History of Armenia, by Father Michael Chamich; from B. C. 2247 to ...

182 HISTORY OF ARMENIA.
with the pontifical dignity. It is related, that
on his first admission into the church as a priest,
in Cesarea, the grace of the Holy Ghost appeared
resting over him like a dove. Immediately
after he had assumed the government of the
Armenian church he introduced into it various
regulations, which he had seen in use at Constantinople,
and renewed the ancient and valuable
ceremonies, which, in the preceding pontificates,
had been permitted to fall into disuse, inlaying,
as the old records have it,
the new observances
A. D. 365. into the old, like precious stones. Many irrep-ularities
having also crept into the forms of public
worship, he convened a large meeting in the city
of Ashtishat, where every thing objectionable
was
condemned and expunged, and the whole
established on a new and sound footing.*
He
erected convents to the number of 2,000, and appointed,
as superintendents over them, Shalita,
a good and just man, the disciple of St.
Daniel,
with Epiphan, Ephraim and Gind Silcuney, all of
them worthy servants of our Lord and Redeemer.
He also built asylums for widows and orphans,
inns for the accommodation of strangers,
with
numerous hospitals and almshouses, for the
support of which the cities and villages were
charged.
governors,
Over these establishments be placed
and the whole were put under the
• See Hist. B. II, c. 44.