If you are not already a member of Holy Cross, please see our main home page, which has much more information for you. This page is for people who are already familiar with us and our website and just want to see the latest changes or news.
The Cross is exalted;
the demons are driven away.
The thief opens the gates of Paradise;
death is slain and openly despised, as Christ is magnified.
Therefore, rejoice, all those born on earth,
for the curse has been lifted!
Come, all lovers of God,
beholding the Exaltation of the precious Cross,
let us magnify it together,
giving glory to the one Deliverer and God as we cry out:
“Thou wast crucified on the wood of the Cross.
Do not turn from us who pray to Thee!”
Dear faithful of Holy Cross,
Glory to Jesus Christ!
“Let us bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ” -Galatians 6:2
As per the Archbishop’s request that we continue to follow the reasonable directives of the local civil authority and Forsyth County mandating that masks be required at indoor gatherings beginning today at 5 PM, beginning August 21st we will be requiring masks to be worn indoors except while eating or drinking.
Archbishop Alexander has asked that we follow the reasonable directives of the local civil authority. Eg, if our local civil authority reimposes a masking ordinance our parish will be expected to follow it.
I know many of us are weary of having to wear them but I am recommending it for the sake of bearing one another’s burdens as the Body of Christ. There are those among us and our community who are not able to be vaccinated (our children under 12) or who are immunocompromised. We need to be mindful of one another as Orthodox Christians. This involves self-sacrificial love for the other and, as St. Maria of Paris reminds us, “the other is Christ.” We need to do this for the sake of protecting our vulnerable ones. It is our Christian way. We follow Christ and take up our voluntary Cross in imitation of Him.
Also, masking will help keep our parish open. There have been three significant outbreaks in parishes in the diocese just in the last several weeks. Just today I spoke with a priest who has had to cancel services for two weeks after 20 parishioners have tested positive with one in the hospital, and several more are working through cases of COVID among parish members. So, the Archbishop is asking us to continue to please be vigilant and be mindful of those around us.
I am asking as your priest that you take this requirement to heart and until we see a significant decrease in positive cases and community spread that you continue to wear them. May the Lord continue to show His loving-kindness to us as we continue to navigate this difficult time for our world. Lord, come quickly to save us and heal us!
Your servant in Christ,
Fr. Christopher
Before all other deeds, remember about this great deed: that your children, innocent and pure children, take into their pure hearts the Law of God, the commandments of Christ, at least from the small amount of instruction that they can receive from you.
You have not yet forgotten the Law of God, so teach, teach your children, and then your family will become your house church. And the light of Christ from this house church will spread invisibly for you beyond the boundaries of your family.
The Light of Christ, His Divine Truth, will invisibly flow into the hearts and minds of all those who have dealings with you. It could be that the influence of your house church will go beyond its boundaries.
Then the eternal blessing of our Lord and God Jesus Christ, His Beginningless Father, and the All-Holy Spirit will be upon you. Article
The more we forgive, the more courage we gather within our heart which in turn makes it easier to forgive the next time, and the time after that, and seventy-times seven that follow. When we begin living according to a life in Christ, our world changes, we perceive those around us differently. We begin to see them as Christ sees them. Most importantly, we recognize the grace of Christ operative in our lives. We can then echo the words of Saint Paul, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Phillippians 4:13) and that includes forgiving everyone, even those who have wronged us greviously. Article
We have photographs of the baptisms and chrismations on the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos!
All are invited to our Groundbreaking Service for our new Parish Church and Hall!
We have photographs of the celebration of the Feast of Pentecost!
We have photographs of the Easter Egg Hunt held after the Paschal Agape Vespers!
We celebrated Holy Pascha in our new home!
Palm Sunday was a glorious celebration!
We have some photos from the Sunday of the Veneration of the Holy Cross!
Prayers at the Property have continued throughout the pandemic. Sergey took photographs on a lovely Spring day!
St. Nicholas visited Holy Cross!
We have photos of Anthony and Nikolai's Baptisms!
We have photos of Leo's Baptism!
We have photos of John's Chrismation!
We have photos of Elijah's baptism!
Despite the "Stay at Home" order, the Joy of Pascha was shared by the Faithful through a streaming service of the Paschal Hours and the Divine Liturgy of Pascha!
The Vesperal Liturgy of Holy Saturday was streamed to the Faithful.
The service in which the crucified Body of Christ is carried to the Tomb was streamed to the Faithful.
The Bridegroom Matins of Holy Wednesday was streamed to the faithful on the Evening of Holy Tuesday. The video is available.
The Divine Liturgy of Palm Sunday was streamed to the faithful.
A video now is available of Father's Homily on the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos.
A video now is available of Father's Homily on the Sunday of the Veneration of the Holy Cross.
We are streaming services live for the faithful at home, and for all the world. We have a few screen captures from the Divine Liturgy on the Sunday of the Veneration of the Holy Cross.
We have some some photos fof the procession on the Sunday of Orthodoxy.
We have some some photos from the Sunday of Forgiveness.
We have some some photos of Jonah's baptism.
We have some video and photos from the Outdoor Blessing of the Waters on the Sunday after Theophany.
We have a few photos from the Great Blessing of the Waters on Theophany
We had many baptisms before and on the Eve of Nativity!
St. Nicholas came to Holy Cross!
Deacon George and Matushka Elizabeth Hattle Say Farewell.
Tyler and Holly and their children became catechumens!
We have some photos from our annual Parish Picnic!
We have some photos from our parish feast, the Exaltation of the Holy Cross!
We have some video and photos from Pascha!
We have some photographs from Holy Saturday!
We have some photographs from Holy Friday!
We have photos from the celebrations of Palm Sunday!
We have photos from the Sunday of Orthodoxy.
We have photos from the Sunday of Forgiveness.
We have photos from Nikolai's baptism!
We celebrated Holy Theophany, and after, the Outdoor Blessing of the Waters.
Children and adults sang Christmas carols just before Christmas.
St. Nicholas came to visit Holy Cross!
We have photos from Pentecost, and the chrismations on Pentecost!
We have some photos from the services on Holy Friday!
We have some photos from the services of Pascha!
Palm Sunday was a festive celebration, with our yearly photograph of parish children after the procession.
On Soul Saturday, Father Christopher celebrated a teaching liturgy, teaching during the Proskomedia and the Divine Liturgy.
On the Sunday of Orthodoxy, we had a procession with icons, and took a photo of the children.
In the first week of Lent, parishioners gathered to pray the penitential Canon of St. Andrew.
We began Lent with the Rite of Forgiveness.
Thanks to Whitney for photos from the Outdoor Blessing of the Waters on the Sunday following Theophany.
Thanks to Sergey for photos from the John Luke's Baptism on the Sunday after Nativity!
Thanks to Sergey for many more photos from the baptisms and chrismations just before Nativity!
We have photos from the children's Nativity Play!
Our celebration of the Nativity of Christ began with a beautiful and joyous Vigil service.
We celebrated 5 baptisms and 11 chrismations on the Sunday before Nativity!
The first of 2017's Nativity Prefeast services began the final stage of prayerful preparation for Holy Nativity.
St. Nicholas visited Holy Cross this year again, and later, many parishioners and their children sang Christmas carols at Adams Farm Living and Rehabilitation, where our brother George of blessed memory used to live.
Father Christopher gathered together the parish children who are approaching the appropriate age and offered them some teaching about confession.
After so many years of hoping, researching, planning, preparing and praying, at last we had our first meeting with the builders, initiating the actual path toward building our new church!
For more, please see our Parish News, Photos and Videos page.
