New York, NY - Epiphany Celebration 2006, a program celebrating the centennial celebration of Epiphany in Tarpon Springs, FL and the historic visit of His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to Tarpon Springs during the first week of January 2006, that aired LIVE throughout the world on January 6, 2006, will be rebroadcast as a one-hour special on the Hallmark Channel on Sunday, January 29, 2006 from 7am-8am ET/PT and 6am CT. This program is a special production of the 2006 Patriarchal Centennial Epiphany Celebration Committee of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral in association with Greek Orthodox Telecommunications (GOTelecom), the television ministry of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.

With crowds this year estimated at 60,000, Tarpon Springs, normally a city of 35,000, has celebrated Epiphany with great joy and pageantry. American and Greek flags flew in the breeze and people from many faiths and denominations, from practically every state in the country, came to witness the impressive ceremony which began at St. Nicholas Cathedral. Following the Divine Liturgy and Blessing of the Waters, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, spiritual leader of over 250 million Orthodox Christians worldwide; Archbishop Demetrios of America, Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in America; Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta, clergy and dignitaries, school children in traditional costume, choir members, Greek Folk Dance groups from throughout the United States and civic officials and representatives of Hellenic organizations formed an impressive procession to Spring Bayou. There, an invocation was recited, a young lady released a white dove to fly over the Bayou, and the Ecumenical Patriarch threw a white cross into the water. Fifty six young men dove for the cross, but only one retrieved it and received a special blessing.

Epiphany or Theophany (the manifestation of God) commemorates the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River by St. John the Baptist. Of all the observances of Epiphany throughout the world, none is more deeply religious in tradition and significance or more colorful, than in the Greek Orthodox Church; and nowhere does the observance take place on the scale witnessed in Tarpon Springs, Florida, the place where Greek Epiphany and its traditions were introduced to America 100 years ago.

Epiphany Celebration 2006 is available for purchase by calling 727-771-2099 or by visiting www.patriarchalcentennialvisit.com.