The departed Father Vahan was born with the given name Hovsep in Derik (Syria) in 1945. He received his primary education in the “Azadutyun” Armenian school in his birth town and was accepted to the Armenian Theological Seminary of the Catholicosate of Cilicia in 1960. He was ordained a deacon in 1964, consecrated and ordained as a celibate priest in 1967 and as an archimandrite in 1971 by His Eminence Archbishop Karekin Sarkissian. In 1983, he was ordained as supreme archimandrite by His Holiness Catholicos Karekin II.

Fr. Vahan had assumed various positions throughout his monastic career, including teaching at the Seminary and staff bearer of catholicos. He had also served in different prelacies: in 1973 in the Armenian Vicarate of Venezuella for 25 years; in 1998-2000 in the Eastern Prelacy of the USA; in 2000-2006 in Canada; and in 2006 in Syria. The late father had returned to Antelias in 2017.

May God grant him eternal rest.