Young people to race to retrieve cross from ocean in Epiphany ritual
At least a dozen young people will race to retrieve a cross thrown into the waters of Mother’s Beach in Long Beach on Sunday in the annual Greek Orthodox celebration commemorating the baptism of Jesus Christ.
The Epiphany celebration for the greater South Bay area will begin at 8:30 a.m. with morning prayers at the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church of Long Beach. Services of the divine liturgy and the blessing of the water will follow at 11 a.m.
The story builds throughout the service to the christening by St. John the Baptist and unfolds at the water, where Metropolitan Gerasimos of the San Francisco diocese will throw the wooden cross from a boat and bless the youth who retrieves it.
The event will end with a luncheon at the Betty Reckas Cultural Center at the church, located at 5761 E. Colorado St. A later service will be held at the church at 6 p.m.
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Twitter: @Sam_Schaefer
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