Veljusa – priest vestments
Having no beginning and no end, being perpetual in its pattern, the cross on this vestments symbolizes eternity and the Heavenly Kingdom.
The cross was first displayed in the church “The Most Holy Mother of God Eleusa,” in Veljusa Monastery, near Strumica, and dates back to 1085 AD, the period when the church was built. The cross is not only painted on the facade of the church, but also is incorporated in the structure of the church itself.
In recent decades, the Veljusa Cross has become a recognizable feature of the Macedonian Orthodox Church.
The embroidery is two-colored, as the borderlines and details are from the Ksenofont model.
