The Public Relations Service of the Patriarchate of Georgia has announced details of the festive Divine Liturgy and procession to be held on May 17 to mark the Day of the Sanctity of the Family.
“On 17 May, the Day of the Sanctity of the Family is celebrated in Georgia. His Holiness and Beatitude Shio II, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, will preside over the first festive Divine Liturgy at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Holy Trinity (Sameba) in Tbilisi.
Representatives of various local churches who have come specifically for the enthronement of the Patriarch will attend the service, along with other invited guests, as well as the clergy and monastics of the Georgian Orthodox Church.
The traditional procession will also take place at the same time, starting at the Church of St. George the Victorious (Kashueti) and ending at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Holy Trinity. Parishes and their clergy, as well as Sunday schools from the Mtskheta-Tbilisi diocese and other dioceses of the Georgian Orthodox Church, will participate in the procession,” the announcement from the Patriarchate’s Public Relations Service states.
According to the statement, those arriving at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity from the procession will be blessed by the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia.
“Since 17 May falls on a Sunday, parish priests have been granted permission to begin the Divine Liturgy earlier than usual so that the faithful can participate in the procession,” the statement from the Patriarchate’s Public Relations Service also notes.
