St. Nersess Armenian Seminary was established in 1961 under the auspices of the Dioceses of the Armenian Church in America (and recently of Canada). The General Assemblies of the Eastern and Western Dioceses, at their respective meetings on April 15 and 30 of that year, adopted resolutions giving approval to the formation of a seminary. In accordance with these resolutions, a number of clergymen were invited by Archbishop Sion Manoogian, then Primate of the Eastern Diocese, to a meeting held in Evanston, Illinois, on August 11-12. At this meeting, the organizational foundation of the Seminary was laid with the formation of a Board of Directors and the adoption of a set of By-Laws. A mansion was purchased in Evanston (1456 Ridge Avenue) on November 1, 1961, through the generous contribution made by Mrs. Satenig Ouzoonian, to accomodate the school. The Seminary was named after one of the most revered fathers of the Armenian Church: St. Nersess Shnorhali—the Graceful, a great hymnographer, theologian, ecumenist, and Catholicos (in office, 1166-1173).
The Board of Directors held its first annual meeting on June 22, 1962, and the Seminary, affiliated then with Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, opened its doors on September 10, 1962. Archbishop Tiran Nersoyan (1904-1989), who conceived the founding of the Seminary, became its first dean and thereafter honorary president for life.
In search for higher education in Orthodox theology and stronger ties with churches in the Eastern tradition, in 1967 the Seminary was moved to New York and became affiliated with St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary in Crestwood. Its students were enrolled in the Master of Divinity program at St. Vladimir’s, where they resided while maintaining their own liturgical life and substituting some of their courses with a special program of studies offered by St. Nersess and bearing on the priestly ministry within the Armenian Church. Upon completion of the joint program, St. Nersess students received the Master of Divinity degree from St. Vladimir’s and a Diploma in Armenian Church Studies from St. Nersess.
In 1978, the present campus in New Rochelle was purchased and the beautiful building was adapted for use as a seminary. The affiliation with St. Vladimir’s was formalized in 1982 (“only in the Master of Divinity program”) and a period of growth and development followed. The building underwent extensive renovation and expansion in 1995, with the addition of the Archbishop Tiran Nersoyan Memorial Library, and was dedicated by His Holiness Karekin I, Catholicos of All Armenians, on January 14, 1996 (His Holiness graced the Seminary with a second visit on May 5, 1998). Since then, the Seminary is experiencing unprecedented expansion of faculty, course offerings, academic programs, and scholarly publications. It continues to be a highly regarded place for theological education in the Armenian tradition—the only such place in the English-speaking world.
In its nearly forty-year history St. Nersess has given more than twenty priests from among its graduates for the service of the Armenian Church in the United States and Canada. The Seminary is at the heart of the life of the Armenian Church of America. Through its summer programs, thousands of Armenian youth have come to discern for themselves the riches of their heritage and faith and have made a lasting commitment to the Armenian Church.
TAKE A MOMENT TO PRAY for our college students. May God protect them from danger and guide them in the decisions they make. May he fill them with his love and inspire them as they learn and grow.
