Ordination of Deacons in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin
25.12.2018
On December 25, the Feast of St. Stephen the Protodeacon and First Martyr was celebrated in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. Each year, during the celebration of the feast of St. Stephen the Protodeacon, an ordination of deacons is held in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. On this occasion a Divine Liturgy was offered in the Saint Gregory the Illuminator Mother Cathedral of Yerevan. The Celebrant was His Grace Bishop Hovnan Hakobyan, Grand Sacristan of the Mother See. According to the beautiful tradition, an ordination of deacons was held during the Divine Liturgy.
During Evening Service on the prior day, the service of ordination of the minor orders of sub-deacon, acolyte, and stole bearer was offered. 14 students from the 2nd level class of the Gevorkian Theological Seminary and 3 students from the Accelerated Priest Course were granted the rank of acolyte; 11 students of the 4th level class and 2 students from the Accelerated Priest Course were granted the rank of stole bearer; and 29 students of the 5th level class and 6 students of the Accelerated Priest Course were granted the rank of sub-deacon.
This year, on the occasion of the feast and with the blessings of His Holiness Karekin II, 35 students from the Gevorkian Theological Seminary, and the Accelerated Priest Course, were ordained to the diaconate by Bishop Hovnan.
During the Divine Service, the ordinate bishop reflected on the mystery of the feast and extended his message to the faithful.
“Dear Deacons, the Spiritual Degree is not a degree of Glory, the Spiritual Degree is not the degree of prosperity, it is not a degree of pride but a degree of humility, service, and dedication.
Serve as Deacons, bring service to the faithful, serve among the faithless bringing them to church; visit nursing homes, visit the prisoners and the sick and in general, provide services to those who need it.
And now with this consciousness, let us make a covenant that we should serve our life to the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church and its divine rules”, stated Bishop Hovnan.
On the occasion of the ordination, Bishop Hovnan congratulated the Brotherhood of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, as well as the parents and relatives of the deacons.
At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, the clergyman and the faithful had the opportunity to kiss the relic of St. Stephen’s Right Hand, which was brought out from the museum of the Mother Cathedral for the occasion, and receive blessings radiating from it.
Following the Divine Liturgy, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians received the deacons of the Mother See along with the newly ordained deacons. They were accompanied by His Grace Bishop Hovnan Hakobyan, Grand Sacristan of Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and Rev. Fr. Karekin Hambardzumyan, Dean of the Gevorkian Theological Seminary.
According to tradition, the diaconal class sang the hymn “Stephen, sweet bird”, following which His Holiness conveyed his blessings and best wishes to the deacons.
Congratulating the newly ordained deacons on the occasion of the ordination, His Holiness stated that new horizons are set before them to fulfill their vision of devotion and self-sacrifice in the life of the Armenian Church. His Holiness noted with satisfaction that the deacons serving in various structures and dioceses of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin contribute to the brightness of the Armenian Church and the productivity of the sacred mission through their dedicated service. The Catholicos of All Armenians urged the deacons to remain steadfast in their beliefs and continue their useful church-dedicated service, constantly keeping St. Stephen’s image in front of their eyes.
The Armenian Pontiff wished the Heavenly Lord shed His abundant blessings to the deacons, in order to make their spiritual service effective with pious graces.
