Within the framework of “The Church and the Law” series of interviews Iravaban.net visited the only women’s convent operating in Armenia, which is located in Ghazaravan village of Aragatsotn Marz.
9 women have separated here and are praying for the sins of the world and the salvation of everyone’s souls.
“They have a gentle soul, they are kind people. Separated from the world, in silence, in peace, they pray for the salvation of their souls, and for all of us, our nation, our homeland, our Holy Church,” Father Garegin, priest Arsenyan said.
Mother Elizabeth spent her life in several churches, but she says the noise, the presence of people did not allow her and the nuns to live in perfect peace.
After all, with the blessing of the Patriarch of All Armenians, Garegin the Second, the only women’s convent in Armenia wasg built, where women have been living since 2018.
Human destinies are different; each has her own story. However, the women living here are united by one direction: the path to perfection, towards God. One left her sick grandmother, the other her children and grandchildren. They left a whole life behind them and came to pray.
Mother Elizabeth has come to Armenia from Abkhazia. She has been living the life of a hermit for more than 20 years.
– Why and how did you decide to come to the monastery?
– It was very difficult, because honestly, I have not decided either. At first, I came to faith in an interesting way. I was a very strong Komsomol member and when the earthquake happened, I heard a sound. I am from Abkhazia by birth, we had exiled nuns. We were young at that time, we didn’t understand it, we were making fun of it and there was a grandmother who said: вот придёт мишка меченый и конец советской власти (The bear with a mark will come and the end of Soviet power will come). When Garbachov came during the earthquake, I saw that mole on him and heard the voice of that grandmother. Something unusual happened to me. I understood that God really exists and I was converted. After that, I visited the church, but I did not have in mind to be a nun. Later, Karegin the 2nd called me. When I was told that His Holiness is calling, I was very scared because I couldn’t even imagine why. I ran to Father Kuregh, he was my confessor, and I told him: His Holiness is calling, I am afraid. He hit me on the head and said: go and hit your head against the walls of Haghpat, but do not come back, you have no salvation outside, so I listened to my confessor and left. I have been here since 11 May, 2000 until today.
– How important was it for you to have this separate corner?
– So much so that there will finally be a peaceful corner, so that we can think about the salvation of our souls and we can truly pray for our nation, not in the midst of those noises that we spent in churches. It is peaceful here; you can see for yourself, if you even do not say anything, you know that God is by your side.
– What is the mission of nuns?
– The priority is obedience. This was the dream of His Holiness, it is really important to say that we say that our bishops and all celibates are monks, but they are engaged in more administrative work, and our priority is prayer.
– How are female accepted here and who can be accepted?
– See, when they apply to me, after discussing some issues with them, I send them to the Bishop. After the conversation with the bishop, a trial period is decided, then according to that, it can be seen whether she really has chose a monastery or came without imagining. If a person has a parent who has no other guardian, she must fulfill her duty, if she has a minor child, she must fulfill her duty, or if she is married, she has no right to leave and come to the monastery.
– Why, if it is a person’s choice?
– That choice should be made jointly; in that case they should come to an agreement with the husband.
Sister Shushanik has been in the women’s convent since 10 January, 2018.
Shushanik, a philologist by profession, began visiting church more often after graduating from the university. Later, she realized that her way was to the monastery and came to Ghazaravan. She says that the most difficult thing was to overcome the longing. Initially, she was often allowed to visit her relatives.
“Monasticism is a service to God, the purpose of which is to cleanse the heart and soul of passions. The whole life of a monk or a nun is a life of repent, by which you try to be like God,” sister Shushanik says.
She introduced the council of three covenants.
“When a nun lives in a monastery for a certain period of time, she is firmly convinced and the leaders see that she can be a nun, to be faithful to the nun’s title, a special vow is made and the nun takes vows voluntarily. They are the vows of obedience, chastity and virginity, sanity. The basis of living in a monastery is obedience. A nun should not own property and we refuse married life. Of course, a person who has lived a married life can become a nun, but after the pilgrimage, she should not get married again,” the nun said.
The moment of taking a vow can be considered final from the point of view of choice. Refusal will be considered a penance, a violation of covenants with God, which is one of the greatest sins. That is why it takes a lot of time for the pilgrims to be convinced that the nun is steadfast, and only after that the vow is fulfilled.
Sister Shushanik says that their day begins with the sound of the bell. They participate in the service. Courses are organized with the clergy; they also conduct courses with the children of the village.
Sister Anahit has just joined the other nuns. She has left the worldly life for about 6 months and is living the life of a hermit.
“I worked as an accountant, but the connection with the church existed for many years. I had to go to church every Sunday, I felt myself as a child of the church. I had the desire to come to the since the age of 18. The decision has already matured, it can be said that it was God’s call. The difficulty is that I left my family and children and came from another city. When I came for a week, I felt completely at home, I felt that it was mine. The difficulty was to overcome the longing, but I was prepared somehow. I discussed with my children, thank God, my children understood me very well and that helped me to come peacefully,” sister Anahit says.
Details in the video.
Hasmik Sargsyan
