Easter Crucession, with the icon of Our Lady of Kursk, as painted by Ilya Repin in 1880-83.

A Crucession, or Cross Procession (Russian: Крестный ход, Krestnyi khod), is a procession that takes place in the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic liturgical traditions. The name derives from the fact that the procession is headed by a cross. Image File history File links Please see the file description page for further information. ... Our Lady of Kursk (Russian: , Bogoroditsa kurskaya korennaya, literally God-Bearer of Kursk native) is an icon of Theotokos, apparently written in the thirteenth century and discovered in a forest near Kursk ca. ... Ilyá Yefímovich Répin (Илья́ Ефи́мович Ре́пин) (August 5, 1844 (Julian calendar: July 24) – September 29, 1930) was a leading Russian painter and sculptor of the Peredvizhniki artistic... The Eastern Orthodox Church is a Christian body that views itself as: the historical continuation of the original Christian community established by Jesus Christ and the Twelve Apostles, having maintained unbroken the link between its clergy and the Apostles by means of Apostolic Succession. ... The Eastern Catholic Churches are autonomous particular Churches in full communion with the Pope of Rome. ... A Greek cross (all arms of equal length) above a saltire, a cross rotated by 45 degrees A famous Armenian khachkar at Goshavank (Notice the cross). ...

Normally, the Crucession is preceded by a lantern. Then comes the cross, flanked by processional banners and icons. The Choir and Clergy will come next, followed by the faithful. If there are Altar Servers the Crucession will be accompanied by incense and candles. During the Crucession, the choir sings hymns that are particular to the event the Crucession celebrates. Crucessions will often circle around the outside of the Temple (church building) three times, then come to stop on the front steps of the building, where the next portion of the service will take place. Other Crucessions will be in the form of a procession from the Temple to a particular location where the next portion of the service will take place. The Savior Not Made By Hands (1410s, by Andrei Rublev) An icon (from Greek εικων, eikon, image) is an artistic visual representation or symbol of anything considered holy and divine, such as God, saints or deities. ... This article is about religious acolytes. ... Stained glass window depiction of a thurible, St. ... This article is on the source of light. ... Temple of Hephaestus, an Doric Greek temple in Athens with the original entrance facing east, 449 BC (western face depicted) For other uses, see Temple (disambiguation). ...

The most well-known Crucessions are:

• Holy Week—On Great Saturday, a Crucession is made as the clergy carry the Epitaphios (Slavonic: Plashchanitsa) around the Temple three times, as the Choir sings the Trisagion. After the third circuit of the Temple, the clergy cary the Epitaphios into the Temple, and hold it above the door, so that as all enter the Temple they pass under the Epitaphios, symbolically entering with Christ into the tomb. Because this is a sorrowful procession, the banners are not carried in this Crucession.^[1]
• Pascha (Easter)—The first Paschal Crucession takes place during the Paschal Vigil on Easter Sunday; then there is another Crucession called for on every day of Bright Week either following Paschal Matins or after the Paschal Divine Liturgy. During the Crucession the Choir sings the Paschal Canon. On the weekdays of Bright Week the Artos is carried in the Crucession (though not at the Crucession during the Paschal Vigil).
• Theophany—Procession at the end of Liturgy from the Temple to a river or shore where the Great Blessing of Waters will take place. Afterwards, the Crucession returns to the Temple for the completion of the service. The choir sings special hymns of the Feast written for this service.^[2]
• Dormition—In those churches and monasteries that observe the rite of the Burial of the Mother of God, a crucession takes place with the Epitaphios of the Theotokos, patterned after the one on Great Saturday.
• Moleben—Usually on the Patronal Feast of a Church or Monastery, there will be a Crucession around the outside of the Temple, while a Moleben (prayer of intercession) is celebrated to the Patron Saint.
• Funeral—The coffin is carried from the Temple to the grave in a crucession. If it is the funeral of a layman, the choir sings the Trisagion; if the deceased is a priest or bishop the clergy will chant the Great Canon of St. Andrew.

Holy Week (Latin: Hebdomada Sancta) in Christianity is the last week of Lent. ... Holy Saturday is the day before Easter in the Christian calendar. ... The Epitaphios (Greek: Επιτάφιος, epitaphios, or Επιτάφιον, epitaphion; Slavonic: Плащаница, plashchanitsa) is a large cloth icon, embroidered and often richly adorned, which is used during the services of Great Friday and Holy Saturday in the Eastern Orthodox Churches and those Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine rite. ... The Trisagion (thrice Holy) is a standard hymn of the Orthodox Christian Divine Liturgy, chanted immediately before the Prokeimenon and the Epistle Reading. ... Easter, the Sunday of the Resurrection, Pascha, or Resurrection Day, is the most important religious feast of the Christian liturgical year, observed at some point between late March and late April each year (early April to early May in Eastern Christianity), following the cycle of the moon. ... The Easter Vigil, also called the Paschal Vigil or the Great Vigil of Easter, is a service held in many Christian churches as the first official celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus. ... In the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches, the cycle of the moveable feast is built around Pascha, or Easter. ... For the Anglican service of Mattins see Morning Prayer Matins is the early morning prayer service in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox liturgies of the canonical hours. ... The Divine Liturgy is the common term for the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine tradition of Christian liturgy. ... A canon is a structured hymn used in a number of Eastern Orthodox services. ... In Celtic mythology, (specifically known from Switzerland), Artio was a goddess of wildlife, specifically the bear, and was worshipped at Berne, which actually means bear. She was often called Artio of Muri. ... Epiphany may refer to. ... St. ... // Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church Easter/Pascha The feast of the Resurrection of Jesus, called Easter or Pascha, is the greatest of the feasts of the Eastern Orthodox Church. ... According to Catholic theology and the traditions of the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, the body of Mary, the mother of Jesus, venerated by these denominations as the Blessed Virgin Mary or Theotokos, respectively, was taken into Heaven along with her soul after her death. ... Theotokos of Kazan Theotokos (Greek: , translit. ... A molében (Slavonic: молебен), also called a molieben, service of intercession, or service of supplication, is a supplicatory prayer service used within the Orthodox Christian Church in honor of Jesus Christ, the Mother of God, a Feast or a particular saint or martyr. ... Saint Quentin is the patron saint of locksmiths and is also invoked against coughs and sneezes. ... Monastery of St. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The Trisagion (thrice Holy) is a standard hymn of the Orthodox Christian Divine Liturgy, chanted immediately before the Prokeimenon and the Epistle Reading. ... . ... This article is about a title or office in religious bodies. ... Saint Andrew (Andreas) of Crete (or of Jerusalem) (ca. ...

Notes

1. ^ In some traditions, a Crucession takes place on Palm Sunday as well.
2. ^ A similar procession will take place on August 1, the feast of the Procession of the Cross, at which the Lesser Blessing of Waters is used.

Palm Sunday is a moveable feast in the Christian calendar which falls on the Sunday before Easter. ... August 1 is the 213th day of the year (214th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• Krestny khod
• Procession

Former the 60s progressive rock band, Procession, see Procession, Sixties band Funeral Procession, illustrated in a manuscript of the Hours of the Virgin. ...

External links

• Traditional Crucession
• Crucession on the Feast of the Dormition
• Crucession at Ascension Convent on the Mount of Olives at Jerusalem