ASBURY PARK, NJ – The Holy Metropolis of New Jersey held its 2016 Holy Cross Celebration on Sunday afternoon. The Divine Liturgy of the Feast of the Cross was held at the Paramount Theatre on the boardwalk in Asbury Park. The services were attended by the Greek Orthodox faithful from the metropolitan areas of Philadelphia and North Jersey.
After the services, the parishioners attended a wreath-laying ceremony at the statue of Patriarch Athenagoras outside the theater. A procession of the Orthodox faithful led by the priests and altar boys from participating churches to the beach followed. Families and guests gathered on the beach to witness the ceremony.
His Eminence Metropolitan Evangelos of New Jersey led a short prayer before carrying a white wooden cross to the Atlantic Ocean. Four groups of young parishioners waited for the signal to dive into the waters in hopes of recovering the white cross tossed into the ocean. The four groups of teenage boys and girls dove in for the opportunity to retrieve the cross. Each winner returned the cross to His Eminence who greeted them with a hug and a gold cross for their achievement. Photos were taken with all the participants and their family members. The celebration concluded with a barbecue on the lawn across the street from the Paramount Theatre.
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