Blessing and Raising of the Cross
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a bushel. Instead, they put it on a stand, so let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father, who is in Heaven”
- Mathew 5:14-16.
All Holy Spirit Raised the Cross of our new church, currently under construction at 193rd & Harney streets, on October 19th with over 250 people in attendance. This was the second significant milestone in a series of Orthodox traditions that blesses elements of our new church as construction progresses. The previous milestone was the Raising of the Dome and Drum on July 13th, 2023.
The Cross Raising service with His Grace Bishop Constantine, Father Alexander, Orthodox Priests from Omaha, Lincoln and Sioux Falls, AHS chanters and parishioners, other Orthodox Christians and members of the Omaha Community was a very spiritually moving and emotional experience. This gathering embraced the collective spirit of faith, hope and unity of our community of 100 families. We are getting ever closer to the end of our 17-year journey to worship together in a church of our own.
The Justinian Cross design originated in the 5th Century during the reign of Emperor Justinian I, who ruled the Byzantine Empire from 527 to 565 AD. His reign is characterized by his colossal efforts to strengthen the empire and return it to its former glory. He is perhaps best known for rebuilding Hagia Sophia, which is today regarded as the crowning jewel of Byzantine architecture. On top of Hagia Sophia Justinian placed this Cross as a beacon of Orthodoxy.
Our 9-foot-tall Cross, weighing over 1000 lbs, was blessed and raised to the top of the gold dome 45 feet above the ground.
His Grace Bishop Constantine of Sassima, of the Holy Metropolis of Denver, blessed the Cross both before its raising as well as when it was in place on top of the dome.
“When Constantine was going into battle, he saw a cross in the sky and he knew at that point that the battle was going to be won. Today over this highest point in this great City of Omaha Nebraska, that Cross is placed over your dome, to give that hope to the people who pass by, those people who are attending, and those people of everything of faith. And it is bringing us closer to our Lord Jesus Christ.” Bishop Constantine
Thank you to AHS Parishioner and Cinematographer James Kriha of Kriha Films for filming and producing this film.
Church designed by Christ J. Kamages, FAIA, a nationally celebrated architect designer/planner, with a background as a teacher, research analyst and Orthodox Theology. To date, Mr. Kamages has designed more than 120 Orthodox church projects throughout the United States and Canada, each one unique and responsive to the needs of its people.
Church is being constructed by MCL Construction an Omaha firm known for constructing religious facilities and being relationship driven, client focused and a trusted partner.
