On April 14 and 15, 2018, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I elevated four members of the Holy See of Cilicia Brotherhood to the rank of Bishop during special ceremonies held at St. Gregory the Illuminator Mother Cathedral in Antelias. Four clergyman received the rank of Bishop; Very Rev. Fr. Masis Zobouyan (Prelate of Kuwait and Neighboring Countries), Very Rev. Fr. Sipan Ketchejian (Prelate of Isfahan, Iran), Very Rev. Fr. Mesrob Sarkissian (Catholicosal Vicar of UAE and Qatar), and Very Rev. Fr. Torkom Donoyan (Vicar General of the Western U.S.). H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate, and members of the Executive Council and community participated in the ceremony.
The ordination ceremony began on Saturday evening at St. Gregory the Illuminator Mother Cathedral, where His Holiness Catholicos Aram I presided over the ritual of the examination of the faith of the priests. Following the reading of the recommendations of the Prelacies requesting their ordination and prayers, His Holiness led them to the ceremony of the confession of the true Orthodox faith. The priests confessed their faith, signed papers and vowed to remain loyal to the Catholicosate of Cilicia, to His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, and to the Church and its faithful.
On the second day of the ordination and the consecration ceremony, His Holiness conducted Divine Liturgy, assisted by the Prelate and H.E. Archbishop Nareg Alemezian. According to the Armenian Orthodox Church’s tradition, His Holiness consecrated the forehead and right hand of each bishop with Holy Muron. During the ceremony, each bishop was also granted an episcopal staff, ring, and pectoral panagia, symbols of their newly received rank.
At the end of the ceremony, His Holiness delivered his Pontifical message. Addressing the newly ordained and consecrated bishops, His Holiness described the vocation of the episcopate as service, obedience, humility, and accountability to the people.
At the end of the two-day ordination and consecration ceremony, the new Bishops and the pilgrims who had accompanied them were received by His Holiness for a final blessing.
