His Eminence Archbishop Anoushavan, Prelate, celebrated the first Divine Liturgy and delivered the sermon at Soorp Asdvadzadzin Church in Whitinsville, Massachusetts, on occasion of the Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God on Sunday, August 18. This special thanksgiving service was his first since undergoing surgery earlier this year.
The Prelate then joined the community for their annual picnic, with more than 800 people attending the event. Archbishop Anoushavan presided over the Blessing of the Grapes, assisted by Archpriest Fr. Aram Stepanian, Pastor Emeritus of St. Stephen’s Church, of New Britain, Connecticut; Rev. Fr. Stephan Baljian, Pastor of St. Gregory Church of Merrimack Valley, Massachusetts; Rev. Fr. Tadeos Barseghyan, Pastor of the Armenian Church of Our Savior of Worcester, Massachusetts; Rev. Fr. Kapriel Nazarian, Pastor of Sts. Vartanantz Church, Providence, Rhode Island; and Rev. Fr. Mikael Der Kosrofian, pastor of the host church.
Archbishop Anoushavan thanked God for His blessings upon Soorp Asdvadzadzin Church and its parish, his fellow clergymen and the people for attending and supporting the Whitinsville community. Anoushavan Srpazan offered the public a brief explanation of the blessing of the four corners of the world and the grapes.