The Diocese of Gougark is located in Northern Armenia

Armenia

Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...

 and encompasses the regions of Lori and Tavush. In ancient times the region of Lori was referred to as Gougark. The Diocesan Headquarters is located in Vanadzor

Vanadzor

-Industry:Vanadzor is dominated by large chemical plants which include: "Prometey-Khimprom", "Vanadzor Chemical Plant", "Vanadzor Khimprom" and "Vanadzor Chemical Fiber Plant". Another big enterprise is the "Vanadzor Thermal Power Plant....

. The Diocese includes 29 working churches with 14 full-time priests.

Primate of the Diocese of Gougark

Bishop Sebouh Chouldjian

Bishop Sebouh Chouldjian

Bishop Sebouh Chouldjian is the Primate of the Diocese of Gougark of the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church.-Biography:...

 has been the Primate of the Diocese of Gougark since June 3, 1996.

History

During the times of Soviet rule, the region of Lori was included within the Shirak Diocese. The St. Mary (Holy Mother of God) Church of Vanadzor

Vanadzor

-Industry:Vanadzor is dominated by large chemical plants which include: "Prometey-Khimprom", "Vanadzor Chemical Plant", "Vanadzor Khimprom" and "Vanadzor Chemical Fiber Plant". Another big enterprise is the "Vanadzor Thermal Power Plant....

 and St. Sarkis Church of Stepanavan were both operating at that time. At the end of the 20th century with the independence of the Republic of Armenia, the Catholicos of All Armenians, His Holiness Vazgen I

Vazgen I

His Holiness Vazgen I was the Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church between 1955 and 1994, in one of the longest reigns of the Armenian Catholicoi. A native of Romania, he began his career as a philosopher, before becoming a Doctor of Theology and a member of the local Armenian clergy...

 of Blessed Memory, started reorganizing the regions and the Dioceses of the Armenian Church to enable them to operate more effectively. This time-consuming work was continued by the Catholicos of All Armenians, His Holiness Karekin I

Karekin I

Karekin I , served as the Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church between 1995 and 1999...

 of Blessed Memory.

On April 15, 1990, the historical Haghpat Monastery

Haghpat Monastery

Haghpat Monastery, also known as Haghpatavank , is a medieval Armenian monastery complex in Haghpat, Armenia....

 was reopened and Rev. Fr. Yeznik Petrossian was appointed as the Parish priest.

In 1991, the Diocese of Gougark was officially established by the Pontifical Encyclical of His Holiness, Vazken I. It included today's region of Tavush and the town Alaverdi. His Eminence Archbishop Arsen Berberian was appointed the Primate; the headquarters was located in the town of Dilijan

Dilijan

Dilijan is a spa town in Armenia, located in the northern Armenian province of Tavush. It is one of the most important resorts of Armenia, situated in Dilijan National Park. The forested and reclusive city is home to numerous Armenian artists, composers, and filmmakers and features some...

.

The Diocese was reorganized again on May 30, 1996, to its present administrative boundaries by Karekin I

Karekin I

Karekin I , served as the Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church between 1995 and 1999...

. It now includes the whole regions of Lori and Tavush (containing the major towns of Vanadzor

Vanadzor

-Industry:Vanadzor is dominated by large chemical plants which include: "Prometey-Khimprom", "Vanadzor Chemical Plant", "Vanadzor Khimprom" and "Vanadzor Chemical Fiber Plant". Another big enterprise is the "Vanadzor Thermal Power Plant....

, Spitak

Spitak

Spitak is a city in northern Armenia located in the Lori region with a population of 18,237. It was mostly destroyed by the devastating Spitak Earthquake in 1988, and was subsequently rebuilt in a slightly different location. Spitak means '"White" in Armenian....

, Stepanavan

Stepanavan

Stepanavan is the second largest city in Lori Province of Armenia. The town is located 139 km north of the capital Yerevan and 24 km north of the provincial centre Vanadzor, in the centre of Yerevan-Tbilisi highway....

, Tashir

Tashir

Tashir is a town located in Lori province . Population -7856.0 Territory- 79.5 sq. km. It is a city in the district of Tashir, administrative centre of previous district of Kalinino. Distance from regional centre is 42 km...

, Alaverdi

Alaverdi

Alaverdi formerly Manes, is a city situated in the northeast of the Armenian province of Lori, not far from the border with Georgia. This mining and industrial city with approximately 16,500 inhabitants -down from 26,300 of the 1989- situated at the bottom of the Debed river gorge, is one of the...

, Tumanyan

Tumanyan, Armenia

Tumanyan is a city in the Lori Province of Armenia. The city was renamed in honor of writer Hovhannes Tumanyan.- References :* – World-Gazetteer.com...

, Ijevan

Ijevan

Ijevan now is a city in Armenia and the capital of Tavush region. It is located in the northern part of the region, on the foot of Ijevan ridge and Nal'teket ridge on both banks of Aghstev River. The city's current name, Ijevan, and its former name Karavansara both mean "inn" , in Armenian and...

, Berd

Berd

Berd is a city in Armenia in the province of Tavush, and considered the regional center for the Shamshadin area. It is located to the left of the Tavush rivers, 211 km from Yerevan, and is surrounded by low mountains....

, Dilijan

Dilijan

Dilijan is a spa town in Armenia, located in the northern Armenian province of Tavush. It is one of the most important resorts of Armenia, situated in Dilijan National Park. The forested and reclusive city is home to numerous Armenian artists, composers, and filmmakers and features some...

, and Noyemberyan

Noyemberyan

Noyemberyan is a city in northeast of Armenia in the Tavush province. It is located on the river Koghb, 187 km from Yerevan and in 22 km from railway station Ayrum, on the Yerevan-Tbilisi route...

). The Diocesan Headquarters has since been located in Vanadzor

Vanadzor

-Industry:Vanadzor is dominated by large chemical plants which include: "Prometey-Khimprom", "Vanadzor Chemical Plant", "Vanadzor Khimprom" and "Vanadzor Chemical Fiber Plant". Another big enterprise is the "Vanadzor Thermal Power Plant....

 with its St. Mary (Holy Mother of God) Church.

Present day

At the time, Bishop Sebouh Chouldjian

Bishop Sebouh Chouldjian

Bishop Sebouh Chouldjian is the Primate of the Diocese of Gougark of the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church.-Biography:...

 (who was then an Archamandrite) from Malatya

Malatya

Malatya ) is a city in southeastern Turkey and the capital of its eponymous province.-Overview:The city site has been occupied for thousands of years. The Assyrians called the city Meliddu. Following Roman expansion into the east, the city was renamed in Latin as Melitene...

, Western Armenia

Western Armenia

Western Armenia is a term, primarily used by Armenians, to refer to Armenian-inhabited areas of the Armenian Highland that were part of the Ottoman Empire and now are part of the Republic of Turkey....

, was appointed to serve as the Primate of the Diocese of Gougark by the Pontifical Encyclical of the Catholicos. Due to his continuing efforts and dedicated work, various difficulties could have been overcome in the Diocese. Church life has developed with steady steps.

As a result of the consistent preaching of the clergy, various forgotten feasts and traditions have gradually been reawakened and established in people. In all, the working churches of the Diocese acolyte classes have been created. They work and continuously offer liturgies and other services. With the help and support of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, organizations and individual benefactors from Armenia and the Diaspora, various preaching, church-building, reconstruction and social service programs have been completed.

External links

• Gougark Diocese) | publisher=Azg Armenian Daily | date = 2009-03-25 | url = http://www.azg.am/AM/2009032521 | accessdate = 2009-03-25 | language = Armenian}}