Ecumenical Procession of Lights

In Honor of the friendship and vision of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Pope Francis

This past Holy Pascha during the evening of April 19, 2025 (this year a common date for Easter for all Christians), the Maui Greek Orthodox Christian Mission had the honor of celebrating a Procession of Lights with the parishsioners of St. Theresa Roman Catholic Church. We began outside on Holy Sunday (Saturday evening) by lighting the Fire. After both parishes processed together to the inside of the main church sanctuary, Deacon Gabriel sang “Come Receive the Light!”, we all lit candles as a symbol of the spreading of the Light of Christ, and we all sang “Christ is Risen!”

We shared hymns and prayers which concluded with the Exsultet (Easter Proclamation) before the Maui Mission parishioners continued our procession, going back outside and then returning to our own worship space. Each parish continued their respective worship services concurrently, the Liturgy of the Word for the Roman Catholic parishioneers and the Paschal Resurrectional Matins and The Divine Liturgy for our Greek Orthodox parishioners.

Patriarch Bartholomew had hoped to celebrate Pascha together with Pope Francis this year for the 1,700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea. This Ecumenical Procession of Lights was a beautiful way to experience unity during Holy Pascha and we were honored to be joined together in prayer and worship with the parish of St. Theresa Church. Continue reading...