Bishop Bagrat Galstanyan (baptismal name Vazgen) was born in 1971 in Gyumri, Armenia, where he received his primary education.

From 1988 to 1994 he studied at the Gevorkian Theological Seminary of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. He was ordained to the diaconate that same year by Bishop Anania Arabajyan in 1994. He successfully defended his graduate thesis "The Commendatory and Theology of Khosrov of Andzrez on Daily Prayers in our Church" and received a mark of "excellent". He was ordained as a celibate priest on July 23, 1995, by the Catholicos of All Armenians, His Holiness Karekin I.

In 1996 he assumed the editorship of the monthly journal publication of the Mother See, "Etchmiadzin". He continued his work with the Christian Education Center which was charged with the task of preparing religious teachers in the various regions of Armenia. Father Bagrat provided training to teachers at the American University of Armenia in Yerevan, and in the region of Armavir in the cities of Vagharashapat, Masis, Artashat and Aparan. He was a founding member of "Gantegh" for religious television programming.

From 1996 to 1998 he studied at the Holy Resurrection Theological College and the University of Leeds, England, specializing in theological and pastoral study and received a bachelor's degree. In addition to his studies, he also served the Armenian community of Manchester at the Holy Trinity Armenian Church as a visiting Pastor.

In 2000, he was assigned by the Catholicos of All Armenians, His Holiness Karekin II, to serve as Dean of the Vaskenian Theological Academy in Lake Sevan.

In 2002, upon the successful defense of his theses "The Problem of Sacrament of the ‘Anointing the Sick’ in the Armenian Church", he received the rank of Archimandrite (Vardapet).

In 2002 he was assigned to serve as president of the Executive Committee overseeing the Information Services Department of the Mother See. The duties included advising on spiritual programming on "Shoghagat" television. Father Bagrat also served as a moderator on the series, "To Know the Gospel."

In 2002, His Holiness Karekin II appointed Father Bagrat as the Locum Tenens of the Diocese of Arakatsotn in Armenia.

On May 2003, the annual Diocesan Assembly of the Armenian Church Diocese of Canada elected Very Reverend Father Bagrat Galstanian to serve as the third Primate of the diocese.

On 22 June 2003, the Feast of Holy Etchmiadzin, he was consecrated as a Bishop by His Holiness Karekin II, in the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin.

In 2008, for the second time he was re-elected as the Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Canada.

On September 21 in 2012, he defended his doctoral thesis in theology and biology Ethics in Montreal's Concordia University, entitled “Armenia's healthcare system: historical, social and theological rim, development prospects of the past, present and the future”.

In 2013, By Pontifical Order of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians; Father Bagrat was appointed to serve as the Director of the Conceptual Affairs Office of the Mother See.

He has published numerous theological, publicistic, sermons and cultural articles, the work “The issue mystery of the consecration of the diseased in the Armenian Church”, "Thoughts" spiritual meditation booklet.

In 2013, he was awarded the Diamond Jubilee medal of Queen Elizabeth II.

[September 2016]

Source: The Armenian Church