page_title: Diocese of Aragatsotn
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Diocese of Aragatsotn / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Prelacy bld. Diocese of Aragatsotn
context_page_description: Diocese of Aragatsotn, is a diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church covering the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia. The name is derived from the historic Aragatsotn canton of Ayrarat province of Kingdom of Armenia.
  The diocese was officially founded on May 30, 1996, by Catholicos Karekin I. The diocesan headquarters are located in the provincial capital Ashtarak, while the cathedral of the diocese is the Saint Mesrop Mashtots Church in the nearby village of Oshakan. Bishop Mkrtich Broshyan is currently the primate of the diocese, serving since 2009.
context_section_description: Historically, the territory of modern-day Aragatsotn has been regulated by the Araratian Pontifical Diocese and the Diocese of Shirak. The towns of Ashtarak and Aparan along with their villages were under the jurisdiction of the Araratian diocese, while the town of Talin and the surrounding areas were under the jurisdiction of Shirak diocese.
  After the independence from the Soviet Union, Armenia has been divided into provinces based on the territorial administration reform of 1995. During the following year, the Diocese of Aragatsotn was officially founded upon a kontakion issued by Catholicos Karekin I on May 30, 1996. The Saint Mesrop Mashtots Church in Oshakan has served as the seat of the diocese since the formation of the diocese.
  Currently, the Aragatsotn diocese has 29 churches and 9 chapels under its jurisdiction.
caption: The prelacy building located near the Church of Saint Marianeh in Ashtarak
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