Six New Priests Ordained in Holy Etchmiadzin
02.05.2004
On May 2, Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin, with His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, presiding. The celebrant was His Grace Bishop Abraham Mkrtichian, Primate of the Diocese of Syunik (Armenia). During the celebration of the Liturgy, six deacons of the Mother See were ordained to the priesthood.
On the previous evening, prior to Evening Services, a public examination of the orthodox faith of the six candidates was conducted. The two sponsoring priests bore witness to the worthiness and spiritual preparedness of the potential priests. The candidates unanimously rejected, renounced and anathematized the heretics and schismatics, and stated their oath to remain faithful to Jesus Christ, and the faith of the Holy Apostles, blessed patriarchs and doctors of the Church. As a visible sign of their orthodoxy, they recited the Creed formulated by Saint Gregory of Datev.
On Sunday, during the Divine Liturgy, the six deacons, ascended to the Main Altar of the Mother Cathedral on bended knees as the sponsoring priests recited psalms. Turning to face westward, the candidates raised their hands with their palms open as a sign of their renunciation of the secular life. Under the singing of hymns, the Holy Chrism was brought to the Holy Altar, and the ordaining bishop individually consecrated each new priest's forehead, as well as the palms of their right and left hands, and called them by their new priestly names.
Deacon Haroutiun Derderian became Father Tadeos; Deacon Vardan Isakhanian was renamed Father Andreas; Deacon Sargis Kirakosian became Father Datev; Deacon Arman Hakobian was renamed Father Zaven; Deacon Edgar Hakobian became Father Makar; and Deacon Mushegh Sargisian was renamed Father Shnork. Afterwards, Bishop Abraham handed each of them the communion chalice, transferring to them the authority and right to celebrate the Divine Liturgy, and distribute the Holy Eucharist - the Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, to the faithful.
Following the conclusion of the ordination service, His Holiness Karekin II, the bishops, members of the Brotherhood of Holy Etchmiadzin, and all married priests in attendance ascended the bema and congratulated the six newly ordained priests by kissing their anointed foreheads and hands.
During Evening Services later in the day, three of the priests (Father Zaven, Father Makar and Father Shnork) received their cowls and took their oath of celibacy, promising to always remain loyal servants of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church, the Catholicosate of All Armenians and the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
The six new priests of the Armenian Church have entered their forty days of seclusion as they prepare to celebrate their first Divine Liturgy through prayer, fasting and meditation.
