St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral (Tarpon Springs, Florida)

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Coordinates: 28°08′50″N 82°45′24″W / 28.1472°N 82.7567°W / 28.1472; -82.7567
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St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in Tarpon Springs
St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church interior
St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in Tarpon Springs
Plaque at the church
Stained glass window at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church

St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral is a

Neo-Byzantine church is located at 36 North Pinellas Avenue.[1]

St. Nicholas hosts an annual Epiphany celebration on January 6, in which Greek Orthodox boys aged 16 to 18 dive into Spring Bayou to retrieve a white wooden cross, said to bring the finder blessings for the year. It is the largest such event in the Western Hemisphere, with thousands in attendance.[1] A statue of an epiphany diver is located in front of the church.[2]

Architecture

The domed main church building, designed by the Eugene Brothers of Chicago, was completed in 1943. Modeled in part after the Hagia Sophia in what is now Istanbul, it melds Byzantine and Gothic Revival styles.[3] It is a local landmark which has been featured on postcards.[4][5]

Noted features include 23 stained glass windows surrounding the dome depicting episodes in the life of Jesus and the saints, hand-painted by Joseph V. Llorens of

choir stalls, and other components were obtained with help from George Frantzis.[7] A new altar of Carrara marble
was installed in 1965.

The interior is richly decorated with

Weeping Icon.[8]

History

The community traces its history to John Cocoris, a native of

parish priest.[9]
The parish added a school in 1925.

By 1935, the parish had outgrown the first church and began raising funds toward current structure. Construction began in 1941 and was completed in 1943, when it was consecrated by Archbishop Athenagoras (later Patriarch) at Epiphany.[3] St. Nicholas was by then a significant center of community life as well, with major festivals surrounding Epiphany, Greek Independence Day, and Orthodox Easter. Honoring this, in 1975, the Tarpon Springs Board of Commissioners passed a resolution designating the city the "Epiphany City" of the United States. St. Nicholas was elevated to cathedral status for West Florida in January 1979.[3]

In January 2006, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, spiritual leader of the Eastern Orthodox Church, came to St. Nicholas to preside over the Centennial Epiphany service and to throw the cross during the dive.

References

  1. ^ a b Stewart, Ayana (January 5, 2016), "Tarpon Springs gets ready for Epiphany", Tampa Bay Times
  2. ^ "Epiphany, Tarpon Springs", Local Legacies, Library of Congress, retrieved April 27, 2018
  3. ^ a b c "A New Era", Parish History, St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral, retrieved April 27, 2018
  4. ^ "St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church – Tarpon Springs, Florida", Florida Memory, State Library and Archives of Florida, retrieved April 27, 2018
  5. ^ "WhatWasThere | Explore Photos".
  6. ^ Tarpon Springs: Sponge Capital of America, Florida History Internet Center
  7. ^ History of Epiphany Celebration
  8. ^ Spiritual Florida; A Guide to retreat centers page 56
  9. ^ a b "The Beginning", Parish History, St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral, retrieved April 27, 2018

External links

28°08′50″N 82°45′24″W / 28.1472°N 82.7567°W / 28.1472; -82.7567

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