Cross Torch Procession Brings Ankawa’s Churches Together in a Witness of Faith and Hope

On the final day of the Ecumenical Feast of the Cross Festival, held under the theme “Through Your Cross, We Triumph,” Ankawa witnessed, on Sunday evening, 13 September 2026, the eve of the Feast of the Cross, a solemn Cross Torch Procession that brought together faithful from the various churches in an ecumenical witness expressing the unity of believers in the crucified and risen Christ.

The procession began at the Holy Cross Church of the Armenian Orthodox, where the torch was lit to mark the beginning of the procession. Participants then walked to the Our Lady of Peace Church of the Syriac Catholic Church, where they were welcomed by Bishop Mar Nathanael Nizar, Bishop of the Syriac Catholic Diocese of Hadayab, together with priests and a gathering of the faithful. A prayer service was held, followed by the lighting of the Cross torch.

From there, the procession continued to the Mother of Light Church of the Syriac Orthodox, where it was received by Bishop Mar Nicodemus Dawood Matti Sharaf, Syriac Orthodox Archbishop of Mosul, Kirkuk, and the Kurdistan Region, together with Bishop Mar Bashar Matti Warda, Archbishop of the Chaldean Archdiocese of Erbil. Following the prayer service and the lighting of the torch, the faithful continued their journey to the next station.

At the St. John the Baptist Cathedral of the Assyrian Church of the East, the procession was welcomed by His Holiness Mar Awa III, Catholicos-Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East, who presided over the prayer service and the lighting of the Cross torch, amid the broad participation of clergy and faithful.

The procession concluded at St. Joseph Cathedral of the Chaldeans, where Bishop Mar Bashar Matti Warda welcomed the participants, accompanied by priests and large crowds of faithful. There, the 2026 Cross torch was lit amid prayer, hymns, and spiritual joy, with thousands of faithful filling the streets and squares of Ankawa.

Through its various stations, the procession embodied the deep fraternal bonds among Ankawa’s churches and offered a living witness to the one faith in Christ. It also highlighted the Cross as a sign of hope, victory, love, and unity, affirming that the diversity of ecclesial traditions does not divide believers, but rather enriches their shared presence and mission in society.