Holy Cross Students Continue Pilgrimage in Constantinople
Holy Cross seniors deepened their faith in Constantinople through sacred sites, historic councils, and Patriarchal worship.
CONSTANTINOPLE — A pilgrimage of seminarians from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology continued in Constantinople as graduating seniors visited major religious and historical landmarks across the city, deepening their engagement with Orthodox Christian heritage. The pilgrimage included stops at Hagia Sophia, the historic cisterns, the Halki Theological School on the island of Heybeliada, and the ancient city of Nicaea, the site of the First and Seventh Ecumenical Councils.
A central moment of the journey occurred on Sunday, May 24, when students attended Orthros and Divine Liturgy at the Patriarchal Church of St. George at the Phanar. The service was presided from the throne by Abp. Elpidophoros of America, marking a significant spiritual highlight for the visiting seminarians and underscoring the connection between the American and Ecumenical Orthodox communities.
Throughout their stay, the students also visited local parish communities where they were welcomed by hierarchs of various Archdiocesan districts of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. Clergy and faithful shared accounts of maintaining Orthodox witness under challenging circumstances, which students described as deeply inspiring. The hospitality extended to the group was a defining feature of the pilgrimage experience, reinforcing bonds between the future clergy of America and longstanding Orthodox communities in the city.
Previously, the UOJ reported that Riley M. Barnes met Patr. Bartholomew at the Phanar.
