The Saint Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine
41 St George St, St. Augustine, FL 32084
February 10, 2022
The Saint Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine is located right by St. Augustine’s historic city gate. It was built in 1794 and was restored in 1979. It is the property of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America. Their website states that it is dedicated to the Greek Orthodox pioneers who arrived in the “New World” in 1768. The Shrine is also dedicated to the immigrants who made their way to the new world searching for freedom and justice. Now it is a sacred educational center for people with Greek ancestry to be surrounded by their culture. The general public can also visit to honor their ancestors.
https://stphotios.org/about/our-history/
These two images are
out in front of the Shrine. It is the first thing that you see when
walking towards it. To enter the Shrine, you need to first walk through
the courtyard like most Spanish homes and buildings at the time.
According to Ms. Hillier, the executive director of the Shrine, the reason for
the Shrine not opening out to the street was that it heightens the importance
of the building.
This artifact is oil
on wood with sterling silver riza. Ms. Hillier explained that riza is
used to cover religious art or icons. It will leave holes for the faces
in the painting to show through. Riza helps preserve the painting.
In 1970 this cross was discovered by archeological excavations, and in 1971 it became the symbol of the National Shrine. Archbishop Iakovos titled it the St. Photios Shrine Cross. The focal point on the cross is the three holes that represent the Holy Trinity.
Image in Conversation 1
Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church
Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church Website
The Saint Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine reminded me of the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church & National Shrine in New York City. This house of worship was tragically destroyed on 9/11/2001 during the terrorist attack. Originally it was founded in 1916 in a row house that was originally a tavern. This church was a safe haven for many practicing and non-practicing people. This is why the rebuild in 2015 was s important to the community. The rebuild was completed in 2022, and Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque inspired the design.
Image in Conversation 2
St. John The Baptist Greek Orthodox Church-Denver, Colorado-
The arches in the Saint Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine remind me of the arches in the St. John Baptists Greek Orthodox Church sanctuary. Every sanctuary is covered in religious iconography that plays into the holiness of the space. The sanctuaries in Greek Orthodox Churches are where the altar is kept. The sanctuary is a sacred space where people go to light candles that are said to symbolize the Light of Christ. This comes from John 8:12, where Jesus says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” In addition to lighting the candles, the Eucharist ceremony is held in the sanctuary at the altar. The Eucharist is the changing from bread and wine to the body and blood of Christ.
ENG 202 Passage
Floridanos, Menorcans, Cattle-Whip Crackers: Poetry of St. Augustine, Ann Browning Masters
Ann Browning Masters gives a timeline in the excerpt of Floridanos, Menorcans, Cattle-Whip Crackers: Poetry of St. Augustine that shows how the population of St. Augustine has grown and become more diverse through the different periods. The British period between 1764 and 1784 specifically focuses on how in 1777, indentured servants came from the Balearic Islands (Menorca, Italy, and Greece). She writes, “In 1777, indentured servants, mostly from the Balearic island of Menora, Italy, and Greece, walked to St. Augustine from the failed indigo plantation of Scottish Dr. Andrew Turnbull. These Roman Catholics and Greek Orthodox eventually became known as the Menorcan’s in St. Augustine.” The plantation run by Turnbull overworked the indentured servants and did not keep them healthy, which inevitably led to the destruction of his plantation. The servants who had done their period of indenture were not being freed, which led to them walking to St. Augustine to ask the governor for help. After they were freed, most moved to St Augustine, these people became known as the Menorcans in St. Augustine, and they were mostly Roman Catholics and Greek Orthodox.
Creative Component
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