“LIVING MIRROR OF CHRIST”: FR. STEPHAN BALJIAN DISCUSSES MINISTRY WITH STUDENTS OF THE HOLY SEE SEMINARY

On Monday, March 23, Rev. Fr. Stephan Baljian, pastor of St. Gregory Church in North Andover, Massachusetts, gave an online presentation to the students of the Armenian Theological Seminary of the Holy See of Cilicia on “Seminary Life and Pastoral Ministry,” drawing from his ministerial and pastoral experience.

Upon a suggestion of the Office of the Dean and at the directive of His Eminence Archbishop Anoushavan, Prelate, Fr. Stephan discussed the religious vocation, stressing that it must be the living mirror of Christ and that the priest must make the rite understandable to the people. He exhorted the students to turn the sermon into a dialogue, in which clergy, in their endless quest to learn humbly, convey the light of Christ to the faithful. “In communal life, priority must be given to the individual, and the pastor, far from political discourse, must provide spiritual nourishment to the faithful,” he said. “As the vigilant servant of God, he is called upon to lead the people around him with prayer and conviction, becoming a living example through his behavior.” The true churchman, he asserted, is someone in whom the people see and feel the presence of Christ.

At the end of the presentation, Very Rev. Fr. Barouyr Shernezian, the Seminary’s Dean, thanked Archbishop Anoushavan for making this necessary and valuable presentation possible, as well as Fr. Stephan for devoting his time to this worthwhile talk.