Armenian Apostolic Holy Church Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin

On June 30, at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, under the presidency of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, the solemn graduation ceremony of the Gevorgian Theological Seminary for the 2025–2026 academic year took place.

The event began with the recitation of the Lord’s Prayer, followed by the anthems of the Republic of Armenia and the Gevorgian Theological Seminary. This was followed by an address of welcome delivered by the Head of the Gevorgian Theological Seminary and the Vaskenian Theological Academy, Reverend Father Hieromonk Husik Smbatyan.

Speaking about the mission of the Gevorgian Theological Seminary, Father Husik emphasized that for more than one and a half centuries the seminary has been one of the most important spiritual and educational centers, where faith and national spirit have been preserved, and knowledge, moral values, and ecclesiastical traditions have been transmitted.

Father Husik noted that, in the face of today’s spiritual, moral, and value-based challenges, the Church more than ever needs ministers imbued with a spirit of prayer—educated, humble, and self-sacrificing—who, through their ministry and personal example, would strengthen the faithful, confirm them in the faith, and bear witness to the Gospel through their lives.

Following a choral performance, Dr. Ashot Galstyan, Professor of Philology, addressed the audience on behalf of the faculty, and deacon Karlen Gasparyan, a sixth-year student, spoke on behalf of the student body.

During the ceremony, His Holiness presented awards to students who achieved outstanding academic results.

The solemn event concluded with a paternal address and blessing from the Catholicos of All Armenians. His Holiness emphasized that each new academic year inscribes a new page marked by new achievements in the history of the spiritual school, filling all hearts with renewed hope and expectations.

“In our spiritual and educational institutions, future servants of the Armenian Church are being prepared, who are destined to serve in the dioceses of Armenia and the Diaspora, so that they may pastorally care for and nurture the children of our people in various national and cultural environments, strengthen in them love for the Homeland and the Holy Church, and lead them along the God-given path of salvation.

The activity of the seminary directly concerns the spiritual life of every Armenian, his national consciousness, and value system. That is why our expectations and demands toward our theological institutions have always been and remain high,” His Holiness noted.

“In the conditions of the rapidly changing modern world, it is extremely important that the clergyman, remaining steadfastly faithful to the sacred heritage of our Fathers and national roots, be engaged with contemporary developments and challenges, and respond worthily to the spiritual needs and demands of his flock,” stated the Supreme Patriarch of the Armenian Church.

“Only in this way is it possible, amid the imperatives of the modern age, to fruitfully carry out the God-given mission of the Holy Church and, through the preaching of the Life-Giving Word, to enlighten, transform, and uplift the life of the Armenian people,” said the Catholicos of All Armenians.

Addressing the faculty, His Holiness urged them to remain faithful to the traditions of the school of Saints Sahak Partev and Mesrop Mashtots, to continue diligently imparting knowledge and spiritual experience to the students entrusted to them, strengthening their spiritual character and national consciousness, and inspiring them through the luminous example of outstanding figures of the Armenian Church.

“Train for the ecclesial-national field new zealous and devoted laborers and, following the example of our Lord Jesus Christ, ‘good shepherds,’ so that through the word of the Gospel they may inspire and comfort the children of our people, rendering them fruitful pastoral service,” His Holiness emphasized.

To the students of the seminary, the Catholicos of All Armenians enjoined them to strive unceasingly for knowledge, preparing with prayer and spiritual diligence for the great calling of the servant of Christ.

The Supreme Patriarch also stressed that the service of the Church and the people requires a courageous spirit, an unbending will, and, when circumstances demand it, readiness for any sacrifice.

“In your aspiration to enter the path of spiritual service, remain steadfast in faith and unwaveringly faithful to the true teaching and the life-giving commandments of our Savior.

‘He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing’ (John 15:5), says the Lord.

Guided by this divine exhortation and by awareness of the vital importance of the mission of the Armenian Church in national life, may you, as future leaders and pastors, become worthy successors of our holy Fathers, and through your ministry multiply light and love in the souls of the children of our people,” said His Holiness.

“The Almighty has granted you the grace to devote your faith, knowledge, diligence, and entire lives to service and offering yourselves in love for God, the Holy Church, and our people,” said the Catholicos of All Armenians.

On the occasion of the completion of the academic year, His Holiness Karekin II bestowed his blessing and expressed gratitude to the administration and faculty of the Gevorgian Theological Seminary, headed by Reverend Hieromonk Husik Smbatyan.

In conclusion, Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II offered a prayer to God that the Lord may preserve and protect all under the shadow of His Holy Right Hand, and that, with God’s help, the activities of the spiritual educational institutions of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin may be adorned with ever new successes—for the glory of God, the well-being of the nation and the Homeland, and the flourishing of the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church.

In the 2025–2026 academic year, 11 students graduated from the Gevorgian Theological Seminary.