TEHRAN. – A deaconess has been ordained for the first time in the last 100 years by the Armenian Church of Iran.

Ani Kristi Manvelian has been serving at the Church for about 15 years, and she was ordained a deaconess in the fall of 2017, the Armenian Diocese of Tehran informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

“The Church law permits a virgin girl to be ordained a deaconess,” said the diocese representative. “In the history of Iran, however, this is the first case in the last 100 years that we have a deaconess.”