In the Cathedral of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Moscow, deacons Mher Beknazaryan (now Ter Grigor) and Daniel Khananyan (now Ter Nerses) were ordained priests by Archbishop Ezras Nersisyan.
On February 9, in the Cathedral Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord in Moscow, during the Holy Liturgy, Archbishop Ezras Nersisyan performed the Sacrament of Ordination for the first time in 14 years of his leadership of the Russian and New Nakhichevan Diocese.
With the blessing of the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, His Holiness Karekin II, Archbishop Ezras called deacons Mher Beknazaryan and Daniel Khananyan to the priesthood. On the previous day, before the evening service, the rite of confession was performed, during which those ordained testified to their Orthodox faith and took a vow of allegiance to the holy Armenian Apostolic Church.
During the Holy Liturgy, the bishop anointed the foreheads and hands with holy oil, naming them new names, Deacon Mher was named Grigor, and Deacon Daniel was named Nerses.
After this, the Bishop delivered a sermon and addressed the newly ordained clergy with instructions. “It is a consolation and joy for us that for the first time in the newly built cathedral church the Sacrament of ordination to the priesthood of two humble, pious ministers of the church was performed. We are confident that by being named after the two great Armenian saints - Grigor and Nerses, the spirit of the holy patriarchs will guide the newly ordained priests throughout their ministry, praising the Heavenly Father they will contribute to the prosperity of the spiritual life of the Armenian people, call people to the Lord and spread the light of the Gospel everywhere. Let us pray that the Lord will grant two humble children strength of spirit, inexhaustible love, so that they will be an example of true Christians and pious clergy,” said Archbishop Ezras.
At the end of the sacred ceremony, those present congratulated the newly ordained and venerated the foreheads and hands of Father Grigor and Father Nerses.
Both the clergy and parishioners were overwhelmed with spiritual joy.
Father Grigor shared his feelings, saying: “We thank the Lord for the ministry entrusted to us. I will pray to the Almighty that He will grant me unshakable faith and fortitude to accomplish a God-pleasing mission.”
“It is a great responsibility before the Lord and the people to take upon oneself the office of the priesthood. I pray to the Almighty to make me worthy of this high calling and strengthen me in pastoral ministry,” said Father Nerses.
After a forty-day prayer period, the newly ordained priests will continue their service in the Russian and New Nakhichevan diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
Priest Nerses (Daniel) Khananyan
Born on August 29, 1988 in Baku.
In 1994-2005 studied at Lyceum No. 4 in Kislovodsk (RF, Stavropol Territory).
In 1998-2003 studied at the music school named after. S. V. Rachmaninov (Kislovodsk).
In 2005-2009 studied at Sevan Theological Seminary “Vazgenyan”.
In 2009-2011 studied at the Etchmiadzin Theological Academy “Gevorgyan”.
On December 26, 2009, he was ordained deacon by Bishop Sahak Mashalyan.
In July 2011, by order of His Holiness the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians Garekin II, he was appointed secretary in the publishing department of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
On October 1, 2011, he was appointed to the New Nakhichevan and Russian Diocese of the AAC.
On February 9, 2014, with the blessing of the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians Garekin II, Archbishop Ezrasom was ordained a priest.
Married.
Priest Grigor (Mher) Beknazaryan
Born on February 10, 1978 in Ijevan.
In 1984 - 1994 studied at secondary school number 3.
In 1995-2000 Studied at the Ijevan branch of Yerevan State University at the Faculty of Fine and Folk Arts.
Since 2006, he served in the Church of St. Harutyun of the Russian and New Nakhichevan diocese.
In 2008-2010 studied at the Modern Institute of Management at the Faculty of Theology.
In 2011-2012 served as secretary of the Head of the Russian and New Nakhichevan diocese, Archbishop Yezras Nersisyan.
In 2012, with the blessing of Archbishop Ezras, he was sent to Holy Etchmiadzin where he studied priestly training courses. After completing the courses, he returned to Moscow and continued serving as secretary to the head of the diocese.
On December 22, 2013, in the Cathedral Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord, he was ordained deacon by Archbishop Ezras.
On February 9, 2014, with the blessing of the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians Garekin II, Archbishop Ezrasom was ordained a priest.
Married, has two children.
Press center of the Russian and New Nakhichevan diocese.
It consists of about 40 communities, 27 of which are located directly on Russian territory. The head of the diocese is the Patriarchal Exarch (currently Bishop Ezras Nersisyan), who is also the vicar of Rostov. There is a Diocesan Council under it, which, in addition to clergy, includes prominent cultural figures.
The canonical subordination of this diocese also includes the Armenian church communities of some countries that arose on the territory of the former USSR: Ukraine (Lvov, Yalta), Moldova (Chisinau), Uzbekistan (Samarkand). In addition, it is planned to build an Armenian temple in Latvia (Riga).
There are three vicariates within the New Nakhichevan and Russian Diocese: North Caucasian(address of the vicar council: Sochi, Plastunskaya st., 142), Rostovsky And West.
To date, Armenian church communities have been registered in at least 10 cities of the Krasnodar region, but only Armavir has a functioning church in the region. Therefore, in Krasnodar, Novorossiysk, Sochi, and Adler, the construction of new church buildings is actively underway.
In the Stavropol Territory, Armenian church communities exist in Stavropol, Pyatigorsk, Kislovodsk, Budennovsk, Edessa: in almost all of these cities there are church buildings, being built or being restored. Among the republics of the North Caucasus, Armenian church communities operate in North Ossetia and Adygea. The reconstruction of North Caucasian Armenian churches is carried out with the active support of the Russian Orthodox Church.
The Rostov Vicariate of the Armenian Apostolic Church unites the communities of Rostov-on-Don, Astrakhan, Volgograd, Saratov, which for the most part also do not have churches. Thus, of the 7 Armenian churches in Rostov-on-Don, only one cemetery church and the building of the monastery church of Surb Khach, which houses the Museum of Russian-Armenian Friendship, where holiday services are currently held, have survived. Of great value for the Armenian Apostolic Church are the churches in the Armenian villages of the Shaumyansky district of the Rostov region, built back in the sixties of the 19th century. Of these, only one temple has been preserved in good condition, and all the rest are in need of serious repair and restoration work.
United in its doctrinal principles, today the Armenian Apostolic Church is geographically spread throughout the world. Starting from the 4th century, millions of Armenians, persecuted by the Persians, Arabs, and Turks, were forced to leave their homeland and wander around the world. The tragic events of the early 20th century - the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey in 1915 - led to mass emigration of people to the most remote corners of the globe. Today, 60 percent of Armenians live outside of Armenia, but retain their national, cultural and religious identity. And in this they are helped, among other things, by the universal presence of the Armenian Church. The unquenchable lamps of the Faith of Gregory the Illuminator illuminate with their light the hearts and souls of Armenians, who, by the will of fate, found themselves geographically separated from the Mother of the Church - the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
The first church-administrative units in the form of episcopates, administrations and parishes were formed by the founder of the Armenian Church, Saint Gregory the Illuminator. He built the church hierarchy on the principle of a state administrative system, ordaining one bishop for each principality and region. At the same time, the educational activities of St. Gregory were not limited only to the borders of Armenia. Thanks to his efforts, the Good Christian News was accepted by neighboring peoples, especially since in those days the services of the Armenian Church were performed in Greek and Syriac.
The first dioceses outside Armenia, but subordinate to the Catholicosate, began to operate from the end of the 10th century. Catholicos Khachik I Arsharuni (973-992), who headed the Church during the era of the Kingdom of Ani, established dioceses in the cities of Antnochia, Tarsona and Traianopolis. From that time on, the administrative boundaries of the Armenian Church began to be established not on a political, but on a religious principle: from now on, any Armenian community, regardless of its location and status, was part of the Church. Complex historical circumstances were the reason for the formation in the Armenian Church of several hierarchical thrones, which have locally limited power and recognize the spiritual primacy of the Etchmiadzin Catholicos. Currently there are three of them: the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia, which includes the dioceses of Lebanon, Iran, Syria and Cyprus; Patriarchate of Jerusalem, under whose jurisdiction are the Armenian parishes of Israel and Jordan; Patriarchate of Constantinople, uniting the parishes of Turkey and the island of Crete.
The bulk of foreign dioceses were formed in the 60s of the 20th century through the efforts of Catholicos of All Armenians Vazgen I (1955-1994). After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the diocesan structure of the Armenian Church underwent some changes. Currently, there are four dioceses operating in the post-Soviet space. The New Nakhichevan and Russian Diocese is the largest entity of the Armenian Church and covers the territory of Russia, Moldova, Belarus, the Baltic states and Central Asia. In 1997, the South Russian Diocese with its center in Krasnodar and the Ukrainian Diocese with its center in Lvov were formed. The Georgian diocese operates on the territory of Georgia with its center in Tbilisi.
There are eight dioceses within the Republic of Armenia: Ararat, covering Yerevan and the Ararat region, Shirak with a center in Gyumri, Armavir with a center in Vagharshapat, Gegharkunik with a center in Gavar, also covering the Sevan region, Syunik with a center in Goris, including Syunik and Vayots Dzor, Aragatsotn with a center in Oshakan, Gugark with a center in Vanadzor, which also includes Gugark and Tavush, Kotayk with a center in Tsakhkadzor. One diocese - Artsakh with its center in Shushi - is located in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.
The remaining dioceses of the Armenian Church are: in Asia - the dioceses of Atropatene with a center in Tabriz (covering the regions of East and West Azerbaijan in Iran), Tehran (Tehran and surrounding areas), Isfahan (Shiraz and Khuzistan), Iraq with a center in Baghdad, Beria with a center in Aleppo (covering Syria) ; in Africa - the diocese of Egypt with its center in Cairo (covers the Egyptian parish, church parishes of Ethiopia and Sudan, as well as the Armenian community of South Africa); in North America - the dioceses of Eastern (New York) and Western (Los Angeles) America and Canada (Montreal); in South America - the dioceses of Argentina (Buenos Aires), Brazil (Sao Paulo), Uruguay (Montevideo); in Australia - the diocese of Australia and New Zealand with its center in Sydney; finally, in Europe - the dioceses of England (London), Greece (Athens), Romania (Bucharest), Bulgaria (Sofia), Germany (Cologne), Switzerland (Geneva).
There are also three Patriarchal Exarchates of the Armenian Apostolic Church:
- the exarchate of Western Europe with its center in Paris (covers Paris, Marseille, Lyon, church parishes of Holland, Belgium, Italy, as well as the Armenian community of Albania);
- the exarchate of Central Europe with its center in Vienna (covers church parishes in Austria and Sweden, church communities in Norway, Finland and Denmark);
- Exarchate of India and the Far East with its center in Calcutta (covers church parishes and Armenian communities in India, Singapore, Indonesia, Burma and China).
The Patriarchal Exarch in Moscow is the Head of the Russian and New Nakhichevan Diocese of the Holy Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church.
In 1988, the Azerbaijani diocese was forced to cease its activities. However, an Armenian temple still stands in the center of Baku.
