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Click here for information on vacation trips to the Jordan river. |
During Epiphany, people traditionally attend a prayer service where the priest blesses regular water into holy water – a “Blessing of the Water” ceremony. Years ago, it was customary to go to the nearest river (symbolic of the Jordan river) where a priest would bless the entire body of water. The ceremony often took place outdoors on a river or lake during the first week of January, so an ice cross was usually constructed for the event.
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On Tuesday, January 14, 2020, the staff and students of IHMS celebrated Epiphany with a “Blessing of the Water” ceremony. Part of the ceremony took place in the school gym while the actual blessing of the water took place outdoors. The ceremony was conducted by three priests:
- Father Isidore Dziadyk, OSBM
- Father Ihor Shved
- Father Yaroslav
The outdoor portion of the service took place next to a specially constructed ice cross that was set up in the playground.
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After students and staff gathered in the gym, Mr. Picklyk welcomed the three priests who were conducting the Blessing of the Water ceremony. After explaining the historical significance of the ceremony to the students, Mr. Picklyk then directed a group of students to symbolically deliver pitchers water to the priests.
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After students delivered water to the priests, the Blessing of the Water ceremony moved from the gym to the ice cross outside. Students and staff prepared for this by bringing their winter clothing down to the gym.
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In order to bless the water, each of the three priests invoked the Holy Spirit to come upon the water. Then,each priest did four triple blessings over the water. The first blessing involved the use of 3 triple candlesticks called Trikirion.
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To bless the water into Holy Water, each of the three priests did four triple blessings over the water. |
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At this point, the blessing of the water ceremony was over, and the students were dismissed back to their classrooms. The three priests soon followed, walking around the school with a small group of students and blessed each room with a sprinkle of the newly blessed holy water. The students, lead by Mrs. Stanowych, sang a hymn throughout this process.
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The holy water that was left over from the ceremony is kept in the front foyer near the trophy case for anyone interested in taking some home with them. It can be used for blessing your home or car, and can even be used for drinking. Please bring a container of your choice to school and help yourself.
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Self serve holy water is located in the front foyer of the school near the end of the trophy case |
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