ADVICE TO PILGRIMS @ RULES FOR PARTICIPANTS OF MARCH OF THE CROSS
Headwear: It is recommended to wear headwear during the day to avoid the heat stroke; the headwear is compulsory for women during the services.
Clothes: It is recommended to use clothes of natural hygroscopic fabric; the clothes should better be loose; the clothes must cover the entire body, including the hands, legs and shoulders; do not wear shorts, capris, open T-shirts, mini-skirts, bathing suits remembering that the Procession is a service to God from the beginning to the end.
Footwear: wear the proven footwear which is good for long walks; it should be loose, soft, with an elastic sole; it should support the ankle joint if you have weak ligaments; wear cotton socks (best of all, dense «sport» socks to avoid blisters); have spear socks on you as well.
Please have on you: documents; headwear; water flask (best of all, a light vacuum cup); wet wipes and means of personal hygiene; repellent (against insects); sufficient bactericide adhesive plaster (!!!), bandage, necessary drugs; a light PFA camp seat is easy to fasten to one’s waist.
Pleas have in your bag: raincoat (best of all, dense and with sleeves instead of the fine polyethylene film which ruptures easily and is almost useless in the wind); warm things to spend night with; tourist rag; sleeping bag; tent (one of several people is possible).
RULES FOR PARTICIPANTS OF MARCH OF THE CROSS
Blessed be the one who came in the name of the Lord!
From the beginning to the end, the March of the Cross is an Orthodox service ministered by each participant regardless of his or her rank, position or title, but with care, devotion, piety and obedience.
The Procession shall be to the Glory of the Lord, not of the people.
The leader of the March of the Cross (and the confessor simultaneously) – a priest appointed by the eparch, shall cover the organizational and managerial issues: procedures, financing, mode and order of motion, alimentation, accommodation, security, distribution of obedience, etc., as may be necessary.
Any and all actions shall be approved by the leader and performed only if sanctioned by the confessor.
The leading priest shall manage the respective services and occasional services together with the priests of the eparchies which the Procession will come by.
Anyone may take part in them if favored by the confessors, priors and the procession’s confessor.
No favor shall be given to: political propaganda, promotion of political parties, movements, unions and/or their leaders.
Unacceptable: ethnic strife and/or intolerance, use of alcohol intake, smoking, cursing.
The March of the Cross will walk all the way. In front of it the men take turns to carry the Cross, gonfalon and the main icon. Then the priests shall proceed, followed by the men with other icons, and finally the women and escorting vehicles shall follow. On the road, the pilgrims chant the prayer «Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us» is chanted. Since the major part of the Procession will occupy the highway, please walk along the rightmost lane; best of all, in groups of 4-5 people in a row chanting the prayer to Jesus Christ and supporting each other physically and spiritually.
The participants who violate the above rules, fasting, «dry law», who duck the obedience, smoke and/or curse shall leave the March of the Cross by themselves or according to decision of the leader.
Upon completion of the March of the Cross, the participants shall manage the return home from the Monastery in good faith and at their own expense, if possible.