Armenian Apostolic Holy Church The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin

On June 22, on the Feast of the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin, and by the hand of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, two Archimandrites - Very Rev. Fr. Vazgen Vardapet Mirzakhanian, Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Georgia; and Very Rev. Fr. Bagrat Vardapet Galsdanian, the newly elected Primate of the Canadian Diocese of the Armenian Church, were ordained and consecrated as Bishops. 

During evening services on the previous day, before the Holy Altar of Descent, the two candidates for the episcopate gave their oath to be faithful to their solemn and sacred vows, and to remain steadfast to the Catholicosate of All Armenians and the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. 

On Sunday, June 22, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians celebrated a Pontifical Divine Liturgy in the Mother Cathedral. Present for this historic day were delegations from the Armenian Church Diocese of Georgia, the Canadian Diocese of the Armenian Church, and the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America, led by the their three respective diocesan council chairmen. 

The Pontifical procession entered the cathedral under the singing of the "Hrashapar" hymn. In the northern apse of the cathedral, before the Altar of St. Stephen, His Holiness conducted the public examination of the worthiness of the two priests, during which their profession of the faith, as well as the renunciation of the heretics, was fulfilled. The Altar of St. Stephen is the traditional location in the Mother Cathedral where the episcopal consecration service begins. 

According to the rites of ordination, His Holiness was assisted by two bishops during the service, His Grace Bishop Vicken Aykazian, Eastern Diocesan Legate to Washington, D.C., and His Grace Bishop Sepouh Chouljian, Primate of the Diocese of Gugark. Each ecclesiastical hierarchal rank has responsibilities during the consecration. Two acolytes, stole-bearers, sub-deacons, deacons, and priests, representing their respective orders, approached the Catholicos and publicly bore witness on behalf of the two candidates. Also taking part in the testimony was a group of laymen representing all levels of society, who testified on behalf of the orthodoxy of the faith of the future bishops. Fathers Vazgen and Bagrat approached His Holiness on bended knees, with His Grace Bishop Mikayel Ajapahian, Primate of the Diocese of Shirak, acting as intercessor and guarantor. His Holiness confirmed the testimonials, and the candidates were invested with their omophorions. The omophorion, similar to the pallium, is a vestment worn by bishops over the cope as a symbol of their episcopal authority. 

His Holiness processed to the Main Altar of the Cathedral, where the celebration of Divine Liturgy continued. Kneeling once again, the candidates turned towards the faithful. Facing westward, they raised their hands and opened their palms as a sign of devotion to spiritual life, a pledge of devout service, and a renunciation of the secular world and its pleasures. 

. His Holiness, reading passages from the "Mashtots", or ritual book, called the candidates to the episcopate. The Pontiff of All Armenians consecrated the forehead and the thumb of the right hand of each new bishop with Holy Chrism. He handed them the Episcopal Staff and Ring as symbols of their new rank. His Holiness embraced Bishop Vazgen and Bishop Bagrat, and kissed their anointed right hands. He then invited the archbishops, bishops, vardapets, monks and married priests who were present, to ascend the bema and congratulate the two new Bishops of the Armenian Church. 

Following the Liturgy, Bishop Vazgen and Bishop Bagrat were congratulated by the faithful, after which a banquet was held in their honor in the Refectory of the Mother See. His Holiness presented panagias to the new bishops as symbol of their Episcopal rank. 

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Biography of His Grace Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanian 

His Grace Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanian was born in the village Artimed (formerly Atarbekian), near the city of Etchmiadzin, on July 21, 1965, and was baptized Edward. From 1971 to 1982, he attended the local Secondary School. 

In 1982, he was admitted to the Gevorkian Theological Seminary of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. From 1984 to 1986 he served in the Soviet Army. On May 7, 1989, he was ordained a deacon by Archbishop Houssik Santourian. 

In 1989, Deacon Edward graduated from the Seminary, and in 1990, defended his graduation thesis. 

On July 28, 1991, he was ordained a celibate priest by Archbishop Nerses Bozabalian, and was given the new name Vazgen. He was invited to teach in the Theological Seminary, and also worked in the newly opened Center for Christian Education and Preaching of the Armenian Church. 

From 1993 to 1995, he was the Director of the Sunday Schools established in Holy Etchmiadzin. 

In September 1995, upon the order of His Holiness Karekin I, Catholicos of All Armenians of blessed memory, he was appointed the Director of the Center for Christian Education and Preaching. 

On June 23, 1996, he defended his doctoral thesis and received the rank of Vardapet (Archimandrite) of the Armenian Church. 

In 1999, upon the order of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, Very Rev. Fr. Vazgen Vardapet Mirzakhanian was appointed the Acting Primate of the Diocese of Aragatsotn. 

In October 2002, again upon the order of His Holiness, Father Vazgen was appointed Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Georgia. 

On June 22, 2003, His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, consecrated Fr. Vazgen as a Bishop in the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin. 

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Biography of His Grace Bishop Bagrat Galsdanian 

His Grace Bishop Bagrat Galsdanian was born in Gyumri, Armenia, on May 20, 1971 and was baptized Vazgen. From 1978 to 1988, he attended School #156 in Yerevan. 

In 1988, he was admitted to the Gevorkian Theological Seminary in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. On December 25, 1993, he was ordained a deacon by His Grace Bishop Anania Arabajian. 

In 1994, Deacon Vazgen graduated from the Seminary with an overall grade of "Excellent", and he defended his double theses entitled: "Biographical Notes on Bishop Khosrov Andzevatsi" and "Revelation of Church Orders - Text and Theology". 

On June 23, 1995, Catholicos of All Armenians His Holiness Karekin I, of blessed memory, ordained him a celibate priest and renamed him Bagrat. He then taught courses at the Gevorkian Theological Seminary including Church Music and a Commentary on the Divine Liturgy. He also worked on the editorial staff of the official journal of the Mother See, the "Etchmiadzin" monthly. 

In 1996, upon the order of His Holiness Karekin I, he was assigned as editor-in-chief of the "Etchmiadzin" monthly. Concurrently, he was lecturing at Lake Sevan's Vaskenian Seminary. 

In 1998, Father Bagrat departed for the United Kingdom, where he continued his higher education at the Holy Resurrection Theological College in Mirfield, and the University of Leeds. 

Following his graduation in July 2000, upon the Pontifical Order of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, Father Bagrat returned to the Mother See. On August 1, he was assigned as the new Dean of the Vaskenian Seminary of Sevan. 

In February of 2002, he was assigned as President of the Committee for Information Services for the Mother See, while continuing in his capacity as Dean. 

In March 2002, he defended his thesis entitled "The Sacrament of 'Anointing the Sick' in the Armenian Church", and received the rank of Vardapet (Archimandrite) of the Armenian Church. 

Upon the Pontifical Order of His Holiness Karekin II, on October 14, 2002, Very Rev. Fr. Bagrat Vardapet Galsdanian was appointed as Acting Primate of the Diocese of Aragatsotn in Armenia. 

On May 31, 2003, Very Rev. Fr. Bagrat Vardapet Galsdanian was elected as the new Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of Canada. 

On June 22, 2003, His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, consecrated Father Bagrat as a Bishop of the Armenian Church in the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin.