Manugh was born in 1676 in Sebaste, Armenia to a prosperous merchant family. From a young age, he felt called to monastic life but his parents refused permission. He eventually joined the nearby Surp Nshan Monastery at age 15, taking the name Mekhitar. After joining, Mekhitar was dismayed by the low state of monastic life in Armenia following centuries of destruction. He sought to further his theological studies in Rome but faced many health and rejection setbacks along the journey. He eventually returned home and was ordained a priest in 1696.

2. HE WAS BORN MANUGH IN SEBASTE (NOW SIVAS) IN LESSER ARMENIA ON 17 FEBRUARY 1676, THE SON OF A PROSPEROUS
MERCHANT PETER AND HIS WIFE SHAHRISTAN. HIS PARENTS GAVE HIM A GOOD EDUCATION TO PREPARE HIM TO ASSUME
THE FAMILY BUSINESS. INSTEAD, FROM AN EARLY AGE, HE WANTED TO BECOME A MONK. REFUSED PERMISSION FOR THIS,
HE FOUND A YOUNG COMPANION TO FLEE TO THE MOUNTAINS WHERE THEY MIGHT LIVE AS HERMITS. QUICKLY FOUND BY
HIS PARENTS HE WAS RETURNED HOME. AS A RESULT OF THIS, THE BISHOP WHO THE ABBOT OF THE NEARBY MONASTERY
OF SURP NSHAN (HOLY CROSS) CONFERRED MINOR ORDERS ON THE BOY SO THAT HE MIGHT ASSIST AT THE LITURGICAL
SERVICES OF THE MONASTERY.

3. STILL REFUSED PERMISSION TO ENTER THE MONASTERY BY HIS PARENTS, HE BEGAN TO FREQUENT A NEIGHBORING FAMILY WHICH
CONSISTED OF A MOTHER AND HER TWO DAUGHTERS WHO LIVED A MONASTIC FORM OF LIFE IN THEIR HOME, WHICH THEY SHARED
WITH AN ELDERLY PRIEST, WHO THEN TAUGHT HIM ABOUT THE DIVINE OFFICE.
AT THE AGE OF FIFTEEN, MANUGH FINALLY RECEIVED THE PERMISSION HE HAD LONG SOUGHT FROM HIS FAMILY AND HE ENTERED THE
NEARBY MONASTERY, WHERE HE WAS QUICKLY ORDAINED A DEACON. IT WAS AT THIS POINT THAT HE CHANGED HIS NAME TO THE
ONE HE IS NOW KNOWN BY, MEKHITAR (THE CONSOLER).
AFTER HIS ADMITTANCE TO MONASTIC LIFE, MEKHITAR BEGAN TO SEE THAT THE STATE OF MONASTIC LIFE WAS EXTREMELY LOW
AFTER THE DEVASTATING DESTRUCTION OF THE ARMENIAN MONASTERIES IN PREVIOUS CENTURIES.

4. • HE BEGAN TO SEEK OUT A SOURCE OF TRUE LEARNING OF THE SPIRITUAL LIFE, BEING TAKEN TO VARIOUS
MONASTERIES BY SEVERAL TRAVELING RELIGIOUS SCHOLARS WHO PROMISED TO TEACH HIM WHAT HE
SOUGHT IF HE WOULD SERVE THEM. DURING THIS PERIOD, HE CAME INTO CONTACT WITH MEMBERS OF
THE ROMAN CATHOLIC RELIGIOUS ORDERS WHO WERE ACTIVE IN ARMENIA. LEARNING ABOUT
CATHOLICISM, HE CAME TO FEEL THAT ROME WOULD BE THE BEST PLACE TO DO THE THEOLOGICAL
STUDIES HE HAD LONG SOUGHT. FINALLY, UPON REACHING ALEPPO, HE PLACED HIMSELF UNDER THE
SPIRITUAL DIRECTION OF A JESUIT PRIEST, WHO GAVE HIM A LETTER OF INTRODUCTION TO THE
CONGREGATION OF THE PROPAGANDA. HE DETERMINED TO SET OUT FOR THERE, BUT RECEIVED MANY
SETBACKS OF BOTH HEALTH AND THE REJECTION OF THOSE ARMENIAN MONKS AND BISHOPS ALONG THE
WAY WHO REJECTED WESTERN DOCTRINES. FINALLY HE WAS FORCED TO RETURN TO HIS HOME TOWN,
WALKING BAREFOOT, THOUGH HE WAS SUFFERING FROM JAUNDICE. SLOWLY REGAINING HIS HEALTH
THERE, IN 1696 HE WAS ORDAINED A PRIEST BY THE ABBOT OF HOLY CROSS MONASTERY.