 | The wedding ceremony took place at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of St Sophia, in Moscow Road, Bayswater, London, at 2.30pm on Saturday 29th June. |
As early as the second century A.D. Greek missionaries came to England and Ireland to spread the Gospel. These visits took place before and after the advent of St Augustin (A.D. 596).
In time the Greek merchants established themselves in the City and prospered. Records show that in the time of Charles II they obtained permission and were helped to establish a place of worship by the then Bishop of London, Henry Compton, and the Duke of York and the first Church was dedicated in 1677. Later a Chapel was established at Finsbury Circus and was followed by the erection of the Church of our Saviour in London Wall in 1849.
At their General Assembly on 16th December 1872, the Brotherhood of Greeks living in London decided they needed to build a new Church, a monument worthy of the Orthodox Church, a glory of Hellenism. John Oldrid Scott, the architect, was appointed and it is said that his Preparations were so thorough, that 600 plans were drawn up.
In July 1877, the foundation stone of this Holy Church, Saint Sophia, was laid by Mr Eustratius Ralli. The silver trowel used on this historic and emotive date may be seen in the narthex (lobby) of the church. On Whit Sunday, 1st June 1878, the first services were celebrated in this beautiful church.
The inscription over the doorway may be translated thus: "The Greek Colony in this seagirt island built this Church far from their dear country, dedicating to the Holy Wisdom of God, during the reign of the great and illustrious Queen Victoria. London 1878".
The Church is in the form of a Greek Cross with the dome at the centre of the cross - it covers an area of 560 square metres and the dome towers 24 metres above the level of the floor. The exterior of the Church is plain: brickwork alternates with stone and the dome is sheathed in copper, the subsidiary domes are tiled and the whole is reminiscent of the Byzantine churches at Mistra. Bay trees and rose trees decorate the vicarage garden, built in 1921.
Over the period of 100 years, the interior has been lavishly decorated and richly ornamented with the generosity, wisdom and good taste of the Greek community - it stands in its glory as the Greek people of 1872 must have visualised it. The Cathedral has many treasures which have been donated to it throughout the 120 years: rich vestments, silver, embroideries, icons, pendants lamps and rare ecclesiastical books.
Suspended from the arch over the centre aisle hangs a massive silver-plated double Greek cross with ruby lamps, which is lit on great occasions. The mosaic work of the dome and pendentives depicts the "Pantokrator" seated on a rainbow against a rich background of gold, together with the Apostles, Evangelists, Cherubim and Seraphim. Around the base of the dome runs the inscription of the words of the triumphal hymn "Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabaoth". The entire assembly of figures in mosaic resembles the decoration of the Church of St Sophia in Constantinople, the prototype example of Byzantine ecclesiastical architecture. The design of this early work was done in the 1880's and was influenced by the pre-Raphaelite circle of the time, much beloved of the Greeks of London, resulting in work of a somewhat Latin character. A different style can be seen in the later mosaic work covering the arches of the transepts and hieron and those covering the barrel vaults over the hieron.
The floor is of tessellated paving with the double-headed eagle, the emblem of the power and authority of the Eastern Emperors, exquisitely designed and executed. There are 279 polished and carved oak pews and the walls and pillars supporting the dome are clad in a variety of marbles. The iconostasis (the icon wall at the front of the church) is of traditional design in panelled walnut. The icons painted on canvas represent (from left to right) the Archangel Gabriel, the Angel of the Holy Wisdom of God, the Virgin Mary and, on the panels of the "Beautiful door", the Annunciation of the Virgin, St John the Baptist and the Archangel Michael. The choir gallery is also made from walnut, is richly carved and has evidently been designed by the same hand as the iconostasis.