Seventy members of the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church of Wilmington gathered on a dock overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway Sunday, Sept. 21 for the annual blessing of the waters service followed by a cross dive.
Father Jon Emanuelson, a priest at St. Nicholas, said worldwide Greek Orthodox churches located near bodies of water continue to practice the centuries-old tradition.
“It commemorates the baptism of Christ,” Emanuelson said as he walked onto the dock. “Because Christ went into the waters of the Jordan, we bless these waters once a year in celebration.”
The blessing lasted around 20 minutes and was mostly sung by the clergy.
Following the blessing, 12 high school students participated in the second part of the service —diving underwater for a cross, the retriever of which receives a special blessing.
“Every year the priest throws this cross in the water and then the youth retrieve it,” Emanuelson said while holding a white, 5-pound cross. “Whoever brings it back from the bottom gets a blessing.”
The boys and the girls dove separately. Seven boys lined the edge of the dock facing the water as Emanuelson stood behind them.
“You can jump off the dock at the moment when you first see the cross, but not before!” Emanuelson exclaimed.
It was no more than 1 minute after the cross hit the water that Lucas Bostic surfaced waving it in the air.
“I’m ecstatic,” Bostic said after drying off. “This is my third time diving for the cross, but the first time actually getting to it.”
Then five girls took their places on the dock. Emanuelson threw the cross in the air, and the girls quickly dove into the water. After a few minutes, Katerina Katsikis came to the surface with a beaming smile and the white cross.
“It’s an incredible feeling and today is my 16th birthday so I feel just completely blessed,” Katsikis said. “My church and these people are great support for me in high school. The church is something I will always have.”
Emanuelson presented Bostic and Katsikis with crosses made of olive tree wood to commemorate their success.
“These children know that the cross of Christ is the means by which salvation arrives,” Emanuelson said. “They’d be lost without it, but with it they are found. I am happy knowing they have God and each other.”
email [email protected]
