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THE 80TH COMMENCEMENT OF THE SEMINARY OF THE CATHOLICOSATE OF
CILICIA HELD IN BIKFAYA
06/13/2010
The commencement was held on Saturday 13
June 2010 at the Prapion Doumanian Hall of the Seminary in Bikfaya. It
began with readings from the Bible and Nareg the Book of Lamentations.
The newly ordained Father Ardak Arabian spoke in the name of the
graduates and thanked His Holiness and all those who had accompanied
them during their formation as priests. Later, the Dean of the Faculty
thanked the patrons of the Seminary and invited His Holiness Aram I to
give his message. Catholicos Arm I underlined three principles that form
the foundation of the vocation of the Catholicosate, and which, the
members of the brotherhood should uphold. These are: accountability at
all times, choosing quality over quantity and serving out of ethical
values and not human influences or structural pressures.
At the end of the commencement, His
Holiness Aram I presided over an agape meal offered by the seminary to
all the guests.
ORDINATION OF DEACONS AT THE ST GREGORY THE ILLUMINATOR CATHEDRAL IN
ANTELIAS
05/23/2010
On Sunday 23 May 2010, seven new deacons were ordained during the Holy
Liturgy presided by His Holiness Aram I. According to the ordination
rites of the Armenian Church, the sub-deacons rose to the alter on their
knees. After
promising to devote their lives to the
service of the Church and the people, the celebrant Bishop vested them
with ourarions.
After the Holy Liturgy, His Holiness Aram I received them at the main
hall of his residence. In his address he said: “Today you were delegated
to a new ministry, service in the Church and in the name of the Church.
I would like you to remember what our Lord Jesus Christ said: ‘God
resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble’ (1 Peter 5).
ORDINATION
OF ACOLYTES AND SUB-DEACONS AT THE ST. GREGORY THE ILLUMINATOR (ANTELIAS)
05/09/2010
On Sunday 9 May 2010, during liturgy Seminary students
were ordained as acolytes and sub-deacons following the recommendation
of the Dean and the Faculty of the Seminary.
The celebrant Bishop Norayr Ashekian, gave the acolytes
the first four lowest ranks of ordination and church discipline:
guarding the church, lighting candles prior to the Holy Liturgy and
saying prayers of healing. The Bishop then ordained sub-deacons and gave
them the ‘ourarion’ (the stole) they wear on their left shoulder during
Holy Liturgy.
At the end of the Holy Liturgy, the newly ordained
acolytes and sub-deacons received the blessings of His Holiness Aram I.
THE FEAST OF SAINT
SDEPANNOS (STEPHEN) AT ANTELIAS
12/25/2009
The feast of St. Sdepannos was celebrated solemnly at the
Cathedral in Antelias. The ceremony was presided over by His Holiness
Aram I.
On the eve of the Feast, the Seminary organized a lecture
to highlight the life of the Proto-deacon who was a great teacher
and a patron of the poor. During the service on the following
day, deacons wore liturgical crowns to remind them of the Martyrdom
Crown that Saint Sdepannos had borne and they served at the altar.
The ceremonies ended with an agape during which His
Holiness addressed the deacons. In his address, he emphasized the
importance of service, discipline and commitment. He stressed that
without them the world would be in chaos. He then encouraged the
deacons to follow Saint Sdepannos’ example and serve both the church and
society.
80th ANNIVERSARY OF DIES ACADEMICUS IN
ANTELIAS
10/11/2009
On Sunday 11 October 2009,
the brotherhood celebrated the 80th anniversary of the
Seminary in Antelias. Celebrations began with the Holy Liturgy at St.
Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral and continued in the Main Hall of the
Catholicosate.
Bishop Shahé Panossian, the
Dean of the seminary celebrated the liturgy. He based his sermon on the
saying of Jesus to the Pharisees “I am the light of the World” (John
8:12) and told the students that the vocation of the seminary was to
prepare persons who would live out the message of Jesus Christ.
After liturgy the students,
faculty and the community walked in procession to the Main Hall of the
Catholicosate where the seminarians read from the writings of St.
Gregory of Nareg and the choir sang hymns of the day. At the end, His
Holiness declared 2009-2010 scholastic year open and said: “The Seminary
is not just any educational institution. Those who attend the seminary
acquire the vocation of service to the church and the people of God
based on spiritual values of Christian faith and cultural values of the
Armenian people. He then spoke of the role of the seminary in the
Armenian Church and concluded by saying: “As a sign of my commitment to
clergy education in our church, I teach theology to the graduating class
of the seminary to impart my knowledge and ecumenical experience.”
Dies Academicus ended with
the anthems of the Catholicosate of Cilicia and the Seminary.
“THE SEMINARY WILL
CONTINUE ITS UNIQUE MISSION OF CULTIVATING MINDS AND SOULS”
SAID ARAM I TO THE SEMINARY STUDENTS
06/12/2009
On the occasion of the end of the school year of the
Seminary, His Holiness Aram I met with the faculty and students
on Friday 12 June 2009, in the evening. The Dean Bishop Shahé Panossian
welcomed His Holiness and thanked him for his care and attention. He
particularly thanked him for teaching theology courses during the school
year despite his busy schedule.
At the end of the gathering Catholicos Aram I addressed
the faculty and the students. He said: “The seminary is not any school.
In addition to imparting knowledge, the seminary builds the soul of the
students and prepares them for service to the church and nation”.
Referring to the Armenian community and its needs, he said that today
the words of the Gospel “the Harvest is Plenty the Workers are Few”
(Mark 4:26-28) are most relevant. The nation needs visionary and devoted
spiritual leaders and the seminary is the place for such formation.
Therefore, to be a student in the seminary is different from being a
student in any other educational institution and a privilege.
His Holiness concluded the evening by thanking the
faculty, the students, the friends and sponsors of the seminary. He
expressed his special thanks to the Armenian Affairs Department of the
Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation for its continual support over the
years.
THE SEMINARY WINS THE
FIRST PLACE IN THE ESSAYS CONTEST OF ARMENIAN SCHOOLS IN LEBANON
05/31/2009
For the seventh year the
Education Commission of the Diocese of Lebanon organized its essay
contest for all middle and secondary school students. Every year
teachers and students look forward to this event because the contest is
designed not only to measure competency in writing skills, but also to
demonstrate the quality of language usage.
The Seminary of the
Catholicosate of Cilicia won the first prize both for middle and
secondary school essays. The winners were: Hagop Kardanakian won first
prize for middle school students; two students Samuel Lakhoyan and Murad
Tchorbajian won the secondary school prize, and two other students
Hrayr Daghlian and Serge Tinkjian won honorary mention.
After congratulating the
students for their achievement, the Dean of the Seminary highlighted the
important task of the seminary in maintaining the continuity, the
quality and resilience of the Armenian language against all challenges
of annihilation.
SEMINARY STUDENTS CELEBRATE 91st ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIA’S
INDEPENDENCE
05/26/2009
The
Student Council of the Seminary concluded its activities for the
scholastic year 2008-2009 with a celebration dedicated to the 91st
anniversary of Armenia’s independence.
Celebrations began with a historical introduction on 28 May 1918 the
date of independence. After singing the national anthem the students
watched a documentary covering the period 1917-1920. The speaker of the
day was Mr. Vicken Avakian the history teacher. After commenting on the
documentary, told the students that one could not shape the present
unless had a good understanding of past happenings.
At
the end of the evening, the Dean of the Seminary, Bishop Shahé Panossian
thanked the speaker and the members of the Student Council for their
activities. He said that these activities not only enriched life in the
seminary, but also deepened the students’ knowledge about the church and
its traditions, the Armenian nation and its cultural heritage.
THE ARMENIAN ORTHODOX
CHURCH AND
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL MOVEMENT
05/15/2009
On Friday 15 May 2009, the student’s Council of
the Seminary organized an evening on Sunday School Movement in the
Armenian Orthodox Church. The speaker was Rev. Sarkis Sarkissian, a
married priest, a member of the Religious Council of the Diocese of
Beirut and active in the organization of Sunday Schools. In his
presentation he first referred to the history of the movement in the
Church and paid tribute to the two Catholicoi Sahak and Papken who saw
the importance of Sunday Schools in enhancing the spiritual growth of
children and youth. He then quoted from the Pontifical Letter of
Catholicos Sahak announcing the beginning of Sunday Schools to be run by
the Church. The speaker said that Sunday Schools must complement the
educational processes begun at home and in the schools. In the end, the
Vice-Dean of the Seminary thanked the speaker and underlined the
importance of spiritual and moral education of children as they begin
their life journey.
SEMINARY STUDENTS PREPARE THEMSELVES
SPIRITUALLY FOR THE HOLY WEEK
04/03/2009
On Friday 3 April 2009, the students of the Seminary organized an
evening of reflection to prepare themselves spiritually to the Holy
Week. Deacon Abraham Ashekian explained the meaning of the Passion of
Christ for humanity. They then meditated on the daily scriptural
readings for the week. The Vice Dean of the Seminary Rev. Magar
Ashkarian conclude the evening by reminding the students that the
Passion of Jesus is an invitation to every Christian to look into his or
her own life critically and prepare of the victory of the Resurrection.
SEMINARY STUDENTS CELEBRATE THE GREATEST SAINT AND PATRON OF THE
ARMENIAN CHURCH
03/20/2009
On 20 March 2009, the
seminary students organized a special evening to celebrate St. Gregory
the Illuminator, the founder of the Armenian Orthodox Church in 301 A.D.
The celebration took
place on the eve of the Feast commemorating the “Imprisonment of Saint
Gregory in a pit in Ararat Plain and his release after 15 years.” The
date of his release from the pit is also that of the Baptism of the King
and the declaration of Christian Armenia. In the Church Calendar the
Feast is also known as the Holy Feast of Pilgrimage.
Very Reverend Krikor
Chiftjian was the speaker of the day. He described St. Gregory the
Illuminator as the greatest “Revolutionary”, who succeeded in converting
a whole nation to Christianity despite persecution and difficulties. He
went on to say that St. Gregory was a devout Christian who overcame
persecution and established the Armenian church, which had existed as
the underground church since the two disciples Saints Thaddeus and
Bartholomew had come to preach in Armenia.
Father Krikor then
referred to the relics of the saint, and said that the Armenian Church
honours the relics because they sanctify the Church. He added that some
non-Armenian communities consider Saint Gregory the Illuminator as their
patron Saint.
The last speaker,
Father Varant, who brought the evening into its conclusion, said that
the legacy of the founder of the Armenian Church should be transmitted
from generation to generation.
THE SEMINARY STUDENTS
COMMEMORATES THE ST. VARTANANTS
MARTYRS
02/18/2009
On Wednesday, 18 February 2009, the seminarians of the
Armenian Orthodox Church commemorated the eve of the Vartanants feast,
which is celebrated every year on the Thursday one week before Lent. At
the epic battle of Avarayr in 451, General Vartan Mamiguonian and his
army, accompanied by the prayers and support of the clergy, laity, women
and men, young and old, fought to defend the Christian Faith of the
Armenian people.
The Vice Dean of the Seminary Rev. Magar Ashkarian told
the students that the Feast of St. Vartan and all those who fell with
him is a message of recommitment. He went on to say that it is a
reminder to all generations to live the Armenian Christian Faith by
rooting themselves firmly in the history and teachings of the church,
and by inviting their neighbors of other faiths to dialogue and respect
for difference. The students concluded the evening by reciting poems and
singing spiritual songs from the Armenian literature honoring the
martyrs.
A CONFERENCE ON THE
RITUALS
OF THE ARMENIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH
01/30/2009
The Students’ Association of the Seminary organized on 30
January 2009, an evening on understanding the liturgical and spiritual
life of the Church manifested through the feasts and rituals of the
|Armenian Orthodox Church. The purpose of the evening was to transmit
the tradition of the church to the younger seminarians.
The presentations were prepared by the expert members of
the brotherhood. The speakers explained the symbolic meaning of the
liturgical vestments of the celebrant, and the use of liturgical objects
during liturgy and during the liturgical calendar. In his conclusion,
the Dean said:” Our Church’s rituals are a body of traditions, a holy
legacy, and a torch that has been transferred to us by our fathers. We,
the Seminary students, have the obligation and responsibility to keep
them alive as we consciously take our first steps in the service of our
Church.
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