“REQUIRED READING”: BOOK ON THE NICENE CREED BY ARCHDEACON SHANT KAZANJIAN PRESENTED AT CATHEDRAL

On Sunday, February 8, St. Illuminator’s hosted a presentation of the Prelacy’s newly published booklet entitled “The Council of Nicaea and The Creed of Nicaea in the Armenian Church,” by its author, Archdeacon Shant Kazanjian, the Prelacy’s Director of Christian Education. The publication of the booklet marks the capstone of the Prelacy’s year of commemorations of the 1700^th Anniversary of the Council of Nicaea.

The booklet was sponsored by St. Illuminator’s Cathedral, which had previously sponsored the original publication (2013) and the reprint (2025) of Archbishop Zareh Aznavorian’s magisterial Commentary on the Nicene Creed, translated by Archdeacon Shant.

In his introduction to Sunday’s program, Archpriest Fr. Mesrob Lakissian, Pastor, expressed his deep appreciation for Archdeacon Shant Kazanjian’s work. He said that the Cathedral’s support of the booklet keeps faith with Catholicos Aram I’s declaration of 2026 as the Year of Spiritual Renewal, emphasizing that St. Illuminator’s is already transforming His Holiness’ 12 recommendations for spiritual renewal into concrete action.

Subdeacon Armen Morian, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, described the booklet as “required reading for all who wish to learn and live a more informed Armenian Christian faith.” In only 30 pages, Archdeacon Shant presents not only the history of the Council of Nicaea and an analysis of the Nicene Creed and how the Armenian Church adapted it, but enriches it with so much additional content and context that the booklet becomes an essential education in Christianity.

Archdeacon Shant thanked His Eminence Archbishop Anoushavan, Prelate and the Prelacy’s Religious Council for commissioning the booklet and presented his synopsis of its content. He concluded: “After reading this booklet, you will never recite the Nicene Creed the same way.”

Archbishop Anoushavan then rose to thank Archdeacon Shant for writing the booklet and St. Illuminator’s Cathedral for its unwavering support of the Prelacy’s programs and projects, such as this, and for organizing Sunday’s presentation on short notice. Archbishop Anoushavan also thanked Subdeacon Armen Morian for helping edit the booklet and encouraged Archdeacon Shant to write additional booklet titles in what he hopes will become a series on Christian education.