Theophany in New York 2020

Details: Created on Friday, 24 January 2020 01:11

On Sunday, January 6/19, 2020, the Orthodox Church celebrated the Feast of Holy Theophany, and once again, the blessing of the harbor of New York City took place at Battery Park, conducted by clergy of our Cathedral and accompanied by many faithful Orthodox Christians.

With the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Demetrius of America, following the Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of Saint Markella in Astoria, New York, His Grace Bishop Christodoulos led the clergy and faithful to the harbor where he conducted a service to bless the waters of the great city. His Grace completed the blessing by casting a Cross into the icy waters. This symbolizes the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan at the hands of St. John the Baptist. Ten men dove into the harbor to retrieve the Cross, and Jacob Roettger reached the Cross first and returned it to Bishop Christodoulos.

This ancient and holy Christian ritual, dating from the time of the emperors in Constantinople, was witnessed by the people of New York through the cooperation of the local authorities, and assisted by FDNY harbor launches, and NYPD scuba divers.

The clergy, faithful, public servants, and onlookers present shared this blessing and were spiritually edified. The procession was led by the incomparable Monaghan Bag-Pipe Band, as it has been every year for the past seventeen years.

Photos and videos are available courtesy of the Cathedral: https://www.facebook.com/groups/73824775727?view=permalink&id=10156452226010728

Orthodox Awareness

A Miracle of Saint Spyridon

This miracle of Saint Spyridon took place in Mandra, Greece in 1926.

It was 12/25 December, 1926. The state Church of Greece adopted the Papal calendar and with the help of the Greek government persecuted all those who did not accept the Papal calendar. The faithful Orthodox Christians of Mandra woke up and headed to their Church to celebrate the Feast of Saint Spyridon. When they reached the Church they saw that the door to the Church had been secured with chains and the faithful could not enter. Before leaving the Church to return to their homes they stuck their candles on the door. As soon as the last person placed his candles on the door

the chains broke and fell. The faithful, confirmed in their Faith, entered the Church and celebrated the Feast of Saint Spyridon.

The miracle was reported the next day by the newspaper Skrip.

Missions

Saint Matthew the Evangelist, Jonesboro, Arkansas

Jonesboro is a town located near the Eastern border of Arkansas, with a population of approximately 60,000. From a human standpoint, it’s not the most likely candidate for a traditional Orthodox mission, but for an Orthodox Christian who orders his priorities around Christ and His Church, it makes perfect sense. Read more...

Menu