St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine

St. Augustine, Florida

February 10, 2022

          The St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine is a small structure on St. George Street in St. Augustine, Florida that houses a wide variety of objects, artwork, and exhibits related to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. The shrine contains iconographical Christian frescoes, the clothing and vestments of Orthodox priests, and sacred treasures to Greek Orthodox traditions, such as communion and prayer. As a whole, the shrine utilizes its displays to narrate the story of the first Greek settlers coming to America in 1768, and the eventual founding of the Greek Orthodox Church in the New World.

Official website: https://stphotios.org/

Exterior Image 1

Exterior Image 2

Artifact Image 1

          These are a variety of articles instrumental for the practice of Holy Communion; namely, a chalice (top center), a bread seal (far right center), a New Testament (far left center), and a complete Bible adorned in imagery depicting Jesus, angels, and the four gospel writers (center). Christians carry out Communion to symbolize the Last Supper Jesus had with his disciples, on the night before he was crucified in Jerusalem. The bread seal on display here is used for the leavened bread in the ceremony, which represents Jesus' body, while the chalice holds both water and wine, representing Jesus' blood spilled at his execution. While faithful Christians partake of the bread and wine during the ceremony, a priest reads from the New Testament the passage concerning the verification of Jesus' death after his crucifixion.

Artifact Image 2

          These are the vestments formerly worn by Bishop John of Amorion (1928-2012), the first American-born priest to be consecrated to the Episcopacy in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese. He was heavily involved with St. Photios in many ways, such as representing Archbishop Iakovos at its groundbreaking ceremony in 1978, serving as the chairman of the Board of Trustees in 1981 and later as the shrine's President in 1989, and writing a multitude of pamphlets and books regarding his faith. The vestments on display include the priest's robes, necklaces with images of Jesus and the cross, a tasseled cap, and a bejeweled headdress.

Image in Conversation 1

Image source: https://www.worldhistory.org/Ark_of_the_Covenant/

          The Ark of the Covenant is the golden vessel which is said to have contained the original Ten Commandments given to Moses on Mount Sinai. The commandments were supposedly written by God on two stone tablets placed inside the Ark. The Ark is one of the most famous Christian relics, as its contents shaped the nation of Israel for generations. A golden Reliquary with a similar design to the Ark is in St. Photios, and it contains bone fragments from some of the most well-known Christian saints, including St. Peter and St. Paul. Both vessels house relics considered to be sacred to the Christian religion, with the gold on both symbolizing divinity, righteousness, and sanctity.

Image in Conversation 2

Image source: https://www.st-peters-basilica-tickets.com/st-peters-basilica/

          St. Peter's Basilica is located within Vatican City, Italy, and is the largest church in the world. It was built on the burial site of St. Peter, a disciple of Jesus and the first Bishop of Rome. The basilica is supported by a massive colonnade and is topped by a magnificent dome, underneath which an imposing shrine is erected for services. Deceased popes are buried in the basilica per tradition, and the interior is littered with statues, frescoes, and paintings depicting these popes and a plethora of other figures significant to Catholicism. St. Photios' design is similar to St. Peter's Basilica, though obviously on a much smaller scale. Vestments of priests and Christian figures are put on display within both spaces, shrines with elaborate and symbolic designs are prominent, and frescoes illustrating the life of Jesus (with gold as a prominent color) are also plentiful.

Literature in Conversation

          In Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower, Lauren Oya Olamina's baptism is performed in a church setting, despite the semi-dystopian world Lauren lives in. However, when discussing how the ritual came to pass, she remarks, "Dad insisted on fresh, clean, potable water for the baptism. He couldn't afford it, of course. Who could?" (Butler, 12). Her comment on the water's quality is reflective of traditional Christian baptism practices, where the water used during the ceremony is blessed by the Holy Spirit and purifies the individual being baptized. Baptisms must be carried out in very specific fashion, similar to the instructions for Communion written on display in St. Photios. While dirty, contaminated water used during a traditional baptism would be seen as tainted and unholy, individuals in Lauren's community are unable to access basic necessities, and thus must settle for whatever water they can find. This is highly symbolic of her town's collective "fall from grace", and rejection of strict Christian practices.

Creative Component

                                                

          This is an auto-generated artwork created in response to the keywords "Greek Orthodox Shrine". Even in this abstract form, the golden frescoes, sloped ceiling, otherworldly candlelight, Christian iconography, and grand altar--all of which found in St. Photios--can be made out in this blend of color.