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On September 13-14, His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon celebrated the Great Feast of the Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross at Saint Nicholas Cathedral in Washington, DC.
On Wednesday, September 13, the eve of the Feast, Metropolitan Tikhon welcomed clergy and faithful from throughout the Archdiocese of Washington for the Archdiocesan Festal Vigil. This is the second such vigil celebrated in the archdiocese in recent months.
Concelebrating the vigil service with His Beatitude were Archpriest John Vitko, Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Washington, Archpriest Alessandro Margheritino, OCA Secretary, cathedral associate priests Archpriest George Kokhno and Archpriest Valery Shemchuk, and archdiocesan clergy. The responses were sung by His Beatitude’s own Archdiocesan Choir under the direction of Mrs. Juliana Woodill.
During the vigil, Metropolitan Tikhon carried the Precious and Life-Giving Cross in procession and performed the solemn Rite of Exaltation in the center of the cathedral. Following the service, His Beatitude greeted all those present, welcoming them to their archdiocesan cathedral.
On Thursday, September 14, Metropolitan Tikhon served the hierarchical Divine Liturgy with the cathedral community and chancery staff. His Beatitude gave the homily where he spoke about the universality of the feast: “the whole universe rejoices in the Cross of Christ, and in the Cross, we behold the whole universe, since the Maker of the universe, dying on the Cross, redeemed and remade his creation.” His Beatitude continued, explaining that the significance of the Cross goes beyond since “the Cross is exalted not just in all the universe, but beyond the universe: beyond stars and beyond voids. The Cross is exalted not only throughout space and time: it is the key opening the door to eternity.”
