Belarus is preparing to welcome a missionary cross procession dedicated to the 600th anniversary of the apparition of the Holy Cross near the village of Godenovo. The Belarusian Metropolis press service made this announcement. On October 4th, the relic will arrive in Minsk, followed by Brest on October 5th.

The cross procession, accompanied by a replica of the revered Orthodox relic, is organized with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. Over a span of two months, from September 2nd to November 4th, 2023, the procession will visit approximately 30 cities in Russia and Belarus. The sacred relic will travel from north to south, starting from Murmansk to Sevastopol, and from west to east, commencing from Brest to Vladivostok.

The organizers of the cross procession include the Orthodox Missionary Society, the Spas TV channel, the public movement "Orthodox Russia," and the All-Russian public movement "Cultural Front of Russia."

Along the course of the procession, meetings with renowned missionaries and cultural figures will be arranged. Artistic and documentary films on Orthodox themes will be showcased, accompanied by discussions on the Russian world and traditional spiritual and moral values.

The Godenovo Cross is one of the most famous miraculous crosses and is located in the Church of St. John Chrysostom in the village of Godenovo.

The manifestation of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord occurred on May 29 (according to the old style – June 11), 1423, at the Sokhatsk Swamp. After the finding of the Cross in a nearby village, the construction of the wooden St. Nicholas Church commenced. The book "Life and Miracles of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker" mentions that he appeared "from the Greek side" on May 29, 1423, i.e., 30 years before the fall of Constantinople (May 29, 1453). Stories of miracles and healings from the Cross have been recorded for many centuries in a special book kept in the Church of St. John Chrysostom.

In 1940, fearing desecration, the villagers moved the Cross to the nearest undamaged church in the village of Godenovo. During the war, this church was nearly destroyed, and for many years it remained in neglect. The restoration of the church began in 1998, and the veneration of the Godenovo Cross was renewed at that time.