Fr. Shnork teaching young members of the community

Rev. Fr. Shnork Bagdassarian, Pastor of St. Sarkis Church

Fr Shnork Kahana Bagdassarian was ordained a priest on 16th October 1993 at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. His first assignment at the Holy See was the Editorial Assistant of the Holy Etchmiadzin Journal. In 1985, Fr Shnork was sent to London to continue his theological studies and to serve at the St Sarkis Armenian Church under the spiritual direction of His Eminence Archbishop Yeghishe Gizirian. After his graduation from Heythrop College, University of London, he returned to Armenia and continued his service in the Homeland as a lecturer and member of the newly formed Christian Teaching Centre. He also set up and managed the Holy Etchmiadzin Media Office under the direction of His Holiness Vasken I. In 1993, the Trustees of St Sarkis Armenian Church, with the Blessing of Archbishop Yeghishe Gizirian, appointed Fr Shnork as Pastor of St Sarkis Church. In parallel with his pastoral responsibilities, he continued his postgraduate studies at Heythrop College, graduating with a Diploma in Pastoral Theology (1994) and an MA in Pastoral Liturgy (1996). Fr Shnork has served in various charitable and voluntary organisations and committees, both Armenian and Ecumenical, including Aid Armenia, CRAG, Education Committee, 1700th Anniversary Committee, Hayastan Fund, KCC (Kensington Council of Churches), COOC-GB (Council Of Oriental Orthodox Churches of GB) and AECA (Anglican Eastern Churches Association).

Rev Fr Nshan Alaverdyan, St. Yeghiche church

Nshan Alaverdyan (the name of the basin Gevorg) was born in 1981, on January 17, in the village of Varser in the Sevan region. In 1987-1998 he studied with R. R. Petrosyan Secondary School and at the Gevorgyan Theological Seminary in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin in 1998-2007. He served in the National Army in 2004-2006. On December 25 2003, Bishop Sion Adamyan ordained him a deacon. Since 2007, he has served with the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and was the Deacon of the secretary of the Echmiadzin Foreign Language Department. In February-April 2011 he served in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin Communication Department. In 2011-2014 he served as a visiting deacon in the spiritual pastor of the penitentiary institutions. On September 21 2014, Bishop Haykazun Najarian ordained him a priest. He was appointed as a spiritual shepherd of a newly-reconstructed Nor Nork 1st Chuch of Araratian Patriarchal Diocese, in parallelly continuing his prison visits. On February 20, 2018, Fr Nshan was called to serve in the Armenian Diocese of Great Britain and Ireland. On April 12 He was appointed pastor of St. Yeghiche Church by His Grace Bishop Hovakim Manukyan. He’s married, has two children.

You can watch a talk with Fr Nshan here.