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is Beatitude Archbishop Torkom Manoogian was born on February 16, 1919, in a refugee
camp near the desert town of Baquba, north of Baghdad, Iraq. After completing his
elementary education at the Holy Translators Armenian School in Baghdad, he entered
the theological seminary of the Armenian Patriarchate of St. James in Jerusalem as the
youngest student of his class.
On
August
2,
1936,
he
was
ordained
into
the
holy
diaconate
by
his
spiritual
father
and
favorite
teacher,
the
late
Patriarch,
Archbishop
Torkom
Koushagian.
At
his
ordination
as
a
priest
on
July
23, 1939, he was given the name Torkom.
From
1939-1946
he
served
in
various
capacities
in
the
Armenian
Patriarchate:
on
the
Board
of
the
Patriarchate's
official
gazette,
Sion,
and
also
as
sub-dean
at
the
seminary.
In
July
1946
he
traveled
to
the
United
States
and
took
up
the
pastorate
of
the
Holy
Trinity
Armenian
Church
in
North
Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania.
This
pastorate
was
interrupted
in
1951
when
he
was
named
as
Vicar
General
of
the
Eastern
Diocese
of
America,
headquartered
in
New
York,
by
the
Primate
of
the
Diocese.
After
resuming
his
pastorate
in
North
Philadelphia
for
one
year
in
1954,
Father
Torkom
returned
to
Jerusalem
where
as
Dean
of
the
Seminary
he
assumed
responsibility
for
the
religious
education
of
young
seminarians
preparing
for
the
priesthood.
He
also
headed
the
Chancellery
of
the
Patriarchate.
Returning
to
the
United
States
in
1960,
he
entered
the
Episcopal
Theological
School
in
Cambridge,
Massachusetts,
to
follow
a
course
of
graduate
study.
This
study
was
interrupted
when
in
1962
he
was
elected
as
Primate
of
the
Western
Diocese
of
the
Armenian
Church
located
in
Los
Angeles.
On
October
14
of
that
same
year
he
was
consecrated
a
bishop
at
the
Holy
See
of
Ejmiatsin,
Armenia,
by
His
Holiness
Vazken
I,
the
late
Supreme
Patriarch
and
Catholicos
of
All
Armenians.
After
four
years
as
Primate
of
the
Western
Diocese,
in
April
1966,
Bishop
Torkom
was
elected
Primate
of
the
Eastern
Diocese
of
the
Armenian
Church
of
America.
Two
years
later,
on
the
occasion
of
the
consecration
of
St.
Vartan
Cathedral,
the
first
Armenian
cathedral
in
America
in
whose
construction
he
played
a
pivotal
role,
the
late
Holiness
Vazken I conferred upon Bishop Torkom the title of Archbishop.
Having
served
six
consecutive
terms
as
Primate
of
the
Eastern
Diocese--24
years--Archbishop
Torkom
was elected 96th Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem on March, 22. 1990.
When
the
late
Catholicos
Vazken
I
entered
into
eternal
rest
on
August
19,
1994,
His
Beatitude
was
chosen
to
take
responsibility
for
the
Holy
See
of
Ejmiatsin
as
the
Catholical
Locum
Tenens,
a
capacity
in
which
he
served
until
the
election
of
Karekin
I,
the
new
Supreme
Patriarch
and
Catholicos
of
All
Armenians
in April 1995.
His
Beatitude
holds
several
academic
honors,
including
an
honorary
doctorate
granted
to
him
by
the
General
Theological
Seminary
in
New
York.
In
1986
he
was
the
recipient
of
two
prestigious
American
medals:
the
Statue
of
Liberty
Medal,
and
the
Ellis
Island
Medal
of
Honor.
January
18,
1990
marked
the
50th
anniversary
of
his
ordination,
an
event
celebrated
nationwide
in
the
United
States.
He
was
also
chosen
"Man of the Year" by the "Religion in American Life." organization.
His
Beatitude
has
played
a
vital
role
in
the
promotion
of
international
ecumenical
relations.
He
has
served
on
the
Board
of
the
National
Council
of
Churches
of
Christ
in
the
United
States,
and
was
Chairman
of
the
Board
of
"Religion
in
American
Life
".
He
has
also
been
a
member
of
the
Board
of
Directors
of
the
"Appeal of Conscience Foundation ".
In
the
aftermath
of
the
devastating
earthquake
which
struck
Armenia
in
December
1988,
he
was
instrumental
in
coordinating
international
efforts
aimed
at
mobilizing
and
marshaling
financial
and
material
support
for
the
rehabilitation
process,
in
which
he
is
still
active.
A
musician,
choral
conductor,
composer,
poet
and
writer,
Archbishop
Torkom
has
a
wide
range
of
personal
interests
and
pursuits.
He
has
published
some
20
books
and
monographs
including
three
books
of
poetry
under
the
pen
name
"Shen
Mah",
original
research
on
the
Armenian
liturgy,
books
on
the
Armenian
genocide,
and
a
detailed
guide
book
of
the
holy
places
of
Jerusalem.
He
has
recently
rendered
into
Armenian
the
154
sonnets
of
William
Shakespeare.
He
is
considered
a
foremost
expert
and
lecturer
on
the
Armenian
composer,
Komitas,
and
is currently working on a book of Armenian liturgical music by the great musicologist.