Celebration of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary/ Archbishop Joan, prayer for Albania and the fire situation

2025-08-15 13:14:00, Aktualitet CNA

Archbishop Joan

In the picturesque village of Boboshtica, numerous Orthodox believers from the Korça area and beyond gathered on Friday to participate in the celebration of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, otherwise known as Summer Easter.

The Divine Liturgy, which began at 9:00 am, was led by His Beatitude, Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania, Monsignor Joan Pelushi.

The atmosphere in the churchyard was filled with devotion and humility, as believers participated in prayers and church songs, commemorating the life and virtues of the All-Holy One.

In his speech, the Archbishop emphasized that this is a joyful celebration, despite the fact that it commemorates the death, that is, the departure from life of a person.

Describing the life of Saint Mary, Archbishop Joan Pelushi described her as a humble and silent example, always ready to help anyone, without complaining or speaking against anyone.

"Today we commemorate the Dormition of the Most Holy and this is a very joyful holiday. We commemorate the Dormition of a person, that is, his death. The church has called this holiday 'Summer Easter'. We are very happy because God defeated death, opened the way for each of us to defeat death. God chose this woman because she had the highest virtues that a person can have. She was always silent, did not talk much, did not laugh loudly. She was always ready to help everyone, she never complained and did not speak against others. Her every movement was wonderful so that we were all amazed at the grace that came from this person. It is not enough to just hear the words of God, but to keep them in our hearts. The Most Holy not only did her duty as a mother, but she kept the words of God in her heart. If we do not hear the words of God and do not practice them in our daily lives, we will not have spiritual healing."

At the end of the message, the Archbishop invited the faithful to pray to God, not only for the relief of life's difficulties, but above all for the salvation of souls, also referring to the great dangers from the fires that are affecting the country.

"The Church asks the All-Holy One to help us in the great dangers that have come from the fire today. Every worthy prayer can be heard by God, so let us pray to the Lord, not only to relieve us from the difficulties of life, but to pray to God for the salvation of our souls. Amen!"

Boboshtica was transformed this Friday into an important center of pilgrimage and prayer, where faith and tradition came together in honor of the All Saints.

The celebration of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary remains a special moment of spiritual reflection for believers, reminding them that virtue, humility, and love for others are the surest path to God./ CNA