Georgian Orthodox Church celebrates today “meeting of the twelve Apostles” Svetitskhovloba.  

Public prayers will be conducted in all the churches throughout Georgia.

Svetitskhoveli is considered to be one of the main and foremost churches of Georgians, as it holds the great sanctity - Christ’s cloak in it. Georgian Jews from Mtskheta named Elias and Longinos were in Jerusalem when Jesus was crucified. Elias received clothes of Jesus. The Holy robe was brought to Mtskheta by them. Returning to his native city, Elias was met by his sister, Sidonia. Sidonia found out about crucifixion from his brother and upon touching the robe immediately died from the emotions engendered by the sacred object.    

The robe could not be removed from her grasp, so she was buried with it. The place where Sidonia is buried with Christ's robe is preserved in the Cathedral. Later, from her grave grew an enormous cedar tree. Ordering the cedar chopped down to build the church, St. Nino had seven columns made from it for the church’s foundation. The seventh column, however, had magical properties and rose by itself into the air. It returned to earth after St. Nino prayed the whole night. Here the Church Svetitskhoveli was built. It was further said that from the magical seventh column a sacred liquid flowed that cured people of all diseases.

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