The Feast of the “HAÇVERATS” (Exaltation of the Cross), the last of the 5 great feasts of the Armenian Apostolic Church, was celebrated with enthusiasm.
Celebrated in the Christian world, the Feast of the Cross was celebrated in the Apostolic Churches of the Armenians of Turkey with holy offering rites on Sunday, September 12. The Patriarch of the Armenians of Turkey, Sahak II, presided over the Surp Badarak (Sacred Offering) at the Üsküdar Surp Haç Church.
At the same time, on the Feast of Haçverats, which is the traditional name and annual celebration day of this Church, the Holy Liturgy was presented by the Deputy Patriarch, Senior Father Krikor Damadyan. Deacons Arşavir Büyükişman and Vahram Lulejian, senior readers and readers served the sacrament.
Kadıköy Surp Takavor Church Choir and the combined choir sang the hymns together under the direction of Sevan Şencan.
Father Şirvan Mürzyan, Father Bedros Buldukyan, Franciscan Priest Father Andre Marie from Saint Anthony’s Church, administrators of the Church foundation and a large number of believers from different parts of the city were present at the ceremony.
Before the Communion was distributed, the Patriarch Sahak II preached in Armenian and Turkish. In his sermons, he briefly explained the historical formation of the Feast of Haçveratz and explained the meaning and importance of the Holy Cross for Christians.
After the sermon, the Lord’s prayer was read. Afterwards, the “Hağortutyun” Sacred Bread – Communion was distributed. At the end of the ritual, the Hokehankisd prayers were recited for all those who sleep in the Lord. Then, as a procession, we went to the churchyard, where the ceremony ended with the last blessing of the Armenians of Turkey, Patriarch Sahak II, and the Lord’s prayer.
After the ceremony, cocktails and meals were served to all believers in the church garden due to the Church’s “love table” day. The believers who attended were also happy because of this love table that could be held outdoors after a long time. After the meal prayer of His Beatitude the Patriarch, all the attendees fulfilled their longing by chatting with each other in the garden.
The -Haçverats Feast ritual was also broadcast live on the Patriarchate’s Facebook page.
“HAÇVERATS” (Exaltation of the Cross) Feast of the Cross
The cross that Jesus Christ crucified in 327 B.C. is located in Jerusalem. Constantine, the Byzantine emperor of the period, and his mother, St. Helena, had a large church built on the Golgotha hill, where Jesus Christ was crucified. This Cross is placed inside this “Resurrection Church”, which was one of the largest temples in the world at the time it was built. With the attack of the Persian empire in 614, Jerusalem was plundered and the Cross in the temple was taken captive to Iran. This event shocks the Christian world.
The Byzantine Emperor Heraklos, who had been preparing for war for 14 years, sent his great army, which he prepared with the participation of Armenian soldiers in 628, to Iran, and the Persians, who lost all the wars, ended the war by returning the Cross they stole. Until the freed Cross is brought to Istanbul, it is greeted enthusiastically by the people in all the settlements it passed through in Anatolia, and welcomed by being decorated with Basil by the people. The Cross, which came to Istanbul, was then taken to Jerusalem and put back in the temple. In the following years, that cross is broken up and distributed to the churches of the world so that it is not in danger again. From this cross, a large part of which is in the Armenian Apostolic Church of Jerusalem, small parts of the Cross are sent to the churches that built later.
The Armenian Apostolic Church also adds this historical event to its church calendar and celebrates it as one of the 5 great feasts.
