TRENTON, NJ –
On Sunday, September 15, 2024, the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of New Jersey held its Annual Holy Cross Celebration, a tradition that was established in 1947 by the then Archbishop of America and later Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras. The day began with His Eminence Metropolitan Apostolos of New Jersey celebrating the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at the parish of St. George in Asbury Park (Ocean), NJ.
Following the Divine Liturgy, all in attendance, as well as faithful parishioners from area parishes, traveled to the beach in Deal, NJ, where His Eminence offered the Agiasmos Service, blessing the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. His Eminence then tossed the cross into the ocean four times as a total of over 70 GOYAns from throughout the State of New Jersey dove into the ocean in order to retrieve the sacred Cross.
The GOYAns that retrieved the cross were: [Junior Girls] – Evridiki Kontogiannis (St. Barbara in Toms River, NJ), [Junior Boys] – Dimitri Petras (St. Barbara in Toms River, NJ), [Senior Girls] – Anna Kalogirids (St. George in Piscataway, NJ) and [Senior Boys] – Thomas Gantalis (St. Athanasios in Paramus, NJ).
After the completion of the diving for the Cross, His Eminence invited everyone back to the parish of St. George for a celebratory luncheon at the community center, offered in honor of this auspicious occasion. There, Metropolitan Apostolos recognized the four GOYAns who retrieved the Cross, offering each of them a golden cross to wear around their necks, as well as a trophy to honor their achievement. His Eminence also recognized and congratulated all of the wonderful young people who dove into the water, offering each of them a small cross trophy as a reminder of their participation in this sacred event.
