The last one of the five major feasts of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Feast of Exaltation of the Holy Cross, was properly celebrated in the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia.

St. Echmiadzin church in Tbilisi was crowded on September 14. The holiday started with the conduction of the Divine Liturgy. The Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia, His Grace Bishop St. Vazgen Mirzakhanyan conducted the Divine Liturgy. At the end of the Divine Liturgy the Holy Father spoke a sermon about the message of the day. He spoke about the return of the Holy Cross from imprisonment and elevation in Goghgota. Hence the feast is called Exaltation of the Holy Cross or “Srbkhech”. The Primate talked about the importance of the belief and the significance of the Cross. He called to live with belief and Christian messages.

The same day a glorifying ceremony of the Elevation of the Holy Cross took place at St. Echmiadzin Church on Havlabar Street. At the end of the evening Liturgy the procession of the Holy Cross took place. The priests of St. Echmiadzin walked around the church with the Cross in their hands and blessed the people with water filled with rose sheets. At the end they blessed basil, which is considered to be the flower of the cross. The blessed basil was handed out to the believers.

The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross was solemnly celebrated with Divine Liturgy in the churches of the villages and regions of Samtskhe Javakheti area (Akhalkalaki, Ninotsminda, Akhaltsikhe), Qvemo Qartli area (Marneuli, Tetritսgharo, Tsalka), as well as in the Armenian churches in Batumi.