On Wednesday August 8, 2018, on the Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God, and by the ordinance of H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate, Archpriest Fr. Vazken Atmajian, Archpriest Fr. Gomidas Torossian, Rev. Fr. Ardak Demirjian, and Rev. Fr. Movses Shannakian conducted the blessing of grapes ceremony in the hospital Chapel.
Glendale Adventist President Mrs. Alice Issai delivered her welcoming remarks thanking the pastors for visiting and conducting the service year after year. She expressed her happiness, that as the newly appointed president of the hospital, this is the first time she is attending this service. She also mentioned that the prayers of the clergy encourage the patients, the devoted physicians, administration and staff in their service and mission. Following the welcoming remarks, an invocation was delivered by chaplain Alice Zulli.-“loving and compassionate God, we are here to lift our prayers and to celebrate St. Mary, who gave birth to Jesus Christ, the first fruit. And in remembrance, we bless the fruits of the earth.”
Archpriest Vazken Atmajian thanked the participants for their service and welcomed Rev. Fr. Movses Shannakian to deliver his remarks.
Rev. Fr. Movses Shannakian once again welcomed everyone and conveyed the blessings of H.E. Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate. Fr. Movses Shannakian said; “As we have gathered here this morning to lift our prayers up to our Lord Jesus Christ, let this be a time of re-examination of our lives and our vocations as clergy and as physicians and children of God. We must keep in mind God’s commandment of love in all our works. He emphasized on three aspects of love; we must all make love a priority, we must understand the importance of love and we must demonstrate the virtue of love,” stressed Fr. Movses Shannakian.
The blessing of the grapes was conducted by the clergy. The service concluded with the benediction by Chaplain Elias Molina.
Following the service, the pastors visited patient rooms to offer prayers and blessed grapes.