Day 1 of the Ecumenical Celebration of the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Following the initiative of the bishops of Erbil, the apostolic churches in the region have decided to celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross differently this year. Based on the idea of ecumenism, the Chaldean Catholic Church, the Syriac Catholic Church, the Syriac Orthodox Church and the Church of the East of the Assyrians, all together started the first day of the Holy Cross festival in their respective churches. 

The first day started on September 9th, with a procession from Mar Elia Chaldean Shrine towards Mar Youkhana Church (of Church of the East of the Assyrians), where hundreds of laity and clergymen walked the procession carrying lit candles. 

The procession was led by H.G. Archbishop Bashar Warda, of the Chaldean Catholic Archdiocese of Erbil; H.G. Archbishop Nicadimus Dawood Matti Sharaf, of the Syriac Orthodox Archdioceses of Mosul and Kirkuk and the Kurdistan Region; H. G. Archbishop Nazar Nathaneal of the Syriac Catholic Archdiocese of Adiabene.  

And at at Mar Youkhana Church, His Beatitute Patriarch Mar Awa III, Patriarch of the Church of the East of the Assyrians, welcomed the procession, where all archbishops joined him to ignite the flame which refers to the celebration. 

Afterwards, His Beautitute Mar Awa III delivered a short speech emphasizing the joy of this ecumenical celebration.