On occasion of the Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God, His Eminence Archbishop Anoushavan, Prelate, celebrated the Divine Liturgy at St. Stephen’s Church in Watertown, Massachusetts, on Sunday, August 13. In his sermon, the Prelate extolled the exemplary character of the Holy Virgin, saying, “In the life of the Mother of God we see a wonderful message for the faithful of all times: the providence of God; the devoted faith in God by her parents, Joachim and Anna, by which the barren Anna gave birth to the Mary, the Mother of God; and the conscious and unreserved dedication of Mary, when Archangel Gabriel gave her the good news of the birth of the Savior by the intercession of the Holy Spirit.”
These four elements, the Prelate said, “are the foundations of a healthy society.” God’s providence is the pillar and source of Creation, he said, “without which it is not possible to explain the order and composition of the universe. Parents’ faith paves the way for the natural course of creation. The Temple, where the spiritual strength of the Holy Virgin was nourished, represents the spiritual, intellectual, and social structures of our times, which together with parents form a healthy generation. The dedication of the Mother of God is the healthy, conscious, and happy response of each individual, as a result of their education that formed their identity and individuality.” 
Archbishop Anoushavan stressed the sad reality in which the family, parental authority, and institutions that help forge character are exposed to attacks by different groups. If we look at the issue realistically, these factors have been present throughout history in different forms. “The Christian Armenians, living with faith in God and attached to their millennial values, is not disheartened by any of this,” the Prelate said. “On the contrary, they strengthen their dedication to God, family, nation, and humankind.”
The Divine Liturgy was followed by the Blessing of the Grapes and a reception in the parish hall.