Our parish is named Holy Cross. On September 14th, the Church celebrated this feast. I would like to explain this devotion and the reason why the Church celebrates it. The veneration of and devotion to the Holy Cross date back to the early Christians. At the beginning of the 7th century, the Persians sacked Jerusalem and seized the sacred relics of the Holy Cross, which were recovered a few years later by the Emperor Heraclius. Tradition holds that the Emperor wished to carry the cross in triumph back to its original place on Calvary, but it became increasingly heavy—to the point of being unbearable. Zechariah, the Bishop of Jerusalem, pointed out to him that, in order to carry the Holy Cross, he would need to set aside his imperial robes and imitate the poverty of Jesus. Heraclius changed his attire, and, dressed in humble, simple clothing, he was able to carry the cross to the summit of Golgotha.
