The Armenian Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia has informed of the passing of His Grace Bishop Meghrig Parikian, at the age of 52. The funeral ceremony took place at the Sourp Krikor Loussavorich church in Antélias (Beirut, Lebanon). Before practicing in Antélias, he was at the head of the Armenian Church of Cilicia in Canada. In August 2020, the decision of the Catholicos Aram I of the Great House of Cilicia, Meghrig Parikian was appointed head of the “Tbrevank” in Antelias.
His Grace, Bishop Meghrig Parikian was born with the given name Garabed in Beirut, Lebanon on January 3, 1968. He received his primary education at the “Aksor Kasardjian” and “Mihran Karageozian” elementary schools and in 1982 he entered the Zarehian Seminary of the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia. He was ordained a Deacon by His Eminence Archbishop Datev Sarkissian on May 6, 1985 and after completing his education at the seminary, he was ordained as a celibate priest by His Grace Bishop Zareh Aznavourian on May 28, 1988. Between 1988-1995 he served the Seminary as a monitor and choir master, while directing the Catholicosate’s “Shenorhali” choir. In July 1994, he was given the title of Very Reverend ” Vartabed, by His Eminence Archbishop Ardag Manougian, after presenting his thesis on the Letters of His Holiness, Catholicos Nerses of all Armenians. The following year, in 1995, Father Parikian was appointed Sacristan at the Catholicosate. His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Catholicosate, bestowed Parikian with the right to wear a pectoral cross in January 1996. Throughout the next couple of years, he attended the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, where he followed the “Overcome Violence” educational program. As a Deacon, Parikian had begun studying the piano under the direction of Setrag Setragian, and continued his piano studies during his service in Lebanon. In 1997, he moved to New York to attend Mannes College, The New School for Music and was instructed by Peter Bellino until his departure in 1999. Upon his return to Lebanon, he took on the duty of director of the Birds Nest Armenian Orphanage in Jbeil until 2002. In May of that year, he is given the title of Right Reverend by His Grace Bishop Zareh Aznavourian and on the same day, His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Catholicosate, bestows upon him the right to wear the official purple cassock of the Armenian Catholicosate. Later that year, he is appointed as the parish priest for the St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church in Toronto and served the local Armenian community for 12 years. In 2010, under the Auspices of His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Hagopian, the former Prelate of the Armenian Prelacy of Canada, then Very Reverend Parikian was named as the Rector of the province of Ontario. His Eminence, Archbishop Khajag Hagopian, appointed Very Reverend Parikian as Vicar General on December 17, 2013. On April 27, 2014, His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Holy See of Cilicia ordained Father Parikian as a Bishop of the Armenian Apostolic Church. His Grace was then elected as Prelate of Canada by the Canadian Armenian National Assembly Representatives on May 10, 2014. During his years of service, Bishop Parikian also authored: 11 religious tomes 2 musical volumes 10 editorial collections 15 musical DVDs and CDs Hundreds of articles, musical pieces and compositions 5 symphonies and 1 Oratorio Cantata.
Photo by Jacques Varbedian
