Archbishop Davit Sahakyan Enters His Eternal Rest
16.03.2016
It is with deep sorrow that the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin conveys the sad news that His Eminence Archbishop Davit Sahakyan of the Armenian Diocese of France and member of the Brotherhood of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin has entered his eternal rest. He was 81 years old.
His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, and the Brotherhood of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, mourn the loss of His Eminence, and pray for the repose of his soul. On March 21, the last rites and interment services will be offered in the St. Jacob Church of Lyon.
Blessed be the memory of the righteous.
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Archbishop Davit Sahakian was born in 1935 in Jerusalem. He received his advanced education at the Holy Translators preparatory school in Jerusalem and later attended the Italian college Terra Sancta in Jerusalem.
From 1951 to 1957 he studied at the Jarangavoratz Theological Seminary at the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Following his graduation in 1957, he was ordained as a celibate priest by Archbishop Tiran Nersoyan and given the priestly name of Davit.
From 1957 to 1960 he served as the Dean of the Gulbenkian Matenadaran in Jerusalem (the Archives Depository where several thousand historical illuminated manuscripts are preserved). During this same period he was a lecturer at the Jarangavoratz Theological Seminary and the Holy Translators preparatory school both of the Armenian Patriarchate inJerusalem.
In 1960 Father Davit was appointed as the spiritual pastor of the Armenian faithful in Amman, Jordan and Dean of the parochial school. Also in 1960, Father Davit received the rank of Archimandrite (Vardapet) by then Patriarch of Jerusalem, Archbishop Yeghishe Derderian.
In 1965 he received the rank of Senior Archimandrite (Dzayraguyn Vardapet) by the Catholicos of All Armenians, His Holiness Vasken I of blessed memory.
From 1964 to 1973 he served as the spiritual pastor for the Armenian faithful in the territory of Lyons, France. Continuing in Europe, he served as the spiritual pastor for the Swiss-Armenian community from 1973 to 1976 and in 1976 he was consecrated as a bishop by His Holiness Vasken and appointed to serve as the Vicar General of the Central France Pontifical Legate until 1980. In 1979 His Eminence was decorated with the order of des Palmes Acadйmiques by the French Government. Seeing a great need in the Armenian community, His Holiness Vasken I appointed Bishop Davit to serve as the Pontifical Legate of South America in 1980 where he stayed until 1983.
Returning to Europe, His Grace served the Armenian Faithful of Germany from 1983 to 1985. From 1986 to 88 he served as the spiritual pastor in St. John the Baptist Church of Paris, France.
In 1988 Bishop Davit returned to Jerusalem and was appointed the Chancellor of the Patriarchal See and a lecturer at the Jarangavoratz Theological Seminary. In 1990 he was elected Grand Sacristan of the Patriarchal See by unanimous vote. He continued with his educational and administrative duties.
In 1991 Fr. Davit Sahakian was elevated to the rank of Archbishop by the Pontifical Encyclical of His Holiness Vasken I.
In 1997 he returned to Lyons, France to serve the faithful. It was there that he celebrated his 40th anniversary of ordination to the priesthood and was recognized for his service by the government of France who bestowed him with the order of Nationale de Merite.
In recent years, Archbishop David was retired from active service, but continued his spiritual service in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and the Armenian Diocese of France.
