Five New Priests Ordained on the Feast of Vartanants in Holy Etchmiadzin
28.02.2003
On February 27, the Feast of Saint Vartan the Commander and His Companions was commemorated in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. As in all Armenian Churches throughout the world, a solemn Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin with His Holiness Karekin II Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians presiding. During the Liturgy, 5 deacons, all graduates of the Gevorkian Theological Seminary, were ordained into the Holy Order of Priesthood by the celebrant, His Eminence Archbishop Barkev Martirosian, Primate of the Diocese of Artsakh.
Before a large crowd of faithful witnesses, His Eminence lay his hands on each of the five young candidates, and he consecrated their foreheads and right and left hands with Holy Chrism (Muron), calling them by their new names. Deacon Artavazd Zagarian was named Father Khoren, Deacon Khachik Avetisian became Father Yeghishe, Deacon Armen Arakelian was renamed Father Koriun, Deacon Mher Tsaturian became Father Dajad, and Deacon Aristakes Navasardian was named Father Vartan. The names given to the five new priests are all associated with the Battle of Avarayr and the martyrdom of Vartanank. Immediately following the ordination, His Holiness the Catholicos, the bishops and all members of the Brotherhood of Holy Etchmiadzin ascended the bema to congratulate the newly ordained by kissing their consecrated foreheads and hands.
The worldwide Armenian Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Vartan and His Companions as the naming day of His Holiness Karekin II. At the conclusion of Divine Liturgy, the faithful joined with the class of clergy in the Pontifical Blessing service wishing His Holiness a long and fruitful life.
In the afternoon, the Mother See continued the celebration of 'Vartanants' with a program dedicated to the sacred mystery of Saint Vartan and his 1,036 companion martyrs. During the program, the Brotherhood of Holy Etchmiadzin, seminarians and instructors from the Gevorkian Theological Seminary, the employees of the Mother See and the family members of the newly ordained clergymen congratulated His Holiness on the occasion of his naming day. Addressing the newly ordained priests, His Holiness stated, "The sacred mystery of Vartanants strengthens all of us. It encourages us as the Pontiff of All Armenians, yet also inspires all of us - priests of a Church which is in her motherland and in dispersion - to serve our people with greater effort, to build our churches, to reach our faithful and to preach the Gospel."
During Evening Services, the five newly ordained took their oaths of celibacy in the Granting of the Cowl (Veghar) service, and by receiving their monastic hoods, achieved the rank of monk (abegha) of the Armenian Church. The five new priests now enter their 40-day period of seclusion and preparation for the celebration of their inaugural Divine Liturgies as they continue in their service to the Church.
