When Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), invited Fr. Mardiros Chevian to return to St. Nersess Armenian Seminary as its new Dean, he accepted the invitation after much consideration.

“Although I have enjoyed immensely being the Dean of St. Vartan Cathedral for the past 19 years, I am excited to return to St. Nersess and direct the expanded mission of the seminary at its new campus in Armonk, NY”, stated Fr. Mardiros recently.

Second Term as Seminary Dean: This is not the first time he has answered the call to serve at St. Nersess. In 1978, after returning from his studies in Holy Etchmiadzin, he went to St. George Armenian Church in Waukegan, IL, as the Deacon-in-Charge where he was very happy to start his ministry. But not soon after, in 1981, he received a call from Archbishop Torkom Manoogian, of blessed memory, to be the Director of Recruitment and Programs at the newly purchased St. Nersess Armenian Seminary in New Rochelle, NY. Fr. Mardiros later became the Rector of the Seminary where he served until 1991.

New Expanded Mission: The “pull to meet a new challenge”, according to Fr. Chevian, appears to have a continuous theme in his life. As the new Dean, he plans to direct the expanded mission of St. Nersess when it moves to its new campus location in 2014. “The expanded mission of St. Nersess will serve Armenian priests, both in America and abroad”, stated Fr. Chevian. Some of the new initiatives and programs of the seminary will include the following:

  • Continuing education of current priests, through planned educational and training workshops
  • Offering support & training for Armenian priests from abroad who need assistance with acclimation and acculturation and are destined to serve in the North American dioceses
  • Transforming St. Nersess into a center for theological research for exchange faculty and students from the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem
  • Strengthening the Armenian education of our American born seminarians through longer study in our seminaries in Armenia and Jerusalem

Introducing an undergraduate program that would combine local college study and courses, worship, and residence at St. Nersess Seminary, continuing and expanding the 50 year tradition of summer youth programs, retreats, and altar server programs.