NEW YORK – The Church of Our Savior in Rye New York is more than a landmark of the Archdiocese of America; it is a spiritual oasis and a feast for spiritually hungry eyes.
The architecture of this unique round church appears to have been conceived with its layer -upon-layer of beautiful icons in mind, but its creation was not automatic
Some 53 years after the sanctuary’s doors were first opened by Archbishop Iakovos of blessed memory – it was designed and executed gratis by architect John Kokkins and supervising engineer Peter Limber – the icons which glow against a sky blue background that feels like a piece of heaven that has come down to earth, were anointed with myrrh by Archbishop Demetrios assisted by the pastor, Father Elias Villis.
The ancient ceremony marked the completion of the church’s five-phase icon decoration program by iconographer Dimitrios Mourlas, an endeavor that has enhanced if not transformed the life of the church.
It was a process eloquently described by the documentary film PISTEVO, I Believe – Bringing Iconography to the Greek Orthodox Church of Our Savior, which premiered during the complimentary luncheon in the church hall that followed the services.
The anointing occurred just prior to the closing words of the Divine Liturgy. Before wielding the long pole to which a sponge dipped in myrrh was attached that he used to dab every icon in the nave, Archbishop Demetrios spoke of what a great joy it was to be with the congregation, a feeling shared by all.
It was Father’s Day, and the Archbishop also offered blessings to the fathers present and their families, and the Archbishop put the his sermon on the day’s Gospel reading of Matthew 6:33, and the icon blessing, into the perspective of current events.
Christ offers hope to those who agonize over the necessities of daily life when He said, “But seek first the kingdom God and his Justice, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
PASSING DOWN THE FAITH
The Archbishop continued by touching upon another source of anxiety among Christians today, the inhuman and barbaric depredations of ISIS. He was the first of several people to note that as icons were being blessed in Rye, churches and icons were being destroyed in the Middle East.
“What is the Kingdom of God,” the Archbishop asked. “Peace, truth and love,” he said, and the Church is where the people learn about them. “People say the youth are the future of the Church,” but it is better to declare “the Church is the future of the youth,” he said, because that is where they will find the values and priorities they need to thrive in a dangerous world where priorities are being turned upside down.
Icons, it was then made clear, are where how people learned about their faith in more humble times. The Archbishop explained that “the tradition of icons saved the church during the four centuries of Turkish rule in Greece when education was suppressed.”
“The people received information about their faith from worship and icons, which provided living teaching about everything, the life of Christ, the lives of the martyrs and saints,” he continued.
The guests also learned that the clergy and laity had to fight for their icons against the persecutions of the iconoclast emperors of the 8th and 9th Centuries. Indeed, the triumph of icon supporters was the triumph of Orthodoxy. But the Church of the Savior was not a testament to the power of icons until recently.
The guests who came from afar and were lost in wonder at the icons could hardly believe that for many years the sanctuary’s walls and ceilings were a stark white.
In the 1980s, the Platytera icon of the Theotokos was added above the altar, followed by the monumental Christ Pantocrator that crowns the dome.
Among the movers and shakers of the monumental project to complete the icon program were Fr. Elias, the pastor, but when Michael Psaros, the Executive Producer of the movie, acknowledged the role of the Archbihsop, he described a prime mover less ethereal but just as effective as Aristotle’s.
“Four years ago in your very subtle way…looking out at all of us, you looked to the left and you looked to the right, and you observed that we had white walls…and more than 400 people are seated here at this luncheon, because of your subtle challenge.”
Nobody wants to leave the love of his spiritual father unacknowledged and without effect.
The scaffolding which intruded on the nave for three years until 2014 was welcomed as the parishioners marveled at Mourlas’ progress.
THE JOY OF GIVING
His Eminence said it was also a special joy to welcome Fr. Nicholas Triantafilou, who is Father Elias’ father-in-law and is about to conclude a 15-year tenure as President of Hellenic College/Holy Cross School of Theology.
The Archbishop said Fr. Triantafilou’s tenure was a worthy extension of the work of the Apostles, adding it was fitting that his final day of service would be June 30, the Feast of the Holy Apostles.
After the anointing, Parish Council President Robert Augustinos to address the congregation, followed by Fr. Elias who thanked the Archbishop for his presence and support.
The anointing was also the occasion for acknowledging the those supporting another great endeavor asserting the presence of Orthodoxy in America.
Heeding the call of the Archbishop for members of the church nationwide to participate in the rebuilding of St. Nicholas at Ground Zero, were three Rye parishioners who contributed a total of $3 million. Fr. Elias said, “Michael and Robyn Psaros were the first to give $1 million… C. Dean and Mary Anne Metropoulos were the second, and Maria Alwin’s family was the third.”
He then evoked applause when he noted the parish is donating an additional $65,000 to the cause.
In the church hall Psaros, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of KPS Capital Partners, LP, a family of private equity funds, introduced the creators of PISTEVO, Mark I. Brodie, of MiB Media Works, the Director, and Taryn Grimes-Herbert, Writer and Producer, and asked them to rise.
Psaros said he would skip reciting their professional credentials – which includes 60 Minutes credits – because the move speaks for itself, but he wanted to share with the guests about the emotional impact of the movie project on Brodie.
Psaros was told that parishioners reported seeing Brodie, “On Good Friday evening…carrying his camera all night with tears streaming down his face.”
After again thanking the Archbishop for inspiring the project – Psaros’ daughter Marina presented His Eminence with a cross of Waterford crystal – he turned to the pastor and said “Fr. Elias has been tireless…he has been the glue… and he leads with love.”
Psaros, who is an Archon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, underwrote the film because he a nd other believed it was a story that had to be told, concluded with an appeal to the guests to blast the link where the movie can be seen – www.theartofbelief.org – to everyone they know by email and social networking.
Numerous speakers noted that the services of the Orthodox Church are designed to engage all the senses. Human hearing, not least among them, was engaged by the parish’s choir, led by Dean of Music Petros Hatjopoulos, and the chanters, including guest chanter Antonios Papathanasiou, who was invited by Head Chanter and Pastoral Minister George Hazlaris.
The altar boys contributed greatly to the day’s splendor, for which they were praised by the Archbishop.
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