Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Information Services 16 November, 2014
On November 16, in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, during the celebration of Divine Liturgy, Episcopal ordinations and consecrations were held. Rev. Fr. Narek Berberyan, Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Brazil; Rev. Fr. Abgar Hovakimyan, Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Canada; and Rev. Fr. Vardan Navasardyan, Director of the Christian Education Center of Mother See; were consecrated, ordained and elevated in rank, by His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians.
On November 15, before the Evening Service, the service of candidature was held in the Mother Cathedral, during which the bishops reaffirmed their covenant faithfulness to the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church and Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, and signed their oaths.
On November 16, a Pontifical Divine Liturgy was offered at the altar of St. Stephen the Protomartyr in the Mother Cathedral, where a public examination was made of the orthodox faith of the candidates. Representatives of the Armenian Church; scribes, deacons, priests, bishops, as well as laymen representing different classes of society, approached His Holiness and publicaly bore witness on behalf of the candidates, after which the Divine Liturgy continued at the main Altar of the Mother Catherdral. Assisting His Holiness were His Grace Bishop Sahak Mashalyan from the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople and His Grace Bishop Tatev Hakobyan; primate of the Armenian Diocese of Ukraine. His Grace Bishop Haigazun Najaryan; Pontifical Legate of India and the Far East, and Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Australia and New Zealand served as the intercessor for the candidates.
Under the singing of the hymn “divine and celestial grace” the Archmindrates faced the faithful and raised their hands as a sign of rejection of all that is worldly. After prayers to God, the service of consecration was offered. His Holiness called the Archmindrates Narek, Abgar, and Vardan, to the rank of bishop, and consecrated the candidates’ foreheads and the thumbs of their right hand with Holy Chrism, following which the symbols of episcopacy- the Episcopal staff and ring, were presented to the newly consecrated bishops.
The Catholicos of All Armenians addressed his Pontificial message to the newly consecrated bishops and the pious faithful, present on this joyful occasion.
Dear faithful,
We are all now experiencing great joy and happiness. The sacred Episcopal ordination and consecration service is again Pentecost in our Holy Church. Paul repeatedly speaks of the high rank of the bishop and the responsibility in their service, as under their guidance the charitable ministry of the clergy become more effective, as does the spiritual nourishment provided to the faithful by the the living word of the Holy Bible, the lessons and exhortations, and the administrative functions of the Church. The Bishop is considered to be the tiller in God’s garden, as due to their service the Church blossoms and bears fruit through plentiful results. As we read a few minutes ago, the episcopal oath is in its purity. “Happy are the pure in heart” (Matthew 5:8), teaches our Lord in the Sermon on the Mount. The purity of the heart is the most wonderful guarantee of theological-reflection. The path of theological-refelction is the kind process, the religious affairs, is the humble and productive service, Christ’s constant presence of warm feelings and the care and unconditional love towards the faithful.
Today, our candidates have been evidenced by the faithful, diocesan officials, and witnesses; as gentle, benevolent, God-loving, law-abiding, and humble individuals.
Yesterday our ordained bishops knelt before the Holy Altar promised and vowed to go forward determined, according to the doctrine and commandments of our Apostolic Holy Church, to teach and admonish the faithful entrusted to their care by kind service, and as monks of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, our sacred sanctuary by Christ, exert all efforts for the development and vibrancy of the Spiritual Center of All Armenians.
Our people are led by the courage and vigor of the bishops in our history; as in Christ’s Holy Church, developed science and culture, created script and writing, built church and monastery, overcame the challenges of difficult times, survived the Armenian Genocide, kept hope and faith, and reached for a free life, the realization of a dream of an independent state. Our Church today continues its mission through the leadership and service of the bishops, with the support of our God-loving people. There are many challenges in our spiritual- ecclesiastical life.
And today also, our bishops must exert efforts, so that our sons be more aware of our sacred ecclesiastical traditions, revaluate our precious spiritual heritage, not ignore the truth and be mislead by the influence of the teachings of the sects, to proceed without offense according to Christ commands, to live by high Christian and human values. To overcome the problems and difficulties is vitally important that our sons remain unyielding under the auspices of our Holy Church; close to God and the nation proceed the way to salvation”, said His Holiness.
His Holiness presenting the ordained bishops to the pilgrims attending the Divine Liturgy, wished the former: “Dear Bishops, our exhortation and messages is that you keep your covenant firm, act and serve by the shining example of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and add new achievements to your patriotic and church-devoted deeds…
From the bottom of Our heart, we pray to Almighty God, that the Armenian Church; founded by the Apostles St. Thaddeus and St. Bartholomew and established by our Patriarch St. Gregory the Illuminator; which is the ark for the salvation of all Armenians, be kept bright by your courageous service. We also ask that our Lord supports you to proceed without offense on the path of service, to add new successes to your achievements in the annals of the Holy Church over the years, by the guidance of the Holy Spirit”.
After the Pontifical message, all the clergy ascended to the Holy Altar to receive “The Kiss of Peace” from the newly ordained. Following the conclusion of Divine Liturgy, the faithful approached the bema, and congratulated them on the occasion of their consecration.
Present for the service were Diocesan Primates of the Armenian Church, members of the Brotherhood of the Great House of Cilicia, representatives of diocesan councils and priests of the Armenian Dioceses of Brazil and Canada, representatives of the education sector, benefactors, employees and pupils of the Christian Education Center and Eurnekian Public Schools, family and friends of the ordained, and numerous pilgrims.
Following the ordinations, the newly ordained bishops will each celebrate Divine Liturgy in the Mother Cathedral.
His Grace Bishop Abgar HovakimyanRev. Fr. Abgar Hovakimyan (baptismal name Samvel) was born on July 23, 1972, in Batumi, Georgia. He attended the Stepan Shahumyan Armenian Secondary School in Batumi from 1979-1989. Father Abgar continued his education in the Gevorkian Theological Seminary in Etchmiadzin. He graduated in 1995 after successfully defending his thesis entitled “Reflections of the Armenian Doctrinal Concept in the Interpretation of Matthew by St. Gregory the Graceful”. In October of the same year Father Abgar was ordained into the diaconate by the hand of His Grace Bishop Anania Arabajyan, and was appointed to serve in the Mother See.
On June 2, 1996, he was ordained a celibate priest by His Eminence Archbishop Shahe Ajemian in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, and given the priestly name of Abgar.
Following his ordination, he served as spiritual pastor of Ajaria, Georgia, from 1996 to 2001.
In 2001, he entered the Theological University of Salzburg in Austria, to study Theology. He successfully defended his graduation thesis entitled ‘’Armenian-Latin ecclesiastical realtions in the 11-12 centuries’’ and received a Master of Divinity degree in 2005.
By the Pontifical order of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, Father Abgar was appointed to serve as Vicar General in the Armenian Diocese of Georgia from May of 2004 to October of 2005. On October 11 the Catholicos of All Armenians assigned him to serve as Vicar General at the Diocese of Syunik.
In April of 2006 Father Abgar defended his doctoral thesis entitled “St. Dionysius the Areopagite in the Armenian Bibliography” and in May, in the St. Mesrop Mashtots Church of Oshakan, he received the rank of Archimandrite by His Grace Bishop Yeznik Petrosyan. Father Abgar left for Canada in 2010, for one year of further study.
By the Pontifical Order of Catholicos of All Armenians he was appointed to serve as the Locum Tenens in the Armenian Diocese of Bulgaria in 2011.
On May 31, 2014, in the St. Vartan Church of Mississauga, Canada, the 31st Diocesan Assembly elected Rev. Fr. Abgar Hovakimyan to serve as the Primate of the Armenian Diocese in Canada.
His Grace Bishop is fluent in Russian, Georgian and German
