The new Metropolitan of Thessaloniki decided that the throwing of the Holy Cross will take place at the 1st pier of the port
In First pier of its port Thessaloniki will be held this year, at 11:05 a.m. next Saturday (January 6), the ceremony sanctification of the waters and the throwing of the Holy Cross, according to an announcement by the Holy Metropolis of Thessaloniki.
Until today, the throwing of the Cross took place on Nikis Avenue, at the height of Hagia Sophia, however the new metropolitan of Thessaloniki Loving god decided to change the spot after a photo of it 1971 given to him by Father Konstantinos from the Holy Church of Agios Minas.
The photograph depicts the celebration of the Epiphany of that year being held at Pier 1 of the port, by the then Archbishop Gennadios, in the presence of Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos, priests and a large crowd.
It was estimated that the change of location to the new point would provide easier access and seamless view to the thousands of believers who wish to see the throwing of the Cross and the daring ones who will dive into the waters of Thermaikos.
“We gave the black and white photograph of 1917 to Metropolitan Filotheo of Thessaloniki during the Christmas season. In the Holy Monastery of Agios Minas, we have photographs up to 1950 of the specific part of the port where the water consecration ceremony used to take place. At that time the pier was wooden and people gathered at the port to see the throwing of the Cross”, father Konstantinos Angelopoulos tells APE-MBE.
For the first time after so many years, the ceremony will take place at the pier of the port and for us, as Agios Minas, it is very important”, adds Father Konstantinos.
The program
The central celebration of the Epiphany will take place in the metropolitan Holy Church of Agios Gregorios of Palamas and at 10:45 in the morning the holy litany for the ceremony of sanctifying the waters will begin.
The holy services will be presided over by the metropolitan of Thessaloniki Filotheos, while the holy litany, apart from the parish of the metropolitan church of Agios Grigorios of Palamas, will also be joined by I.N. of God Sophia and the old metropolitan I.N. of Agios Minas, within whose limits is the port of Thessaloniki.
Source: Skai
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