A blessing ceremony was held at the Izmirlian Medical Center, operating under the auspices of the Mother See


Father Hovhannes Torgomyan performed a grape blessing ceremony for the staff, patients, and caregivers. He visits patients every day, performs a prayer service in the intensive care unit, and blesses patients before surgeries. After the ceremony, the grapes were distributed to those present so that the blessed fruit would enter each person’s home, bringing success and abundance to the families.

A liturgy was served at the Church of the Holy Mother of God on the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary


The sacred ceremony was accompanied by Bible readings, admonitions, sermons, and prayers. After receiving communion, the faithful participated in the Blessing of the Grapes. This ceremony blesses the harvest and goodness of the entire year.

On August 17, the Armenian Apostolic Church will celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of the Mother of God, the Blessing of the Grapes


The feast is dedicated to the memory of the end of the earthly life of the Holy Virgin Mary and her ascension to heaven. The liturgy of the feast is followed by the blessing of grapes, and believers share the blessed harvest with each other, reliving the joy of the feast.

 

The relic of the cross of Jesus Christ was moved to the St. Nshan Church in Berkarat and a liturgy was celebrated


The village of Berkarat in the Aragatsotn diocese celebrated the 14th anniversary of the consecration of the St. Nshan Church. The church was demolished during the Soviet years. St. Nshan was built in the native village by the Amirkhanyan family. The relic of the Lord's Cross remained in the church until noon.

The "Tsitsernak" camp of the Gugark Diocese hosted hundreds of schoolchildren during the summer


The camp's reputation is growing year by year, as a result of which more and more teenagers want to relax at the Tsitsernak camp. According to the organizers, "Tsitsernak" is a classic camp, seasoned with national and spiritual elements. This year, even Armenian schoolchildren from abroad have relaxed at the camp.

 

The city of Echmiadzin will have a well-maintained park


One of the pro-government media outlets published a video about the city park of Etchmiadzin, which belongs to the Mother See, claiming that the residents of Etchmiadzin are deprived of the opportunity to enjoy their leisure time in green areas. In reality, large-scale landscaping works have been carried out in the Mother See. Bishop Mushegh Babayan, Director of the Administrative and Economic Department of the Mother See, clarified the deadlines for the improvement works of the park and the reasons for the delay.

St. Sargis Church in Vanadzor has been reconsecrated


The Primate of the Gugark Diocese, Bishop Hovnan Hakobyan, has reconsecrated the St. Sargis Church in Vanadzor. It was renovated and furnished with the generosity of the church's cross-bearer, Vardan Sardaryan.

 

The people of Vardenis celebrated the 13th anniversary of the village's covenant and the re-consecration of the church


St. Hakob Church is located in the village of Vardenis in the Aparan region. The people of Vardenis celebrated the 13th anniversary of the village's covenant and the re-consecration of the church. In the 1930s, the village was resettled by Armenian immigrants, who built the St. Hakob Church on the site of the dilapidated church.

 

Participants of AGBU's "Discover Armenia" program visited the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin


The participants of the second phase of the AGBU “Discover Armenia” program visited the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. The 15-18 year old Diaspora Armenian youth traveled to different regions of Armenia, met with their peers from both local and international backgrounds. They discovered ancient monuments, cultural relics, got to know the nation’s rich spiritual heritage, and improved their Armenian language.

 

His Holiness the Patriarch hosted pilgrims from the Church of the Holy Archangels in the Boston area


The Catholicos of All Armenians conveyed his blessing to the pilgrims and expressed his appreciation to the Spiritual Pastor for his effective ministry. The Catholicos of All Armenians emphasized the importance of organizing such pilgrimages from Armenian dioceses around the world, especially in these difficult days for the homeland. His Holiness touched upon the challenges facing Armenia, expressing confidence that the Armenian people, thanks to their unity and strong faith, will be able to overcome the current difficulties and trials.

 

Archaeologists have begun excavations of the single-nave basilica church of St. Mariane in Vagharshapat


During the excavations, the foundations of the northern wall of the church were uncovered. According to experts, the initial assumption is that the cause of the destruction was wars and invasions. Six clay jars were found in the northeastern area of the monument. Two of the jars were damaged over time.

The premiere of Aram Shahbazyan's documentary film "The Capture of an Unnamed Height" took place


The film tells the story of the heroic deeds of the 25th Battalion of the Armenian National Army, which defended one of the heights of the Marjanlu area of Jrakan during the 44-day war in Artsakh. The strategically important Unnamed Height was defended by soldiers under the command of Major Edgar Matevosyan, also known as Matos. Some of the soldiers remained on the Height forever, while others were wounded and survived. The authors are planning to present the film at international festivals.