On July 19, 2025, there was a joyful event in the Armenian Catholic Church of Sourb Astvatsatsin of Azatan. Two seminarians, Vardan Haykyan and Simavon Mkrtchyan, who are both from the same parish of Azatan, received the order of Subdeacon by H.E. Kevork Archbishop Noradounguian. Concelebrating priests were Fr. Nerses Galstyan, the Dean of the communities of Armenia and Fr. Mikael Dombouryan, the Parish Priest of Azatan. Also present was Fr. Javier Aleksander, Vice Superior of the Episcopal Seminary of Arezzo, Italy, invited by H.E. Noradounguian. Also present were the administrative governor of Azatam and the Director of the School of Azatan. The joy was immense, because it was the first visit of His Excellency Archbishop to Azatan.

The order of Subdeacon is one of the minor orders of priesthood, followed by the order of Deacon, then the Priesthood ordination, which the goal of all the seminarians, who goes without digressions along the path of the divine priestly vocation, with the decision to serve the Lord as a priest. After carrying out the ancient and touching ceremony of the bestowing of the order of Subdeacon in the golden language of Armenian Grabar, the Archbishop imparted an eloquent homily to those present:

“With a great joy and excitement I am with you all at this moment to share your joy, which brings honor to us. You are a small community, but not bereft of the divine blessings, according to the Lord’s word: “Do not be afraid, my little flock, your Father has willed to give you the Kingdom”. I am also glad, that this community is young, which means, that there is hope and future here, also a loyalty towards the faith inherited from St. Gregory the Illuminator. I am the least lucky of you, because in contrary to me, you have known these young people from childhood with all their sides-achievements and childish misdeeds, have witnessed their first steps. And now, if the divine vocation has found a response in them, it is only and absolutely through the grace of this community. You have been the sowers of the divine vocation in their hearts. And now you have started to collect the first fruits, and soon they will receive the other higher orders as well, the Deaconate and the Priesthood, and if God wills, also you can have a Bishop from here. I am one of the collectors of the harvest too, with an immense joy”.

Br. Vardan Haykyan graduated from the Episcopal Seminary of Arezzo and the Theological University of Florence this year and now prepares to continue the education in Rome for the degree of licentiate specializing in the Canon Law of Eastern Churches.

Br. Simavon Mkrtchyan studies at the first grade of the Theology of Gregorian Papal University of Rome, having had completed the course of Philosophy at the same University. At the same time, Simavon studies and lives at the Levonian Armenian College of Rome.

Fr. Hosvep Galstyan

Secretariat of the Ordinariate