Church Services
September 13/14, 2004 - The Feast of the Elevation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is observed at SS. Peter and Paul Church. This Feast commemorates the discovery of the Cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. After His Crucifixion and Resurrection, pagans made strident efforts to remove all reminders of Christ's Life on Earth. Toward that end, temples to pagan gods were erected on the grounds of Golgotha and at the place of the Lord's Sepulchre. In the process, the location of the Wood upon which Jesus was crucified was also lost to memory. Several centuries later, the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine was thrice victorious over enemies in war with God's assistance. St. Constantine had seen in the heavens the Sign of the Cross, beneath which was written "By this sign you shall conquer." Sincere in his desire to find the Cross upon which our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified, St. Constantine sent his aging mother, the Equal-to-the-Apostles Empress Helen, to Jerusalem in search of Jesus's Cross. Many pagan temples were intentionally destroyed in the search process, to no avail. After much effort with no result, it was an elder Hebrew named Jude who directed St. Helen that the Cross of Our Lord was to be found beneath the temple of Venus. The temple was destroyed and, indeed, the Tomb of the Lord was uncovered and, along with it, three crosses. In order to discern which of the three crosses was the one on which the Lord was crucified, a corpse was placed upon each cross in succession. When the corpse was placed upon one of the Crosses, he came to life and those assembled then knew that they had found the Cross of Our Lord. During the discovery of the Precious and Life-Creating Cross another miracle also occurred: an infirm woman, beneath the shadow of the Holy Cross, was healed instantly. Jude and other Jews, moved by what they had witnessed, became believers in Christ and accepted Holy Baptism. The year was 326 A.D. From the seventh century onward this day was also considered the commemoration of the return of the Life-Giving Cross from the Persians by the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius in 629 A.D. Due to the commemoration of the sufferings and death of Our Lord on the Cross, this day is appointed to be kept as a day of strict fast. On this day, clerics wear vestments that are red in color as a reminder of the blood shed on the Cross and as well the blood of the martyrs shed for their belief in Christ.

Below, the viewer is afforded the rare opportunity to view portions of the Vesper Service on the Eve of the Feast (September 13) from the perspective of the Church Sanctuary. Photos and text from the Divine Liturgy on the day of the Feast will be found on the Church Photos page at "Elevation Liturgy 2004".

In the above photos, one sees the Holy Cross of our Lord adorned with flowers. It is shown on the Table of Oblation in the Sanctuary prior to the start of Great Vespers with Litiya.One may click on photos above and below left to view enlargements.

Several minutes before Vespers, Father David censes the Cross, makes reverential prostrations before the Cross, and he then carries the Cross in procession to the Altar (photos immediately above and below). The inscription on the wall of the Sanctuary, in Church Slavonic, is the beginning of the Prayer before Communion and reads as follows, "I believe, O Lord, and I confess, that thou art, in very truth, the Christ, the Son of the living God, who didst come into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief..."One may click on the following seven photos to view enlargements.

Immediately above and below left, Father David is shown in the Sanctuary during the Vesper service. In photo below right, a parishoner is seen at the service as viewed through the opened Royal Doors.

Below left, the service continues as Father David is about to process with the Cross from the Altar table to the Tetrapod in the center of our Church. Below right, as the service continues, our Church President, Mr. James Kornafel, prepares the church bread for distribution at the end of the service.

Above and below left, the Holy Cross is brought in procession from the Altar to the Tetrapod. Below right, before departing Church for home, parishoners approach the Tetrapod and make three full reverential prostrations before the Holy Cross and the icon for the Feast. They then venerate both.One may click on the two photos above to view enlargements.

Below, after venerating the Holy Cross and icon for the Holy Day, parishoners are greeted by Father David with a blessing of Holy Oil upon the forehead.One may click on photos above right and below to view enlargements.

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