SEVEN NEW PRIESTS ORDAINED BY BISHOP MESROP’S HAND

This week, Diocesan Primate Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan was blessed to ordain seven new priests to serve the Armenian Church. He did so while he was visiting Armenia to attend the Supreme Spiritual Council meeting at Holy Etchmiadzin.

The ordination service took place on Sunday, June 16, 2024, at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Yerevan. Each of the seven young men who knelt before the altar embodied a unique calling that God had planted in their hearts. These seven represent the first priests to be ordained by the hand of our Primate.

The day was especially meaningful to Bishop Mesrop as it coincided with Father’s Day. “This day has now taken on a new meaning for me,” he reflected during the ceremony, “as I have become the spiritual father to these seven new priests, consecrating them and dedicating them to the Lord. As I laid my hands on each candidate, I felt a father’s profound sense of responsibility and joy.”

“This day also reminds me of the ultimate Father,” he went on: “our Heavenly Father who loves us unconditionally and calls us to follow Him. He is our guide, our protector, and our source of strength. As we honor our earthly fathers today, let us also give thanks to God for His boundless love and grace.”

Bishop Mesrop expressed gratitude to the Catholicos of All Armenians, His Holiness Karekin II, for giving him the opportunity to serve in the sacred role of ordaining new clergy to serve the church.

Of the new priests, the Primate said: “May they be blessed in their ministry, and may they always feel the presence of God guiding their steps. As they embark on this journey, let us keep them in our prayers, asking the Lord to fill them with His wisdom and love, so they may faithfully shepherd their flocks.”

Among the newly-ordained clergy, five are married priests and two will serve in the celibate order. All will be blessings for the Armenian Church, and we congratulate them and Bishop Mesrop on this hopeful occasion.

Click the following link to view an extensive photo gallery of the beautiful ceremony.