowl" (Veghar) was performed. The cowl is a black monastic hood bestowed on celibate priests, which symbolizes the renunciation of the world and its pleasures. Two of the newly ordained priests, Fr. Psak and Fr. Gabriel, took their oath of celibacy and received the cowl. By the end of the day, two new celibate priests and six new married priests joined the religious order of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
Following the traditional 40-day seclusion period of fasting, mediation and prayer, the new priests will celebrate their inaugural Divine Liturgies.
