St. Augustine, FL
February 10, 2022
Dedicated to the first colony of Greek people who came to America, St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine was institutionalized as the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. This shrine comprises exhibits showing the early life of Greeks in America. The museum is open to all the public and those of faith and can be found on St. George Street.
St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine Informational Link
Artifact #1
All three vestments were gifted to the St. Photios shrine by Archbishop Iakovos, the Primate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America, and Bishop Dimitrios of Xanthos, and the estate of Bishop John of Amorion. These vestments are all referred to as Pontifical vestments or Episcopal vestments, which are the liturgical vestments worn by Bishops in the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Eastern Catholic, Anglican, and some Lutheran churches. The fully vested Greek Orthodox Bishop is an imposing figure. The symbolism attached to each article of clothing is from the Old Testament; when worn, the Bishop is considered an icon or image of Jesus Christ. The style was developed in 321 A.D.-1453 A.D. during the Byzantine Empire's rule. The order in which the vestments should be worn is Tunic (sticharion), Stole (epitrachelion), Maniples (epimanikia), Genual (epigonation), Imperial Robe (sakkos), Small Omoforion, Cross, Engolpion, Mitre (Crown), Staff, and then Candlesticks.
The Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed is a Christian statement of faith. The letters of this Creed were created by Flagler College students, conveying its powerful and inspiring message. This creed and prayer is dedicated to the Greek Orthodox religion, with the idea that there is one God who exist in three persons.
The entrance into the St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine is found on St. George Street. Despite how busy and chaotic St. George can become, this shrine is a tranquil and independent area secluded from all the multitudes of people traveling through.
Built-in 1749 and restored in 1979, the Case Avero House serves as a museum today. The museum tells of the Greek settler's sacrifices and stories through the well-preserved artifacts, treasures, and written word. The Casa Avero house is a sacred house of worship, and services are still performed today.
This is the Naxian Sphinx of Delphi. It was initially dedicated to the oracle of Delphi by the state of Naxos in 560 BCE and can be found in the Delphi Archaeological Museum in Greece. This statue depicts a mythical creature with a woman's head, the chest and wings composed of the impressive feathers of a prey bird turned upward, and the body of a lioness. I chose this as my in-conversation piece because we saw a shrine to the Greek Orthodox religion when we went to this site—hearing the terms Greek and faith made me think of Greek history with idols or gods. This specific statue served as a guardian within the sanctuary of the Naxos islanders, as a reminder of Naxian power and influence.
This is the Temple of Olympian Zeus, found in Athens today. It was built several centuries ago, starting in 174 BCE and finished by Roman emperor Hadrian in 131 CE. The Temple of Olympian Zeus is one of the largest temples built in the ancient world. As per the last conversation image, I immediately thought of Greek gods upon hearing the terms Greek and religion. This is where I wanted to find something that related to but wasn't the everyday use of gods; hence I chose the Temple of Olympian Zeus. As the site we visited was built to commemorate and honor its history and people, this temple was created to honor the chief of the gods.
My choice of literature for this site is One Hundred Love Sonnets: XVII by Pablo Neruda. "I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where, I love you directly without problems or pride: I love you like this because I don't know any other way to love..." I chose this section of the poem because the Orthodox believe in the fullness of divine love. This divine love is found through those who believe in God, demonstrated through the Lord's sacrifice and resurrection, unconditional.
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