19.01.2013.

Swimming for the Holy Cross

Great Christian holiday of Epiphany was celebrated today in churches of Cukarica municipality with traditional swimming for the Holy Cross on the Sava Lake, near the sports and recreation centre "Milan Gale Muskatirovic", near the restaurant "Venice" at the Zemun quay and in Becmen.

On the occasion of the holiday, His Eminence Bishop Atanasije (Rakita) served Divine Liturgy in the church of St. George, which was attended by students of the Military Academy and the cadets of the Military Academy. They were led by Colonel Janko Grandic.

After that, a ceremonial procession was formed, which, led by the bishops, headed towards the Sava Lake, where a traditional swimming for the Holy Cross has been organised for fifteen years.

The event was attended by the clergy, the director of the Office for cooperation with Churches and Religious Communities of the Government of Serbia Mileta Radojevic, President of Cukarica Municipality Zoran Gajic, city officials, members of the Ministry of Defence, the Gendarmerie, the Serbian Knightly Fighting – Svibor, and a number of citizens. The Epiphany prayer was performed by Bishop Atanasije.

The Epiphany Cross of ice, made of the last year's holy water from the St. George church, was brought down to the land by five paratroopers who jumped from a helicopter of the Anti-Terrorist Unit from a height of 100 meters. Bishop Atanasije and the director of the Office for cooperation with Churches and Religious Communities laid the cross in the Sava Lake.

After this act more than 50 swimmers swam towards the Epiphany cross weighing 15 kg. The contestants were the members of the Gendarmerie, the members of SVIBOR and citizens who participated as competitors and for the recreational purpose. Ministry of Defence was represented by the cadets of the Military Academy, led by professor of physical education Stevo Rados.

The first to swim over the 33 meter long path, symbolizing 33 years of the life of Jesus Christ, at the water temperature of 3.6 degrees, was Velimir Vukojevic from "Ada Ciganlija" Public Utility and he pulled out the Epiphany cross. The winner was given the Holy Cross by His Eminence Bishop of Hvostan Atanasije (Rakita), and the winning mantle was given to the fastest swimmer by the President of Cukarica Municipality Zoran Gajic.

The fifteenth swimming for the Holy Cross was organized by Cukarica Municipality, the Serbian Orthodox Church and "Ada Ciganlija" PU. The Artistic programme was conducted by Professor Nikola Rackov, and opera singer Oliver Njego and poet Dobrica Eric took part in it.

In the Epiphany contest for the Holy Cross at the confluence of the Sava and Danube, near the sports and recreation centre "Milan Gale Muškatirovi?", the fastest contestant was the last year's winner, a member of the Gendarmerie Marko Tomasevic, from Belgrade. Besides Tomasevic, more than 40 swimmers took part, including members of the Gendarmerie, the Serbian Armed Forces, the "SVEBOR" association, monks from the Ilinje monastery from Macva and the bravest citizens.

In the traditional Epiphany swimming in the Danube in Zemun, water polo coach Zarko Nikolic was the first to reach the Holy Cross. A number of 215 swimmers from Serbia competed for the title of a holder of the Epiphany cross in Zemun, along with those from Greece, Bulgaria, Russia and Romania, and the winner was given the Holy Cross by Serbian Patriarch Irinej.

In Sremska Kamenica, on the Epiphany day, the members of the River Flotilla transferred the Holy Cross from the church to the river minesweeper anchored at the shore.

After sailing out, at the 1257th kilometre of the river Danube, the Holy Cross of ice was lowered into the water with the prayers of the priests and sounds of ship horns, symbolising the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River, and also as a memorial to victims of the Novi Sad raids by Hungarian invaders during the Second World War, regardless of their nationality and orientation, mostly Serbs, Jews and Gypsies, who were shot, or thrown live under the ice. Another cross woven of basil, with lighted candles, was transferred from the river minesweeper to the boat of divers of the 93rd River Flotilla diving company and also with sounding of ship horns, lowered down to the wavy Danube with a message of peace to all those who see it, with a prayer that the crime be never committed again.

The tradition of lowering crosses to the water of the Danube on the Epiphany Day has been cherished by the Serbian Orthodox Church, the church municipality and the residents of Sremska Kamenica for twelve years. This year, for the satisfaction of many of those present, they were joined by the members of the River Flotilla.

Members of the Serbian Armed Forces competed in the traditional Epiphany contest for the Holy Cross in several cities in Serbia.