Join us in celebrating one of the five major feasts of the Armenian Church—the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
Morning Service begins at 9:30 A.M., followed by the Solemn Badarak at 10:00 A.M. at St. Mary Armenian Church, Livingston, NJ.
Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is the final of the five major feast days of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Among the feasts dedicated to the Holy Cross, this is the most significant, as it commemorates the return of the Holy Cross from captivity and its elevation and glorification.
In the Armenian Church calendar, the Feast is celebrated on a Sunday falling between September 11–17. This year, it will be observed on September 17. The Monday following the Feast is designated as a Memorial Day, a time to remember the departed.
The historical roots of the Feast trace back to the 7th century. In 610 A.D., Persian King Khosrov launched a military campaign against the Byzantine Empire. Victorious in their early conquests, the Persian forces entered Jerusalem in 614 A.D., causing mass devastation. Many people were killed or taken captive, including Patriarch Zakaria, the head of the Jerusalem Church. The Persians looted the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, seizing the Holy Cross, which had been discovered and installed there in the early 4th century by Queen Helena (Heghineh), the mother of Emperor Constantine (Costandianos), for Christian veneration.
In 628 A.D., the Byzantine army, led by Emperor Heraclius, waged a campaign to recover the Holy Cross. Interestingly, an Armenian military unit under Mzhezh Gnouni had aligned with the Persian side. Nevertheless, by God’s grace, the Byzantines prevailed.
The Holy Cross was triumphantly recovered and brought first to the Armenian city of Karin (Erzurum), then carried to Constantinople, and ultimately restored to Jerusalem. Along the journey, the Cross was elevated for the faithful to see and venerate, an act that gave the feast its name.
For Christians, the Cross is the ultimate symbol of divine power, strength, and glory. On it, Christ shed His innocent blood. Through the Cross, Jesus demonstrated His boundless love for humanity, making it for us the eternal sign of hope, love, and salvation.