Fr. Guregh Hambardzumyan was born in Yerevan, where he completed his primary and secondary education. Succinctly while in high school, he was also admitted to a five- year program of study at the Danielyan Music Academy, and graduated from both in 2005. In 2006, he began his studies at the Pedagogical University of Yerevan and started to attend services at nearby St. Sarkis Armenian Church. Within a short period of time, Dn. Albert began to seriously consider the priestly vocation and realized the positive impact it had on people. In addition, during this time, he was more heavily involved in the liturgical life of the parish. Consequently in 2008, Dn. Albert was chosen through a selection process to move to Jerusalem in order to begin studies at the Armenian Theological Seminary of the Armenian Patriarchate.

He completed the Seminary’s preparatory program, as well as its full program in Theological Studies, in preparation for eventual ordination. In conjunction with studies was daily worship in the Armenian Cathedral of Sts. James, and scheduled service in the Holy Sites including at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and Mary’s Tomb among others. Dn. Albert was ordained into the Diaconate in 2014, upon his graduation from the Seminary, by Patriarch Nourhan Manougian. The Patriarch then assigned him to continue serving in Sts. James Cathedral as a Deacon and Choirmaster, while also working as the Executive Secretary at the Seminary. Throughout his lengthy years in Jerusalem, the sense of calling to serve within the Church, and to further his education, always grew stronger. In 2016, he was accepted into the joint Master of Divinity program at St. Nersess Armenian Seminary and St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, and left Jerusalem for New York. As part of the Master’s program, Dn. Albert also completed a chaplaincy program at Norwalk Hospital in Connecticut.

In the summer of 2018, Dn. Albert married Silva Hakobyan, a high school language teacher in Armenia. She grew up in the town of Masis to a family with strong historical roots in Armenia. Silva earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Yerevan State University in Armenian Language and Literature. After relocating to New York with Dn. Albert for his final year of study at St. Nersess, Silva registered at the local community college to improve her English language skills and also taught Armenian Language and dance at the local St. Gregory the Enlightener Armenian Church Saturday school in White Plains, NY.

In the summer of 2019 they moved to Florida, (Pinellas Park) where Dn. Albert began his pastoral internship at Saint Hagop Armenian Church. During the first semester of their internship Silva taught Armenian Language at the Church and had almost 25 students. In April 2020, they had a baby boy. Effective October 1st, 2020, Bishop Daniel Findikyan assigned Dn. Albert Hambardzumyan as deacon in charge of the St. John the Baptist Armenian Church of Greenfield, WI.

On Saturday, April 10, 2021, Deacon Albert was ordained to the Holy Order of Priesthood and was renamed Rev. Fr. Guregh, by the diocesan primate His Grace Bishop Daniel.

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