Armenian Apostolic Holy Church Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin

• General Information

 

Born in 1973 in the village of Bazhrashen, Shirak Province, Republic of Armenia. Baptismal name: Hrach.

1980–1990 – Secondary School No. 5, Holy Etchmiadzin.
1990–1996 – Gevorgian Theological Seminary.
2003–2006 – St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Institute, Moscow.

 

• Ecclesiastical Ranks and Ordination

 

1996 – Ordained to the diaconate by Bishop Anania Arabajyan.

2000 – Ordained a celibate priest by Archbishop Shahe Ajemian.

2005 – Received the four degrees of Archimandrite from Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan. Thesis: "Stone Inscriptions from an Ecclesiological Perspective."

November 19, 2006 – Consecrated to the episcopate by His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians.

 

• Tenure

 

1996–1998 – Director of the Alex and Marie Manoogian Treasury at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

1998–2000 – Military chaplain in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia.

2000–2001 – Commandant of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

2001–2002 – Assistant to the Primate of the Armenian Diocese of New Nakhichevan and Russia.

2002–2005 – Pastor of St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church in Riga.

2005–2006 – Locum Tenens of the Gegharkunik Diocese.

2006–2015 – Primate of the Gegharkunik Diocese.

2008 – Member of the Secretariat of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.

2009–2015 – Member of the Public Council of the Republic of Armenia.

2009–2015 – Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Armenia Round Table Inter-Church Charitable Foundation of the World Council of Churches.

Since 2015 – Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Ukraine.