With the blessings of Archbishop Elpidophoros of America and after a multi-year hiatus due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, on Saturday, January 7, 2023, Bishop Apostolos of Medeia celebrated the Annual Maryland Region Epiphany Celebration in Ocean City, Maryland.
The event began Saturday morning with the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at St. George Greek Orthodox Church, celebrated by Bishop Apostolos together with the Chancellor of the Metropolis, Archimandrite of the Ecumenical Throne Christoforos Oikonomidis, the Proistamenos of the Community Presbyter Christopher Xanthos, and other clergy from throughout the region.
Following the Divine Liturgy, the clergy and the hundreds of devout faithful who had traveled for this beautiful event, processed from the Church to the beaches of Ocean City, where Bishop Apostolos celebrated the Agiasmos Service and blessed the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The event concluded with the diving for the Cross by the area youth, as Basil Christian from St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Ocean City, Maryland, retrieved the Holy Cross thrown by His Grace into the frigid waters.
Photos: Elisabeth Parsells
Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America