With the blessing of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, the Dean of the Armenian Theological Seminary V. Rev. Fr. Baruyr Shernezian visited Armenia from April 2nd to 5th and engaged in fruitful discussions with the Dean of the Kevorkian Armenian Seminary and Vaskenian Theological Academy, V. Rev. Fr. Shahe Ananian, exploring avenues for collaboration. Moreover,…
On Sunday, December 24th, 2023, the Feast of St. Stephen the Protodeacon and the first martyr was commemorated at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias, presided over by Holiness Catholicos Aram I. The Divine Liturgy was celebrated by the Prelate of Greece, HE Arch. Kegham Khatcherian, who also delivered the sermon. The Altar service…
The Feast of the Holy Translators was marked at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral, in Antelias on Sunday, October 15th, 2023, through a Divine Liturgy, presided over by His Holiness Catholicos Aram I and celebrated by the Dean of the Armenian Theological Seminary, V. Rev. Fr. Barouyr Shernezian. Following the Liturgy, the pontifical procession proceeded…
His Holiness Catholicos Aram I convened with the Armenian Seminary teachers’ staff on Saturday, October 7th, 2023, prior to the commencement of the 2023-2024 academic year. The opening remarks were delivered by the Dean of the Seminary who highlighted the mission of the Seminary. Subsequently, His Holiness shared insights on the curriculum orientation and…
On Thursday evening, June 29th, 2023, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I presided over the 93rd commencement ceremony of the Armenian Theological Seminary held in Bikfaya. Cilician brotherhood and priesthood, MPs and community leaders, heads of educational and cultural institutions, seminary teachers, parents, and friends attended the event. An artistic performance prepared by the…
Presided by His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, four young seminarians: Vartan Asayan, Vahe Filikian, Hrag Tashjian, and Tro Guleserian, were ordained as deacons during the Sunday Divine Liturgy on, May 21st, 2023, celebrated by the Prelate of Armenian Church in Greece H.E. Arch. Kegham Katcherian. The sponsor priest V. Rev. Fr. Avedik Der Garabedian…
With the blessing of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, 4 seminarians were ordained as subdeacons, and 10 others as acolytes with an ordination ceremony conducted during the Divine Liturgy by H.E. Archbishop Shahan Sarkissian, on Sunday, May 14th, 2023, at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral, in Antelias. Rev. Fr. Azad Filikian served as the sponsoring…
Under the auspices of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, the feast of St. Stephen the protodeacon and protomartyr was commemorated at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral, in Antelias, on Sunday, December 25th, 2022. H.E. Arch. Shahan Sarkissian, director of the Cilicia Library, celebrated the Divine Liturgy and was assisted by the deacons of the Armenian…
On Tuesday, October 11th, 2022, the General Assembly of the Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East (ATIME) convened online and discussed matters related to adopting a creative approach, the protection of environment, strengthening of inter-church cooperation and ecumenism, among other topics. V. Rev. Fr. Kevork Karageozian participates in the meeting on…
With an official ceremony, presided by His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, the Armenian Theological Seminary opened its 2022-2023 academic year on Sunday, September 9th, 2022, in the atrium of the Catholicosate, in Antelias. Hymns and poems were recited and bible passages were read by students during the ceremony, followed by the Dean’s message delivered…
The Armenian Theological Seminary of the Holy See of Cilicia held a teachers’ meeting ahead of the 2022-2023 academic year, headed by His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, on Saturday, October 1st, 2022. The dean of the Seminary V. Rev. Fr. Barouyr Shernezian started the meeting and announced that the Seminary is pleased to receive…
The feast of St. Stephen the protodeacon holds a special place in the Armenian Church Calendar: on this occasion, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I presides over the Divine Liturgy dedicated to the feast and delivers the message of the feast during a celebration prepared by the Seminarians, in the Main Hall of the Catholicosate. …
As per tradition at the Catholicosate of Cilicia, on the Feast of the Holy Translators, the Divine Liturgy is officiated by the Dean of the Seminary at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral, in Antelias, followed by a celebration in the Main Hall of the Catholicosate to mark the opening of the academic year of the…
His Holiness Aram I presented Rev. Fr. Mesrob Kerkezian with a letter of blessing to honor the priest’s distinguished life-time of service to the Armenian Church. The event was held on Friday, October 8th, 2021, at St. Mary Monastery in Bikfaya, following the Eve of the Feast of Holy Translators service. In the opening…
On Monday, October 4th, 2021, the Armenian Theological Seminary held its faculty meeting prior to the start of the 2021-2022 academic year, chaired by His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, and attended by the Dean of the Seminary V. Rev. Fr. Barouyr Shernezian, as well as supervisors V. Rev. Fr. Kevork Karageozian and V. Rev. Fr.…
The preparation of the grape molasses by the seminarians is a beautiful tradition that involves harvesting the grapes, extracting the juice, cooking and making the molasses while singing Armenian traditional songs, in the vineyard of the Armenian Theological Seminary. On Thursday, September 9th, 2021, His Holiness visited the sight and participated in the making…
On Sunday evening, August 22nd, 2021, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I chaired the meeting of the Armenian Theological Seminary’s Dean and the board of supervisors in Bikfaya to discuss academic strategies and projects towards the mission and vision of the Seminary for the upcoming academic year. The main topics of the meeting included the…
On Sunday, June 20th 2021, during the Divine Liturgy, five graduating seminarians were ordained and consecrated into the Priesthood, at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias. The ceremony was presided over by His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, performed by His Grace Bishop Mesrob Sarkissian, Prelate of the UAE and Qatar, and sponsored by V.…
On Saturday evening, June 19th, 2021, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I presided over the calling to the priesthood ceremony of 5 graduating Seminarians, performed by the Prelate of the UAE and Qatar His Grace Bishop Mesrob Sarkissian, and sponsored by the Dean of the Seminary V. Rev. Fr. Barouyr Shernezian. During the ceremony, the…
The Armenian Church grants ordinations to those who dedicate their lives to the service of the church and its people. Deaconhood is the first of the three basic orders granted by laying on of hands performed with a special ceremony during the Divine Liturgy. On Sunday, June 13th, 2021, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I…
On Sunday, June 7th, 2021, His Holiness Aram I presided over the Divine Liturgy during which Bishop Magar Ashkarian conducted the ordination of acolytes and subdeacons, at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias. V. Rev. Fr. Kevork Karageozian acted as the sponsoring priest. Following the ordination, in his sermon, Bishop Magar exhorted the…
On Saturday, May 15th, 2021, a pan-Armenian online student conference entitled “Armenian Students: Leaders of the National Revival” was held, organized by the Yerevan State University. Representatives of Armenian students from the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Artsakh and the Armenian Diaspora attended the conference to discuss the consequences of the Artsakh war…
On Wednesday, March 10th, 2021, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I presided over the Mid-Lent Sunrise Service and delivered his message at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias. His Holiness would have marked the Mid-Lent at St. Nshan Cathedral of the Diocese of Lebanon, accompanied by the Prelate of Lebanon, Cilician brothers and Seminarians…
On Friday evening, February 5th, 2021, the junior and senior classes of the Armenian Theological Seminary presented talks about the late catholicoi of the Catholicosate of Cilicia, who have served the Holy See after the latter’s establishment in Antelias. The event preceded the annual requiem service held at the Mausoleum of the Catholicosate on…
On Sunday, October 11th, 2020, on the occasion of the Feast of the Holy Translators, the opening of the 90th academic year of the Armenian Theological Seminary took place with a Divine Liturgy, which was presided by His Holiness Aram I and celebrated by the newly appointed Dean of the Seminary His Grace Bishop Meghrig…
On September 7th, 2020, His Holiness Aram I paid a visit to the Armenian Theological Seminary, and addressed the students with his paternal message, where he reemphasized the mission of the Seminary which, besides education, includes formation of persons dedicated to serving God and the people. He stated that the Seminary graduates are fully equipped…
The Armenian Theological Seminary was founded in 1930, and during its 90 years of service, the Seminary, although in the Armenian Diaspora, has kept its Armenian religious, spiritual and cultural identity alive and well or the benefit of the new generations of our people. This year, we would have marked the 90th anniversary with…
On Friday, June 21st, 2019, the 89th commencement ceremony of the Armenian Theological Seminary was held at St. Maty Monastery, in Bikfaya, presided over by His Holiness Aram I. This year’s ceremony was dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the Armenian renowned composer Gomidas. After the pontifical entrance and the Alma Mater, Rev.…
On Wednesday, June 19th, the end of the school year faculty meeting was held at the Armenian Theological Seminary, in Bikfaya. The head of the faculty, His Holiness Aram I chaired the meeting. Student assessment and program evaluation was on top of the agenda of the meeting, as well as preparation for the forthcoming school…
On the evening of Saturday, June 15th, during the service, Deacon George Aprahamian, Deacon Moushegh Karageozian and Deacon Shahe Yacoubian started their journey to priesthood by approaching the Holy Altar on their knees, where they anathematized the heretics, accepted to abide by the teachings of the Church Fathers, recited the Creed and read the Charter…
On June 9th, 2019, on the occasion of the feast of Pentecost, acolytes and sub-deacons ordination was conducted at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias. His Holiness Aram I presided over the Holy Liturgy, Bishop Magar Ashkarian performed the ordination and Rev. Fr. Oshin Chvalertanian served as Patron of the Living. In his…
The International Ecumenical Youth Meeting gathered more than 1600 young participants from over 44 countries around the globe. It took place from March 22nd to the 26th, and was organized through the collaboration of the MECC, the churches in Lebanon, and the Taizé Ecumenical Community. Rev. Father Hrant Tahanian, Ecumenical Officer of the…
On Sunday morning, December 23rd, 2018, His Holiness Aram I presided over the Divine Liturgy at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias, celebrating the feast of St Stephen, the proto deacon and martyr. On this occasion. relics of the saint were taken out from the Cilicia Museum. Bishop Magar Ashkarian celebrated the Holy Liturgy…
On Saturday, December 1st, 2018, His Holiness Aram I had a meeting with the architects of the Catholicosate at St. Mary’s Monastery, in Bikfaya, to inquire about the three main construction projects taking place on the premises: the Episcopal residence and guesthouse, a recreation ground for the seminarians, and a new engraving on the fence…
On Friday, November 23rd, 2018, The Catholicosate of Cilicia hosted mountaineer and runner Ara Khatchadourian at the Armenian Theological Seminary in Bikfaya. Khatchadourian had climbed, among others, Mounts Ararad and Everest and crossed 4550 km from Marseille to Yerevan in 107 days to make a call of peace to the world. In his recent accomplishment…
Every Wednesday morning, the graduating class at the Armenian Theological Seminary attends 2 hours of theoretical theology and pastoral theology courses lectured by His Holiness Aram I. In fact, the Catholicos has been teaching theology at the Seminary since he was serving as Prelate in Lebanon. Cilicia TV came across His Holiness leaving the…
The opening of the 89th Academic year of the Armenian Theological Seminary took place on Sunday, October 14th, with a Divine Liturgy celebrated by the Dean of the Seminary V. Rev. Boghos Tinkjian, at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias. His Holiness Aram I presided over the Divine Liturgy. Following the service, a…
On Monday, August 18th, 2018, His Holiness Aram I visited the renovations taking place in the Armenian Theological Seminary in Bikfaya. The renovations are possible thanks to Mardig Bouldoukian and Raffi Ohanian from the USA. After inspecting the renovations, His Holiness commended the work in progress and expressed his recognition of the efforts of…
The 88th commencement ceremony of the Armenian Theological Seminary took place on Saturday, June 16th, 2018, in Bikfaya. The ceremony ceremony was dedicated to His Holiness Aram I’s 50th anniversary of the priesthood ordination. The welcoming remarks was delivered by Fr. Zaven Najarian, who pointed out the significant aspects of the Seminary that makes…
The Catholicosate of Cilicia dedicated the evening of Sunday, May 27th 2018 to the centennial of the First Independence of the Republic of Armenia. The evening commenced with a requiem service for the soul of Catholicos Karekin Hovsepian, who was a leading figure in the battle of independence, followed by a concert by the Armash…
On May 7th, 2018, the newly formed Ladies Auxiliary of the Armenian Theological Seminary, accompanied by the Dean of the Seminary V. Rev. Boghos Tinkjian, visited His Holiness Aram I in Antelias. Rev. Tinjian briefed His Holiness about the projects the Auxiliary has achieved thus far and stressed that their mission is to contribute…
On the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of His Holiness Aram I ‘s ordination into priesthood, on Sunday, April 29th, 2018, the Catholicosate’s “Shnorhali” choir and the Armenian Thelogical Seminary’s “Armash” choir gave a joint concert in the “Jirayr and Tsoline Nalbandian” auditorium, at the Armenian United College. The director of both choirs, Monk…
Mr. and Mrs. Anushavan Nazarian from Kuwait donated USD 200 000 to the Armenian Theological Seminary for the purpose of building a library, which will be named after their children, Nouneh and Ninareh Nazarian.
On Sunday, October 15, 2017, His Holiness Aram I presided over the Holy Liturgy in the Catholicosate of the Holy See of Cilicia. The Holy Liturgy was celebrated by the Dean of the Armenian Theological Seminary Very Rev. Boghos Tinkjian and was dedicated to the feast of Holy Translators. Following the Divine Liturgy, the…
On October 12, 2017, His Holiness Aram I chaired the teachers’ meeting of the Armenian Theological Seminary in Bikfaya for the school year 2017-2018. After welcoming remarks, His Holiness stated that the Armenian Theological Seminary is more than an ordinary school; its mission includes not only preparing well-educated Armenians, but also future leaders, who eventually…
28 December 2015. On Monday evening at St Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral, the Armash choir of the seminary presented a programme of Christmas and other Armenian Spiritual hymns. The Dean Rev Torkom Donoyan thanked His Holiness for his support and presence and welcomed the audience. The choirmaster Rev Karekin Shekherdemian introduced the 15 hymns…
27 December 2015. On Sunday morning, His Holiness Aram I presided over the Holy Liturgy at the St Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral, celebrating the feast of St Stephen, the martyr proto deacon, which is also the celebration of the vocation of deacon. Before the sermon, Bishop Norayr Ashekian invited the deacons to the front of…
23 June 2015. On Monday evening, the graduation ceremony was held in Bikfaya in the presence of members of the brotherhood, family and friends. The Rev. Shenorhk Ashekian, Director of Student Affairs, welcomed the guests to the newly renovated monastery. After Dean Rev. Torkom Donoyan presented the 85th annual report, he invited the student speaker…
14 June 2015. On Sunday, during the Holy Liturgy, students of the higher classes of the seminary were ordained as acolytes and sub-deacons. Following the singing of the Lords Prayer, Rev. Father Karekin Shekherdemian led the candidates to the altar. After the reading of prayers and chanting of hymns, Archbishop Norayr ordained the acolytes with…
21 December 2014. On Sunday, the Armenian Chatholicosate of Cilicia celebrated the feast of the Deacon and Protomartyr St. Stephen. Archbishop Norayr Ashekian celebrated the Holy Liturgy at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias. At the end of the liturgy, at Catholicos Aram I’s reception for the clergy and the laity, the seminarians…
On Sunday 13 October 2013, Rev. Housig Mardirossian the new Dean of the seminary celebrated the Holy Liturgy at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias. Old and new students and the faculty took part in the liturgy and received Holy Communion. In his sermon Rev. Housig welcomed the new seminarians to the community…
In order to remain a major pillar in safeguarding the Armenian spiritual and cultural heritage, the seminary regularly adapts its curricula to respond to the needs of the Diaspora. In 2013, several seminarians became acolytes, sub-deacons, deacons, priests and a married priest. Because of the situation in Syria and the region, many seminarians could…
The ordination rites for the three new priests began Saturday evening when deacons Sepastia Tarkhanian, Hampartsoum Balekjian and Antranig Dalkourgian took the oath according to the canons of the Catholicosate of Cilicia, in the presence of His Holiness Aram I, the members of the Brotherhood and the faithful gathered in the Cathedral. On Sunday…
“The Strength of Antelias lies in its power to Serve” On Thursday evening, the participants of the Assembly went to Bikfaya to attend a concert by the “Shenorhali,” Choir conducted by Rev. Torkom Donayan, dedicated to the “2013, Year of the Armenian Mother.” After a short break, the graduation ceremony of the Seminary began.…
On Sunday 2 June 2013, during the Holy Liturgy, Bishop Norayr Ashekian ordained among the students of the seminary six Subdeacons and eleven Acolytes. After the ordination he explained the significance of these two ministries within the diaconate of the Church. At the end of the Holy Liturgy, the new Acolytes and Subdeacons,…
On Sunday 19 May 2013, on Pentecost Day, during the Holy Liturgy, six sub deacons, from the graduating class of the seminary, were elevated to the rank of deacon. The sub deacons came to the altar on their knees to receive the rank. After the liturgy, the new deacons, led by Archbishop Gorun Babyan…
