PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:
PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon
80th ANNIVERSARY OF DIES ACADEMICUS IN ANTELIAS
On Sunday 11 October 2009, the brotherhood celebrated the 80th anniversary
of the Seminary in Antelias. Celebrations began with the Holy Liturgy at St.
Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral and continued in the Main Hall of the
Catholicosate.
Bishop Shahé Panossian, the Dean of the seminary celebrated the liturgy. He
based his sermon on the saying of Jesus to the Pharisees "I am the light of
the World" (John 8:12) and told the students that the vocation of the
seminary was to prepare persons who would live out the message of Jesus
Christ.
After liturgy the students, faculty and the community walked in procession
to the Main Hall of the Catholicosate where the seminarians read from the
writings of St. Gregory of Nareg and the choir sang hymns of the day. At the
end, His Holiness declared 2009-2010 scholastic year open and said: "The
Seminary is not just any educational institution. Those who attend the
seminary acquire the vocation of service to the church and the people of God
based on spiritual values of Christian faith and cultural values of the
Armenian people. He then spoke of the role of the seminary in the Armenian
Church and concluded by saying: "As a sign of my commitment to clergy
education in our church, I teach theology to the graduating class of the
seminary to impart my knowledge and ecumenical experience."
Dies Academicus ended with the anthems of the Catholicosate of Cilicia and
the Seminary.
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The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the Theological
Seminary of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of the
Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.