The Feast of St. Helena was celebrated on Sunday evening, September 3, 2023, at the St. Helena Church, built in 1904 in İzmir Karşıyaka district, with the participation of Izmir Latin Catholic Archbishop Monsignor Martin Kmetec.
While Monsignor Kmetec led the Mass, the Vatican’s Ambassador to Scandinavia, Monsignor Julio Murat, and priests from different churches of Izmir accompanied the Mass.
After reading the Words from the Book of Proverbs and St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians, Father Dariusz read from the Gospel of Jesus Christ written by St. John.
The holy cross, the instrument of salvation, is at the center of St. Helena’s life. The Cross of Christ is at the center of today’s celebrations. Many may ask: why do you Christians celebrate an instrument of torture, a sign of pain, defeat and failure? It is true that the cross expresses all these meanings. Yet because of the person who was crucified for our salvation, it also represents the ultimate victory of God’s love over all the evil of the world. For us too: the holy cross is the center of life, because the holy cross is the instrument of our salvation. Do we believe in this like St. Helena? Do we believe that the holy cross is a symbol of life and hope for us? St. Helena made a long journey of faith, lasting thousands of kilometers, in search of the Holy Cross. Are we ready for this journey? He said.
Mesut, who works at St. John’s Cathedral, added joy to the holiday by singing hymns and Yasemin Perşembe playing the organ. After the service, refreshments were served to all participants in the garden of the church.
(SAT-7 TÜRK/İZMİR-Nathalie Ritzmann)
