New Prelate for Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Church

(Malankara-NEAD) - Metropolitan Zachariah Mar Nicholovos, conveyed the prayers, love and best wishes of the Northeast American Diocese to the new Bishop of the Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church, His Grace Anoushavan Tanielian.

Bishop Anoushavan was elected to serve as the new prelate of the Eastern Prelacy on Saturday, September 8th at a special session of the Prelacy’s National Representative Assembly that convened at St. Illuminator’s Armenian Apostolic Cathedral in New York City. The new prelate to succeeds Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan who is retiring after 20 years of distinguished service as Prelate. On September 11, 2018, His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Holy See of the Great House of Cilicia ratified the election of Bishop Anoushavan as the new Prelate.

In his congratulatory letter to the new Prelate, our Metropolitan shared the meeting of our Catholicoi in February 2010 and in July 2015, and wrote:

"In July 2015 upon the invitation of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, His Holiness Catholicos Paulose II of the Malankara Church, participated in the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide at the Holy See of Cilicia. It is here, the Catholicoi and Patriarchs of the Oriental Orthodox Churches together blessed Holy Myron, and also inaugurated the Genocide Chapel and monuments related to the tragedy of the Armenian Genocide. Furthermore, the heads of the Oriental Orthodox Churches renewed their commitment in strengthening our sacred communion."

Bishop Anoushavan was born in Beirut, Lebanon in 1951. He graduated from the Armenian Theological Seminary in Antelias, Lebanon, in 1971, and was ordained as a priest in 1972. He continued his higher education and received degrees from the Near East School of Theology (MDiv 1983), Princeton Theological Seminary (ThM 1985) and Columbia University (MPhil 1992, and later PhD in 2003). He was consecrated a Bishop on June 4th, 2006, by His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia. He was the founding director of the St. Gregory of Datev Summer Institute and continues to serve as an instructor.

The prayers, and best wishes of the clergy and faithful of the Northeast American Diocese were conveyed to His Grace Anoushavan Tanielian.