A relic of the Holy Cross of Christ will be displayed for the veneration of the faithful during an upcoming all-night vigil in Sofia. The occasion for the celebrations, organized by the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church – Bulgarian Patriarchate (BOC-BP), is the 1700th anniversary of the finding of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, with the scheduled festive services taking place on September 12 and 13.
The central event of the program is the religious procession, which will begin at 5:30 p.m. on September 12 (Saturday). Led by the Bulgarian Patriarch and Metropolitan of Sofia, Daniil, and in the presence of metropolitans from the Holy Synod, bishops, clergy, and laypeople from Sofia and across the country, the procession will move from the metropolitan church of the "Exaltation of the Holy Cross of the Lord" in the Lozenets district to the Patriarchal Cathedral of "St. Alexander Nevsky." Prior to this, at 5:00 p.m., a small vespers service will be held at the same church in Lozenets.
Upon arriving at the patriarchal cathedral of "St. Alexander Nevsky" at approximately 6:30 p.m., the clergy will conduct an all-night vigil, during which Christians will be able to venerate the brought relic of the Holy Cross of Christ.
The celebrations will continue on September 13 (Sunday) with a solemn Holy Liturgy at the patriarchal cathedral of "St. Alexander Nevsky." The welcome for Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil in front of the cathedral is at 9:00 a.m., followed by the Holy Liturgy at 9:30 a.m., presided over by Patriarch Daniil in concelebration with metropolitans of the Holy Synod, bishops, and clergy from Sofia and the country.