On August 4, 2016, the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church celebrated the Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God. The Fourth Tabernacle Feast, the oldest feast dedicated to the Holy Mother of God was solemnly marked in the churches of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia.

From the morning, the Tbilisi Saint Etchmiadzin Church and the Cathedral of St. George and their courtyards were crowded. The altars of the churches were traditionally decorated with different types of grape and other fruits.

A morning service was conducted; the Andastan Service was performed wherein the four corners of the world were blessed.

After that the Divine Liturgy was celebrated. The celebrant in the Cathedral of Saint George was His Grace Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan, Primate of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia.

The ceremony was attended by many of the believers, representatives of the Armenian community of Georgia, diplomats from the RA Embassy in Georgia. The congregation, as a sign of their devotion, continued to file into the church holding baskets full of fruits in order to participate to the service of the Blessing of Grapes.

During the Divine Liturgy, Bishop Vazgen read a sermon on the sacrament of the day and congratulated the people present on the occasion of the feast.

The Primate of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia extended his blessings and appreciation to the godfathers of the Armenian churches in Tbilisi, Yuri Yeremyan and Karen Sargsyan, woodworker Samvel Poghosyan, the members of Church-loving Women’s Association, for their efforts to make the celebration truly special.

Rev. Fathers read the prayer written by Catholicos Nerses Shnorhali for the Blessing of the Grapes.

The Celebrants accompanied by the clergy offered the Blessing of the Grapes service.

The Divine Liturgies and the Blessing of the Grapes services were also conducted in the churches of Samtskhe-Javakheti, Batumi, Kvemo Kartli, and in other regions of Georgia.

In the Surb Khach (Holy Cross) Church in Akhalkalaki the Divine Liturgy and the Blessing of the Grapes service were offered by Very Rev. Fr. Babken Salbiyan, the Prelate of Samtskhe-Javakheti and Tsalka's General Prelacy of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia. The Divine Liturgy was attended by many faithful and the camp participants. The Divine Liturgy, the sermon and the Blessing of Grapes service offered by Very Rev. Father had been a great inspiration and comfort to the local residents. Following the Blessing of the Grapes service the camp participants performed a concert program.

During the day, the priests of the Samtskhe-Javakheti’s General Prelacy also conducted services and blessing ceremonies in different communities.

Many guests from Armenia attended the Divine Liturgy dedicated to the Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God in Batumi at the Surb Prkich Church (Saint Savior). After the Blessing of Grapes, Rev. Fr. Ararat Gumbalyan blessed the grapes and fruits and distributed it to the people.

On Monday morning the Divine Liturgies in remembrance of the dead will be conducted in the churches of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia.