THE FEAST OF THE VENERATION OF THE HOLY CROSS AT THE JERUSALEM PATRIARCHATE

March-April 2014

On Sunday the 10th/23rd of March 2014, the feast of the Veneration of the Holy Cross was celebrated by the Patriarchate.

Vespers

From Saturday evening, at 2:00 pm, the 9th Hour was read out at the monastic church of Sts Constantine and Helen, followed by official progression to the Church of the Resurrection.

Veneration at the Holy Sepulcher was followed by entry into the katholikon, where the head of the feast, His Beatitude Theophilos, Patriarch of Jerusalem, rose to the throne, while their Holinesses the Members of the Synod venerated at the Golgotha and deacons performed the censing along the Holy Shrines. Upon conclusion of these, His Beatitude began reading the service of the Introductory Hymn whereas the Anoixantaria Hymns were chanted by cantors, the Head Cantor of the Church of the Resurrection, and the choir of the Holy Archbishopric of Athens School of Byzantine Music, under Archimandrite f. Irinaios.

The service of Vespers carried on with the breaking of the bread, in the presence of Hagiotaphite Fathers, monks, nuns and pilgrims.

On the day of the feast

On the morning of the Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross, at 7:00 am, began the official progression to the Church of the Resurrection.

The Divine Liturgy started at the Holy Sepulcher, led by His Beatitude. Co-officiating were the Most Reverend Isychios, Metropolitan of Kapitolias; their Eminences, Archbishops Aristarchos of Constantina, Methodios of Tabor, Theodosios of Sebaste, Demetrios of Lydda; and Hagiotaphite Archimandrites and Hieromonks. The Head Cantor of the Church of the Resurrection, and the choir of the Holy Archbishopric of Athens School of Byzantine Music under Archimandrite f. Irinaios, chanted in the Byzantine style while a crowd of faithful, both locals and pilgrims, participated in piety.

After the Holy Communion and the conclusion of the service, began the procession of the Holy Cross, thrice around the Holy Sepulcher and along the Holy Shrines.

This concluded the feast in the Church, before the official progression to the Patriarchates. There, His Beatitude addressed all present in Greek.

From the Secretariat-General