St. Augustine, Florida
February 10, 2022
The St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine is the first national shrine of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in America. Today it is used for the education of Greek ancestry and the preservation and honor of Greek heritage. In 1777, the building was a refuge for survivors from the New Smyrna Colony. Decades later, in 1971, the building was named St. Photios in an honor to Photios the Great.
Exterior 1
Exterior 2
Artifact 1
The Holy Trinity is the Worship of God through the Son, the Father, and the Holy Spirit. According to the Greek Orthodox religion, there is only one God. However, that God is comprised of three distinct persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each member of the Trinity is eternal, all-powerful and equal with one another.
Artifact 2
Rev. Fr. Gregorios N. Eliades founded the First Greek Orthodox Church in Karkara, Greece in 1924. In 1926, he arrived in the United States and resided in Pontiac, Michigan. There, he was the first priest of the St. George Greek Orthodox Church. He owned Sacred Utensils including a holy chalice, censer and paten. Each item was hand-crafted of silver in 1866. However, when the rev. died in 1952, these Sacred Utensils were passed down to his son William P. Gregory. Finally, on June 27, 2003, the utensils were gifted St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine by Gregory's family.
Visual In Conversation 1
https://www.savoryexperiments.com/honey-nut-baklava/
Baklava is a traditional greek desert typically made of phyllo dough, finely crushed pistachios, butter, and a simple syrup made of sugar, water, and lemon juice. My step-dad's mother is greek, and she brings this treat every year at Christmas. This tradition not only brings me closer to my Yiayia's greek heritage, it's delicious.
Visual In Conversation 2
https://www.greekboston.com/religion/saint-george-day/
According to legend, Saint George arrived upon a village where a dragon was terrorizing the local people. They had been sacrificing a sheep every day to feed the creature's hunger until they no longer had any sheep, which then they began sacrificing children. George happened to be passing by when a young woman was being sacrificed. He offered to destroy the dragon because he was horrified by what he discovered. During the battle, George noticed a vulnerable piece of skin under the dragon's arm and charged forward with his sword, slaying the beast. The story of Saint George and the Dragon represents the triumph of good over evil. This story has been influential in my life considering my last name is St. George, the same name as the valiant hero.
Literature In Conversation
Passage from "Floridanos, Menorcans, Cattle-Whip Crackers Poetry" of St. Augustine by Ann Browning Masters
"In 1777, indentured servants, mostly from the Balearic Island of Menorca, Italy, and Greece, walked to St. Augustine from the failed indigo plantation of Scottish Dr. Andrew Turnbull. This group of Roman Catholics and Greek Orthodox eventually became known as Menorcans in St. Augustine."
Her writing shows as evidence of the founders of the Greek Orthodox Shrine. The Menorcans led to the merging of Greek religion in St. Augustine. The traditional artifacts have since been retrieved and displayed in the shrine to honor the Greek settlers who founded it.
Creative Component
I took and edited this picture of a red cardinal in the courtyard of the shrine. The bird is highlighted in red to represent how the building has been brought back to life through the shrine.
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