The Fifth Day of the Festival of the Cross 2025

  • September 14, 2025
  • 168

Under the theme “One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism” (Ephesians 4:5), the Church of Our Lady of Light of the Syriac Orthodox in Ankawa hosted the fifth day of the Festival of the Cross 2025, in an atmosphere filled with spirituality and joy.

The celebration gathered a large ecclesial presence led by His Holiness Mar Awa III Royel, Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East; His Excellency Archbishop Bashar Matti Warda, Chaldean Archbishop of Erbil; His Excellency Archbishop Nicodemus Dawood Matti Sharaf, Syriac Orthodox Archbishop of Mosul, Kirkuk, and the Kurdistan Region; His Excellency Bishop Nathaniel Nizar Semaan, Syriac Catholic Bishop of Hadiab; and His Excellency Bishop Oshkan Polikan, Bishop of the Armenians, along with many monks, nuns, priests, and crowds of faithful united in prayer and hymns.

The evening began with the Lord’s Prayer in Syriac, as the voices of the faithful rose in deep reverence, proclaiming that the Cross is the fountain of hope and the sign of the Church’s unity. Afterwards, the Our Lady of Light Church Choir presented a Syriac hymn concert imbued with faith and the fragrance of ancient spiritual heritage.

Archbishop Nicodemus Dawood Matti Sharaf delivered a pastoral address, warmly welcoming the hierarchs and all participants. He affirmed that these blessed festival days embody “the joy of heaven on earth,” walking together to fulfill Christ’s desire: “That they may all be one, as I and the Father are one.” He noted that the idea for this joint festival was initiated by Archbishop Bashar Matti Warda, and gratefully embraced by all. He also spoke about the Feast of the Discovery of the Holy Cross, a feast that manifests God’s sign of salvation, the defeat of evil, and the triumph of light over darkness.

Following this, the attending bishops presented the Festival Shield to Patriarch Mar Awa III, who in turn offered plaques of gratitude to the participating bishops. Archbishop Warda explained the symbolism of the shield and the Cross, emphasizing that it is a sign of victory and peace. He noted that the design of the Cross is renewed each year by a different church to highlight unity: last year from St. Joseph Chaldean Cathedral, this year from St. John the Baptist Cathedral, next year from Our Lady of Light Church, and thereafter from the Eparchy of Hadiab (Syriac Catholic), followed by the Armenian Church.

Archbishop Warda expressed his gratitude to Archbishop Nicodemus for hosting the celebration at Our Lady of Light Church and thanked all participants.

The bishops then blessed the Cross, praying for God’s mercy and guidance, so that the Cross may be a weapon leading to the gates of paradise.

At the conclusion, the Prayer of the Angels was raised, after which the Flame of the Cross was lit, launching a faith-filled procession from Our Lady of Light Church through the churches of Ankawa and ending at St. Joseph Chaldean Cathedral. This symbolic journey carried the light of unity and peace—a living image of the one, universal Church, united by the Cross and filled with the Holy Spirit, as the faithful prayed and rejoiced, thanking God for the grace of unity that made these blessed days a true feast of heaven on earth.