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Archbishop Yeghishe Gizirian Celebrates 65th Anniversary of Joining Priesthood
http://www.accc.org.uk/archbishop-yeghishe-gizirian-celebrates-65th-anniversary-of-joining-priesthood/
Archbishop Gizirian
This year Archbishop Yeghishe Gizirian is celebrating the 65th
Anniversary of his being ordained into priesthood of the Holy Armenian
Orthodox Church. British Armenians remember the Archbishop with deep
fondness and affection, as between 1982 and 2002, he served as Primate
of the Armenian Churches in the United Kingdom.
Archbishop Gizirian was much loved and respected by all British
Armenians. He was wholly dedicated to his duties as Primate, and full
of humility. As a humble clergyman, he had no qualms at all to serve
the community by wholeheartedly supporting and working with the
Armenian Community and Church Council of Great Britain (ACCC), and
almost every Sunday he would serve Mass at the ACCC's community
church, the St Peter's Church (later re-consecrated the St Yeghiche
Church) in South Kensington.
A native of Damascus, Syria, Archbishop Gizirian studied at the
Seminary of the Catholicosate of Cilicia in Antelias, Lebanon. He was
ordained a celibate priest in 1947 by the late Bishop Terenig
Poladian.
He moved to the United States in 1951, where he served as the Pastor
of the Holy Cross Church of New York City; St. John the Baptist Church
of Miami; Holy Mother of God Church of Newark, N.J.; the Holy Saviour
Church of Worcester, Mass.; St. John the Baptist Church of Detroit,
Michigan.; Sts. Sahag and Mesrob Church of Wynnewood, Pennsylvania;
and Holy Trinity Church of Cambridge, Massachusetts.
In 1982, Fr. Gizirian was ordained a Bishop in the Cathedral of Holy
Etchmiadzin by His Holiness Vasken I, the late Supreme Patriarch and
Catholicos of All Armenians. In March of that year he was elected by
the ACCC of Great Britain as Primate of the United Kingdom and at
their request, His Holiness Vasken I appointed him Primate and
Pontifical Legate of the Armenian Churches of the United Kingdom.
In 1993, he was elevated to the rank of Archbishop.
After 20 years of service in the United Kingdom, he retired from the
position of Primate, and returned to the United States, where he now
divides his time between visiting parishes, representing the Diocese
at official functions, and serving as the spiritual father of St.
Nersess Armenian Seminary in New Rochelle, N.Y.
The Armenian Community and Church Council of Great Britain will always
be grateful to Archbishop Gizirian for his support and cooperation,
and on behalf of the British Armenian community, the ACCC was pleased
to send a letter of congratulations and good wished to the Archbishop.
Archbishop Gizirian' response to congratulations from ACCC
By Ara Palamoudian/ACCC of GB
http://www.accc.org.uk/archbishop-yeghishe-gizirian-celebrates-65th-anniversary-of-joining-priesthood/
Archbishop Gizirian
This year Archbishop Yeghishe Gizirian is celebrating the 65th
Anniversary of his being ordained into priesthood of the Holy Armenian
Orthodox Church. British Armenians remember the Archbishop with deep
fondness and affection, as between 1982 and 2002, he served as Primate
of the Armenian Churches in the United Kingdom.
Archbishop Gizirian was much loved and respected by all British
Armenians. He was wholly dedicated to his duties as Primate, and full
of humility. As a humble clergyman, he had no qualms at all to serve
the community by wholeheartedly supporting and working with the
Armenian Community and Church Council of Great Britain (ACCC), and
almost every Sunday he would serve Mass at the ACCC's community
church, the St Peter's Church (later re-consecrated the St Yeghiche
Church) in South Kensington.
A native of Damascus, Syria, Archbishop Gizirian studied at the
Seminary of the Catholicosate of Cilicia in Antelias, Lebanon. He was
ordained a celibate priest in 1947 by the late Bishop Terenig
Poladian.
He moved to the United States in 1951, where he served as the Pastor
of the Holy Cross Church of New York City; St. John the Baptist Church
of Miami; Holy Mother of God Church of Newark, N.J.; the Holy Saviour
Church of Worcester, Mass.; St. John the Baptist Church of Detroit,
Michigan.; Sts. Sahag and Mesrob Church of Wynnewood, Pennsylvania;
and Holy Trinity Church of Cambridge, Massachusetts.
In 1982, Fr. Gizirian was ordained a Bishop in the Cathedral of Holy
Etchmiadzin by His Holiness Vasken I, the late Supreme Patriarch and
Catholicos of All Armenians. In March of that year he was elected by
the ACCC of Great Britain as Primate of the United Kingdom and at
their request, His Holiness Vasken I appointed him Primate and
Pontifical Legate of the Armenian Churches of the United Kingdom.
In 1993, he was elevated to the rank of Archbishop.
After 20 years of service in the United Kingdom, he retired from the
position of Primate, and returned to the United States, where he now
divides his time between visiting parishes, representing the Diocese
at official functions, and serving as the spiritual father of St.
Nersess Armenian Seminary in New Rochelle, N.Y.
The Armenian Community and Church Council of Great Britain will always
be grateful to Archbishop Gizirian for his support and cooperation,
and on behalf of the British Armenian community, the ACCC was pleased
to send a letter of congratulations and good wished to the Archbishop.
Archbishop Gizirian' response to congratulations from ACCC
By Ara Palamoudian/ACCC of GB