The Assumption is the day that God assumed the Virgin Mary into Heaven following her death. It is the oldest and principal feast day of all those dedicated to St. Mary. Sunday, August 17, more than 150 faithful came to St. John Church to celebrate The feast day of the Assumption of St. Mary.

On the day of the Feast of the Assumption,  the blessing of grapes takes place immediately after the Divine Liturgy. Fr. Mesrop Ash along with the altar servers and the choir conducted the service of the Blessing of the Grapes. Upon the conclusion of the service, the blessed grapes were distributed to the faithful .

The custom of blessing grapes, the first fruits of the harvest, can be traced back to Old Testament times, when farming was a common vocation. Of the vast variety of produce, grapes had a special place of honor and were considered the "first fruits" because they were the first produce of harvest. 

We thank all the families and individuals that donated the grapes.