Board of Directors Meet
Members of the St. Nersess Board of Directors met the morning of November 13 in the St. Nersess Library for their semi-annual board meeting. The meeting was presided over by Bishop Daniel Findikyan, Primate of the Eastern Diocese and President of the Board of Directors.
The board reviewed the seminary finances and the 12 Vocations banquet fundraiser which took place that evening. Fundraising & Marketing Director, Donna Sirounian, presented the test site of the seminary’s new website which will be unveiled soon. The seminary is grateful to website donors Mr. David and Dr. Myrna Onanian for funding the website overhaul.
In his report, Fr. Mardiros Chevian, dean, discussed the addition of new faculty/staff member Anna Ghazaryan who has been working as a teaching and research assistant since October under the direction of Prof. Roberta Ervine; the student body which will increase in January with the addition of a new full-time student; the seminary’s continued response to Coronavirus Pandemic; Continuing Education courses for clergy and lay leaders, including a seminar on “Sudden Bereavement: Pastoral Care in Times of Suicide and Violent Death” this month and more to come next semester; the successful return to in-person summer conferences for Deacons’ Training Program and High School Conference; and the Winter Conference that will be offered in January to college students and young adults.
Fr. Mardiros also talked about continued cordial and constructive relationship with Holy Etchmiadzin, primarily through the Gevorgian Seminary. As a new venture, the seminary will explore and initiate a faculty exchange between St. Nersess Seminary and the Gevorkian Seminary of Holy Etchmiadzin. The seminary will also undertake the work of editing and publishing the proceedings of the three Nersesses conference, as well as a 60th Anniversary volume of Abp. Tiran Nersoyan’s writings.
In two weeks, after the close of the fall semester, Fr. Mardiros will be traveling to the Western Diocese to lead a mini-retreat for deacons and altar servers, join an ACYO project, attend an event offered by the primate, Abp. Hovnan Derderian, attend church services at the cathedral, and meet with another candidate who plans to apply to St. Nersess next year. The board will gather again in the Spring.
