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MANVILLE: Church leaders walk on Orthodox Sunday

Lenten commemoration for the first time

    Sunday, March 9, was Orthodoxy Sunday and three churches in Manville celebrated for the first time with a procession and service between three Orthodox faiths.
    The churches share the same liturgy and faith but might be seen as a “different dioceses,” said Father Kenneth Ellis, pastor of Holy Ghost Church, who organized the service.
    Each of the Sundays of Lent has its own special theme. In the course of church history, a historical theme is combined on top of the religious.
    Sunday’s parishioners carried icons of their churches. Icons of the saints bear witness that man, “created in the image and likeness of God,” as noted in Genesis, becomes holy and godlike through the purification of himself as God’s living image.
     The service and procession began at 12:45 p.m. from Holy Ghost on South 7th Avenue with Father Ken leading others to St. Grigol’s Georgian Orthodox Church on South 2nd Avenue for a brief prayer service there.
    The combined parishioners from both Holy Ghost and St. Grigol’s then continued on to Saints Peter & Paul Church, originally with Russian ties, on Washington Avenue to meet and pray with members of that parish.
     All three parishes, walking as one large group, continued the procession back to Holy Ghost Church for vesper service around 2:30 p.m. 
     After the service more than 100 people stayed for fellowship and Lenten food prepared by Pani Cyndi Ellis and several parish volunteers. 