12 June 2015. On Sunday morning, His Holiness Aram I presided over the Holy Liturgy and ordination of three priests as Archimendrites.
Before the Lord’s Prayer, Archbishop the celebrant, Kegham Khatchetrian, assisted by Rev Shenorhk Ashekian, invited the three priests to stand in front of the altar to pass the examination of faith, and gave them the four priestly rites established by St Gregory of Datev (14th Century theologian). In his sermon he told the Archimendrites that the honour they had just received came with responsibilities that they are required to fulfill.
At the end of the Holy Liturgy, the three Archimendrites, accompanied by the Archibishop Kegham and Rev Shenorhk, went to meet His Holiness in his office to receive his blessing.
Prior to ordination as an Archimendrite, the priest must research and write a thesis on a topic related to the Church. On Saturday 11 June, in the presence of the Catholicos and the clergy, the three priests presented their theses on the following topics: Rev Vahrige, “1922-1931, Correspondence between Catholicos Sahak, Archbishop Yeghishé Tourian, and Papken Adjunct Catholicos”; Rev Vatché, “1920 -1935, Correspondence on Diocesan concerns in the USA” Rev Vicken, “1924 – 1937, Exchange of letters between Papken, Adjunct Catholicos, and Archbishop Bedros Sarajian.”
After congratulating the three priests for their successful thesis defence, His Holiness Aram I announced that, in appreciation of their service to the Church and the people, he was granting Reverends Ardak, Vartan, Hrant, Shenorhk, Boghos, Bedros and Hovhannes the right to wear the cross.
