About us: Orthodox Faith l Design of Church l Iconography l Fr. John Bio

About Us: Design of the Church
Eastern Orthodox Churches generally follow the same architectural formula- the form of a dome superimposed on a cross or a basilica, Architecturally, the interior of Saint George is heavily influenced by elements found in the Great Church Christ, commonly called Agia Sofia, in Constantinople (present- day Istanbul), particularly in the sweeping arches and the dome. Unlike non-Orthodox churches which use steeples and spires, the Byzantine roof is typically constructed with one or more domes.

The dome is a symbol of the union of heaven and earth. The dome of St. George, influenced by the dome of Agia Sofia, is made of interlocking copper plates and is pierced by 24 windows and reminiscent of the dome of the Great Church floating on a sea of light. The dome has an internal diameter of 30 feet, external diameter of 34 feet and an internal height of 55 feet from the floor. Externally, it is crowned with a cross which symbolizes the holiness and strength of Christ's Church. The top of the cross is 60 feet from the ground.

Saint George was designed by Sam Grillas and Mark Lawrence of Grillias, Pirc, Roser and Alves of Irvine, California. The floor space is approximately 10,000 square feet and has a designed seating capacity of 383 persons.

Interior of the Church
The floor of the Church is in the shape of a Greek Cross with four equal arms. There are three separate areas of the Church proper: the Narthex, the Nave and the Sanctuary.

The Narthex is the entry vestibule of an Orthodox Church. The Narthex contains a "sand urn" for holding candles and an Icon Stand. When Orthodox Christians enter the Church they light Candles and venerate the icon. Candles constantly remind us that Christ is the Light of the World and that we are called to reflect that Light in our lives. The design of the windows in the Narthex area of the Church were inspired by the church of St. Anna in Heraklion, Crete built in 1555.

The Nave is the largest part of the Church. It is here that the people gather for the celebration of the sacraments and services. Between the Altar area and the main
seating area of the Church is a raised area known as the Solea. With the exception of the Divine Liturgy and the offices of Matins and Vespers, the services and sacraments of the Church mainly take place on the solea.

The Sanctuary, or Altar, is separated from Nave by an Icon Screen or lconostasion. The Iconostasion is symbolic of the Temple Veil in the Old Testament which separated the Holy of Holies from the remainder of the Temple. On the Iconostasion are icons which are painted according to the Orthodox Tradition. There is a definite scheme of placement of the chief icons on the Iconostasion. The icons on the right side are those of the Lord Jesus Christ and St John the Baptist, the Archangel Gabriel and St Demetrios. Those on the left are, the Virgin Mary and St George, the Archangel Michael and Sts Constantine and Helen. Orthodox icons are not intended to be realistic paintings but stylized representations of Saints and events important in the life
of Christ.

The Sanctuary, where the Altar Table is located, traditionally is the eastern most area of the Church. (In Orthodox Theology the Altar is always considered the East irrespective of the actual geographic orientation of the Church.) When a Church is consecrated, relics of martyrs are placed within the Altar Table. The Church has been built on the faith and blood of the martyrs. The early Church found itself worshipping in the catacombs and among the tombs of the martyrs. In a very real sense we continue that same practice since every consecrated altar is a tomb of martyrs. The Holy Table is draped with an ornate cloth and upon the Altar are found the Tabernacle which contains Holy Communion for the sick; the Antimension, a consecrated Icon Cloth on
which the consecration of the Holy Gifts takes place; two white candlesticks; and the Holy Gospel.

Behind the Holy Table is a large, wooden cross bearing an icon of the Body of Christ. The table to the left of the apse is the Table of Preparation where the Chalice and
Paten are kept and the bread and wine are prepared for the Divine Liturgy.

Beautification
The Church of Saint George is presently (June 2007) engaged in an intensive period of interior beautification. In 2005 we commissioned the iconographers Spiro Tsilikaras and Katerina Vlachou of Athens, Greece to paint the icons for the iconostasion and the wall icons.

Summer 2007 will witness the painting of Christ Pantocrator in the dome as well as various saints in the transepts.

The Iconostasion for St. George was installed in February 2007. It was designed and crafted by Konstantinos Pilarinos of New York.