Gevorkian Seminary
| Gevorgian Seminary | |
|---|---|
Gevorgian Seminary main building
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 Shown within Armenia
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| Basic information | |
| Location | Vagharshapat, Armenia |
| Geographic coordinates | 40°09′43″N 44°17′37″E / 40.161905°N 44.293664°ECoordinates: 40°09′43″N 44°17′37″E / 40.161905°N 44.293664°E |
| Affiliation | Armenian Apostolic Church |
| Completed | 1874 |
The Gevorgian Seminary (Armenian: Գևորգյան Ճեմարան Gevorgyan Č̣emaran, pronounced [gɛvɔɾkʰˈjɑn t͡ʃɛmɑˈɾɑn]) is a theological school-college of the Armenian Apostolic Church founded by Catholicos Gevorg IV in 1874. It is located in the city of Vagharshapat (Etchmiadzin) within the complex of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Armenia.
During the tenure of Catholicos Gevorg IV (1866–1884), he called for the creation of a theological school at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin to meet the educational needs of the clergy. In the summer of 1872 he called upon Archimandrites Gevork Surenian, Vahan Bastanian, Vahram Mankuni and Aristakes Sedrakian to facilitate the re-establishment of the historic school. It was decided to open a new seminary.
On 18 May 1869, the cornerstone of the Gevorgian Seminary was laid on the north grounds of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. The foundation stone was installed by Catholicos Gevorg IV. During the celebration ceremony writer Gazaros Aghayan was present. “On May 25 we witnessed the happy occasions, one of which was the second year anniversary of the Catholicos’ consecration and the other – the founding of the seminary” (Ararat, Vagharshapat, 1869 Issue). The seminary was under construction from 1869–1874. During this same time the Armenian Church was under negotiations with the Tsarist government regarding the opening of the school. On 28 September 1874, the seminary building was ready, and its completion celebrated. A few days later, on 5 October 1874, Gulkovich, the Officer of the Caucasus Commission, informed Archimandrite Bastanian that the tsar had approved the seminary charter and it was allowed to open. The seminary began its mission after overcoming many difficulties.
The seminary had its first graduates during the 1885–86 academic year. To improve the teaching of ecclesiastical subjects Catholicos Markar I (1885–1891) invited Bishop Malachai Ormanian to teach at the seminary. His guidance helped to strengthen the role of these subjects; moreover, in one year Bishop Ormanian recruited students to the seminary who were eager and ready to study the ancient Armenian Church. The famous contemporaries of this generation were Catholicos Gevork V (1911–1930), Archimandrite Komitas, Karekin I of the Great House of Cilicia and Bishop Karapet Mkrtchian.
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