Diocese of Shirak
| Diocese of Shirak Շիրակի թեմ | |
|---|---|
 Cathedral of the Holy Mother of God | |
| Location | |
| Country | Armenia |
| Territory | Shirak Province |
| Statistics | |
| Population - Total |
(as of 2016 est.) 192,000 |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Armenian Apostolic Church |
| Rite | Armenian Rite |
| Established | 31 August 1920 |
| Cathedral | Holy Mother of God, Gyumri |
| Secular priests | 21 |
| Current leadership | |
| Patriarch | Karekin II |
| Primate | Bishop Mikael Ajapahyan |
| Website | |
| Official web | |
Diocese of Shirak (Armenian: Շիրակի թեմ Shiraki t'em), is one of the largest dioceses of the Armenian Apostolic Church covering the northern and middle parts of the Shirak Province of Armenia. It almost covers the entire province except the southern town of Artik and the surrounding villages.
The diocesan headquarters are located in the city of Gyumri. The seat of the bishop is the Cathedral of the Holy Mother of God.
History
The diocese was established on 31 August 1920 by Catholicos George V of Armenia,[1] after the separation from the Araratian Pontifical Diocese.[2] The prelacy building is located on Varpetats Street near the Vartanants Square. It was designed by Hovhannes Katchaznouni and built at the beginning of the 20th century.
On 2 December 2012, the souther town of Artik and the surrounding 23 villages were separated to form the newly-established Diocese of Artik.[3]
Gallery
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The prelacy building