Photos: The Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians Hosted the Leader of the Shirak Diocese and Representatives

On December 25, His Holiness Karekin II, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, received a delegation led by His Grace Archbishop Mikayel Ajapahyan, the Primate of the Shirak Diocese, at the Mother Cathedral of Etchmiadzin. This delegation included representatives from regional and municipal authorities and various communities of the diocese.

During the meeting, the Patriarch bestowed the Patriarchal letter of dignity upon Archbishop Mikayel. Earlier this year, on February 26, during the Feast of St. Ghevond, the Catholicos had awarded him this honor for his devoted service in the Armenian Church and years of dedication.

The meeting began with the blessings of the Catholicos. Welcoming the presence of faithful Armenians from Gyumri and Shirak, the Patriarch praised Archbishop Mikayel's life and his fruitful activities within the Armenian Church.

According to the Catholicos, Archbishop Mikayel has carried out effective work during his pastoral service in the diocese’s evangelistic, educational, and ecclesiastical construction sectors. The Catholicos affirmed that Archbishop Mikayel, with a shepherd's and leader's heightened awareness, has united the faithful through prayer in all the diocese's functioning and defunct churches, dedicating himself to revitalizing the spiritual life around holy places.

His Holiness also noted that during his interactions with the people of Shirak, he witnessed their commitment to spiritual and national values, their deep faith, and their expectations from the clergy. The Catholicos wished the people of Shirak to be guided by the Holy Spirit in their ecclesiastical, national, and venerable missions.

Following this, the director of the Inter-Church Relations Office of the Mother See, the Honorable Father Paruyr Avetisyan, read the Catholicos's letter, which included the following message:

“Dear Archbishop, having completed your theological education at my Mother See's Seminary nearly three decades ago, you made a vow before the Holy Altar of the True God, dedicating your abilities selflessly to the preaching of the Word of Life. By the direction of the late Catholicos Vazgen I, you were called to serve at the historic monasteries of Holy Cross in Yeghegnadzor and St. John the Baptist in Gandzasar, and after that, you took on various responsibilities at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, diligently fulfilling your mission and providing spiritual nourishment to the faithful of our nation.

For your church-related merits, we appointed you to the position of the Primate of the Shirak Diocese and awarded you the honorable rank of bishop, trusting that you would succeed in continuously adding to the splendor of our Holy Church in this new and more responsible capacity. We are greatly pleased that during your years of leadership, the clergy of the diocese has increased, many churches have been built and renovated, and evangelistic activities have expanded for the benefit of the spiritual renewal of our beloved children in Shirak.”

After presenting the Patriarchal letter, His Holiness handed it to Archbishop Mikayel and also gifted him a bishop's pectoral cross on this occasion.

At the meeting, representatives of the Office of the President of the Republic of Armenia delivered President Armen Sarkissian’s congratulatory message on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Archbishop Mikayel’s leadership and receiving the dignity of Archbishop.

Archbishop Mikayel, expressing his gratitude to His Holiness for bestowing this honor, emphasized that this moment is an opportunity to renew his vow to God, the Armenian Church, the homeland, the Mother See, and its Katholikos. The Archbishop also remarked that the award of the archbishopric rank further obligates him to continue his spiritual service with utmost diligence to the Shirak Diocese and its faithful children.

He also touched upon future plans, emphasizing the importance of celebrating the diocese's 100th anniversary in 2020.

On this joyful occasion, the faithful from Shirak also expressed their heartfelt congratulations to Archbishop Mikayel.