An Orthodox Moment Shared for the Whole Community
On Tuesday, September 13th, Georgetown’s Orthodox Christian chaplaincy in partnershipwith the Orthodox Christian Fellowship held Great Vespers in Dahlgren Chapel to celebrate the Feast of the Universal Exaltation of the Holy Cross. This feast is one of the 12 Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church and commem
orates the finding of the True Cross of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ by Saint Helen, the mother of the Emperor Saint Constantine the Great, in the fourth century. During the Great Vespers service, in addition to our usual prayers and reading of the Gospel, we chanted in multiple languages to encompass the rich linguistic traditions of Orthodoxy and sang the hymn “Before Your Cross We Bow Down in Worship.” After the service, the Orthodox Chaplaincy hosted a reception to welcome new and returning students, as well as non-Orthodox members of the community, for food and fellowship. 
We were honored to have hosted this open house. Much like our hymns, the attendance at both the service and the reception was humbling and diverse. We pray that this academic year brings many more opportunities for interfaith fellowship.
Written by Mariam Gachechiladze, C’17