Five New Priests Ordained in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin
18.05.2003
On Sunday, May 18, the Armenian Church celebrated the Feast of Apparition of the Holy Cross. Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin by His Grace Bishop Sepouh Chouljian, Primate of the Diocese of Gougark. Faithful pilgrims from the Diocese of Gougark (Armenia) traveled to Holy Etchmiadzin to participate in their "Divine Liturgy of Oath" devoted to the 1,700th Anniversary of the Consecration of the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin.
In his sermon, His Grace said, "Today we have made a pilgrimage to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin to renew and reevaluate our past and present - always having the mysterious sacrament of Holy Etchmiadzin in our souls and minds, always remaining faithful to the traditions of our ancestors. It is our steadfast prayer to remain faithful to the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church, to keep our spiritual union, and not give way to foreign sects and political movements, which can destroy our nation."
During the Divine Liturgy, five deacons were ordained into the Holy Order of Priesthood by Bishop Sepouh before the Holy Altar in the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin. The ordination service occurs during pauses in several places in the Liturgy. The process includes His Grace laying his right hand on each of the five young men, their resignation from secular life, the acclamation by the faithful that the men are worthy to be ordained as priests, and the consecration of their foreheads, right and left hands with Holy Chrism (Muron). His Grace called each of the new priests by their new names: Deacon Sargis Knyazian was named Fr. Khatchatur, Deacon Armen Petrosian became Fr. Nishan, Deacon Aram Ghevondian became Fr. Shmavon, Deacon Levon Aghosian was named Fr. Kirakos, and Deacon Hakob Hovhannissian became Fr. Grigor. Two of the priests were named in honor of this specific Feast Day. Khatchatur is translated as Cross-bearer, and Nishan refers to the Holy Sign (Cross).
Later that same day, during the Evening Service, the service of "the Granting of the Cowl" was conducted. The cowl is a black monastic hood (Veghar) bestowed on celibate priests, which symbolizes the renunciation of the world and its pleasures. Two of the newly ordained priests - Fr. Khatchatur and Fr. Nishan, took their oath of celibacy, received the monastic hood, and achieved the rank of monk (Abegha) of the Armenian Church.
Following the traditional 40-day period of seclusion, fasting, prayer and preparation, the five new priests will each celebrate their inaugural Divine Liturgies.
