Fr. Nshan Archbishop Garakeheyan, (baptismal name: Elijah) was born in Piraeus, Greece, in 1932.

He received his elementary and secondary education in Armenian Catholic and AGBU united college, in St. Jacob’s national college, in Armenian Catholic GO United Cross college, and in Frair Marist Gymnasium.

In 1948, he went to the Seminary of Bzommar monastery, and in 1955 entered Levonian College in Rome and attended Philosophy and Theology classes at Jesuit Fathers’ Pontifical  Gregorian University for 6 years.

He was ordained a priest in 2 July, 1960.

He was:

the Superior of the Seminary of Bzommar from 1961 to 1963,

Bourj Hammoud’s  parish priest from 1963 to 1968,

Cairo’s parish priest from 1968 to 1969,

Beirut’s parish priest in 1969,

Director of  Tikvan Bzommar Seminary from 1969 to 1976,

Superior General and Provider of Supplies for Bzommar Monastery from 1976 to 1977,

priest of Zalka from 1977 to 1978,

parish priest and Episcopal Vicar of San Paolo from 1978 to 1984,

parish priest of Marseille from 1984 to 1991,

leader of Armenian Catholic diocese in Greece in 1991,

Vicar of the Bishop of Armenian Catholics in Armenia, Georgia, Russia and Eastern Europe- from 1993 to 2001,

Administrator of Armenian Catholic diocese in Iran from 2001 to 2005.

In 2005, St. John Paul II, appointed Fr. Nshan as the Bishop of Armenian Catholics in Armenia, Georgia, Russia and Eastern Europe, replacing Fr. Nerses Archbishop Ter-Nersisyan.

Fr Nshan served on that position till 2010.

In 2011, he was appointed as the Bishop Armenian Catholics of Greece and Iran.

Since 2015, Nshan Archbishop Garakeheyan has retired.