Spirited competition for Epiphany cross

Stavros Markakis, 14, of Coronado beat out the other boys, including Steven Kouris, in getting the cross during the Epiphany Cross Dive yesterday. Stavros received an extra blessing for his feat. The event energizes the spirit of the parishioners. The boys stood eagerly on the edge of a dock yesterday, waiting for their cue to jump into the chilly waters of San Diego Bay. Hundreds of eyes were focused on the wet-suit- and swimsuit-clad youths. But this was no triathlon or lifeguard tryout. It wasn’t a swimming competition, either. The eight boys were participating in an annual Epiphany Cross Dive held by St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church in North Park. The event, held on a dock at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina, was a way for parishioners to celebrate the baptism of Jesus Christ and the power of the sign of the cross, church members said. During the ceremony, the parish priest tosses a white wooden cross into the water for the youths to retrieve. The boy who gets the cross is believed to receive blessings from above, said the Rev. Andrew Scordalakis, the parish priest. The event was held yesterday because Epiphany fell on Jan. 6, a Wednesday, church members said. While the cross dive has taken place in a swimming pool before, church members said they prefer bigger bodies of water more akin to the river where they believe Christ was baptized. Read the entire Union Tribune article here.