On Sunday, February 3rd, 2019, His Holiness Aram I decorated archeologist Prof. Levon Nordiguian with the âSt. Mesrob Mashdotsâ Insiginia.
The event was attended by the president and faculty of St. Joseph University, as well as guests from the Armenian, Lebanese, and French academic and intellectual communities.
The Pontifical Encyclical was read after Christine Babikian Assaf, Dean of Faculty of Arts and Sciences at St. Joseph University, and Krikor Terzian, a colleague of Professor Nordiguian, gave a brief account of his life and work.
His Holiness Aram I then addressed the audience, commending Professor Nordiguian for his years of dedication to the fields of archeology and Armenology. The Catholicos cited Professor Nordiguianâs archeological research and publications and his archival work at various Lebanese museums.
His Holiness also praised Professor Nordiguianâs contribution to the Catholicosate of Cilicia, especially in regards to the Armenian Genocide Orphansâ âAram Bezikianâ museum and metrographic work for the historical seat of the Catholicosate of Cilicia in Sis (now Kozan).
Finally, Professor Nordiguian took the stage and expressed his gratitude.Â