PRESS RELEASE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of Australia & New Zealand
10 Macquarie Street
Chatswood NSW 2067
AUSTRALIA
Contact: Laura Artinian
Tel: (02) 9419-8056
Fax: (02) 9904-8446
Email: [email protected]
3 November 2008
ARRIVAL OF NEW PRIEST FOR THE PARISH OF MELBOURNE
Yesterday saw the arrival in Sydney of Very Reverend Father Giragos Davtyan
of the Brotherhood of Holy Etchmiadzin for a four day visit before heading
to the parish of Melbourne where he will serve the Armenian community for
the time being for two years. His service in Australia begins by the
Pontifical directive of His Holiness Karekin II Supreme Patriarch and
Catholicos of All Armenians following the request of the Diocesan Council
for a new priest for the Melbourne parish.
Father Giragos comes from Batumi, Georgia where he served at St Saviour
Armenian Church for more than two years having graduated from the Gevorkian
Theological Seminary of Holy Etchmiadzin in 2005 and ordained a celibate
priest in 2006.
With much anticipation the Church Council of St Mary’s Armenian Church in
Melbourne awaits the arrival of Father Giragos who will be priest in
residence with long-serving parish priest Reverend Father Hagop Cherkezian.
Father Hagop has been tending the needs of the Melbourne community for the
past 21 years.
At Sydney’s International Airport yesterday, the young priest was greeted by
Diocesan and Sydney Church Councillors. His first point of call was to the
Church of Holy Resurrection where he was welcomed by the church family and
met with Primate of the Diocese, His Eminence Archbishop Aghan Baliozian
following Badarak. After a casual lunch with the Primate and Church
Councillors and an afternoon of rest, in the evening Father Giragos met with
members of the Bible Study Youth Group.
Father Giragos will spend the next few days in Sydney to get accustomed to
local church practices and functions of the Diocese. He will have meetings
with both Diocesan and Church Councils to become personally acquainted with
the church bodies as well as attend Bible study and prayer groups to meet
the church community.
After receiving the blessing of the Primate, Father Giragos is expected to
arrive in Melbourne on Thursday.