The Feast of the Veneration of the Holy Cross was celebrated with profound reverence and spiritual joy at the Church of the Presentation of Christ (Hypapante) in Verviers.
On Sunday, March 15, 2026, Metropolitan Athenagoras of Belgium, Exarch of the Netherlands and Luxembourg, visited Verviers, Belgium, where he presided over Matins and officiated the Divine Liturgy.
In accordance with the liturgical order of the Church of Constantinople, the solemn procession and veneration of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross took place during the chanting of the Doxology, led by the clergy and attended by the devout faithful.
The sacred hymnody was beautifully performed by choirs under the direction of the parish’s protopsaltis, Markos Giuliani and Despoina Gaspari. The Metropolitan also conferred the office of Reader upon Andreas Giuliani, a physiotherapy student and chanter in the church choir. The Metropolitan congratulated Giuliani on his consistency and love of learning as he studies the art of Byzantine chant alongside the other choir members under the guidance of the parish’s presiding priest, Fr. Konstantinos Dedes.
The Metropolitan commended the priests and the parish council for beautifying the church and for their spiritual work within the parish. He also announced that the parish intends to acquire a carved wooden iconostasis in the near future. The installation of the iconostasis will complete a series of renovations undertaken over the past three years.
Following the Divine Liturgy, refreshments were served at the parish spiritual center, where the Metropolitan interacted warmly and personally with the community’s youth and faithful.
