Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity

A Photo-Essay on the Ecumenical Patriarchate & Greek Orthodoxy

Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity is on 74th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City.

The Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity is the National Cathedral of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, which oversees the largest Orthodox Christian polity in the Western Hemisphere. The Cathedral serves as the episcopal seat of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, who was enthroned on June 22, 2019 and is the first citizen of Turkey to become Primate. The Archdiocese is an Eparchy of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the spiritually preeminent See of the Eastern Orthodox Church, whose Patriarch is primus inter pares (first among equals) with other Orthodox Prelates.

A wide perspective on the Byzantine Revival Cathedral, built laterally as part of the row, as seen from the south across 74th Street. Its cornerstone was laid by Eleanor Roosevelt in 1931. The Cathedral is heavily scaffolded for essential restorations to the edifice, funded by an ongoing Capital Campaign. At the left is the main entrance portal to the Narthex and at the right is the southern Transept. The green Cross at the upper right crowns the Bell Tower that is completely obscured.

The history of the Ecumenical Patriarchate stretches back to the consolidation of Christianity in the Roman Empire via the first seven Ecumenical Councils (4th-8th Centuries). Although the See of Rome held a primacy of honor early on, the First Council of Constantinople in 381 decreed that “The Bishop of Constantinople, however, shall have the prerogative of honor after the Bishop of Rome; because Constantinople is New Rome.” The Pentarchy of Sees was thus composed of Rome, Constantinople, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Alexandria, but the Pentarchy did not become a cohesive administrative structure due to theological-institutional splits, the growth of Islamic dominion, and the intensifying rivalry between Rome and Constantinople.

The lateral facade in focus.

Per the Council of Chalcedon in 451, Constantinople affirmed the Virgin Mary as Theotokos (Bearer of God) and a Dyophysite theology on Christ having two distinct Human and Divine natures. This was, and remains, in contrast to the Miaphysite theology of what became Oriental Orthodoxy and the Christotokos (Bearer of Christ) Dyophysite theology of the Nestorian-influenced Church of the East. Although Rome also affirmed Chalcedon, differences with Constantinople remained regarding theological discourse, liturgical rites, and the nature of clerical authority.

Left: The Dome, awaiting the installation of new copper cladding. Right: The southern Transept.

Constantinople had a seminal role in Slavic Christian development, cementing much of Eastern Europe as a bastion of the Orthodox faith. Christianity was first brought to the Slavs by Greek Saints Cyril and Methodius in the 9th Century, who also introduced the Slavonic alphabet that shaped Slavic liturgical language. The Constantinopolitan Rite, also known as the Greek or Byzantine Rite, is thus used by Eastern Orthodox Churches, Greek Rite Catholic Churches, and Greek Rite Lutherans in a modified form.

Center: The main entrance portal to the Narthex. Left: The Double-Headed Eagles, Emblem of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, adorning the doors. Right: One of the two light fixtures, formed as a Dove representing the Holy Spirit, flanking the portal.

Political and cultural confrontations between Constantinople and Rome were exacerbated by the latter’s claim of universal jurisdiction and its insertion of the Filioque phrase into the Nicene Creed as it concerns the Trinity. Rome’s Filioque declared that the Holy Spirit proceeds from both the Father and the Son, but Constantinople maintained that the Holy Spirit proceeds only from the Father, considering the Filioque to be a Canonical violation of the Ecumenical Councils. These matters led to the Great Schism in 1054 that saw the mutual exchange of Anathemas (Excommunications) between Rome and Constantinople.

A wide perspective on the Narthex. In centuries past, catechumens (unbaptized learners) and penitents would remain in the Narthex during parts of services.

The Ecumenical Patriarchate’s medieval history was primordially tied to that of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire, which experienced a tumultuous arc of expansion, contraction, recovery, and eventual collapse. In one of the most scandalous events of medieval Christendom, the Fourth Crusade in 1204 ironically saw Frankish and Venetian forces capture and plunder Constantinople, a culmination of the Great Schism and the many intrigues that followed. The Fourth Crusade brought forth an interregnum in Byzantine rule, compelling the Patriarchate to move to Nicaea until Constantinople was recovered by the Byzantines in 1261.

Left & Right: The northern and southern recesses of the Narthex flanking the portal to the Nave, featuring etched glass and Icons for veneration. Parishioners may make an offering, light a candle, and offer a personal prayer before entering the Nave. Icons are central to Orthodox worship, serving as windows that link Heaven and Earth.

Byzantine and Patriarchal histories were also indelibly shaped by Islamic conquests throughout different historical periods and dynasties. Byzantine territorial losses and recoveries occurred throughout the Arab-Byzantine Wars (7th-11th Centuries), the Seljuq settlement of Anatolia (11th Century), and the Ottoman Empire’s entry into Europe (14th Century), which led to the Fall of Constantinople in 1453. The last Byzantine Emperor, Constantine XI Palaiologos, died in battle and the Patriarchate subsequently came under the authority of the Ottoman Sultans.

A wide perspective on the Nave, flanked by symmetrical Aisles and intersected by the Transept. The dais at the crossing of the Nave and Transept is the Solea. Orthodox churches are known for their rich colors and elaborate mosaics, which reflect the importance of appropriating and appreciating material creation as a means of praising God.

The Ottoman Millet system created communal regimes of law based on confessional identification, with the Ecumenical Patriarch designated as Millet-Bashi (Ethnarch) of the Millet-i Rum (Roman-Orthodox Nation), which came to include many ethnicities but was dominated by ethnic Greeks. The Millet system de jure conferred a measure of communal autonomy, but Orthodox Christians were still second-class subjects compelled to wear distinctive dress, pay higher taxes, and subject to church seizures among other discriminations and persecutions, which also included the state-sponsored murders of Patriarchs and other clergy. Furthermore, the Devşirme system (mid-1300s to mid-1600s) separated countless young Orthodox boys from their families, forcing them to convert to Islam and be trained as Janissaries with exclusive loyalty to the Sultan.

Left & Right: The northern and southern Arcades preceding the Transept. Even larger Orthodox churches are kept relatively small to maintain an intimate atmosphere of community in worship. Most churches in Greece feature pews that have individual seater arms, while some traditional Orthodox churches have an open Nave without any seats.

The rapid collapse of the Ottoman Empire at the turn of the 20th Century brought numerous state-sponsored pogroms against its non-Muslim minorities, culminating in the Genocides of World War I and its aftermath. In conjunction with the Armenian and Assyrian Genocides, the Greek Genocide saw hundreds of thousands of Anatolian Greeks systematically killed as well as cultural sites and relics destroyed. A near-complete ethno-religious homogenization was later enacted via the Greece-Turkey Population Exchange of 1923, which saw around 1.2 million Orthodox Christians from Turkey and 400,000 Muslims from Greece de jure denaturalized and forcibly exchanged.

The asymmetrically configured Transept in comparative perspective. Left: The southern Transept. Right: The northern Transept dedicated to St. Nicholas, often featured iconically in Orthodox churches wearing an Eastern Vestment (Omophorion) and holding a Gospel Book (Evangelion).

The Ecumenical Patriarchate has remained in Constantinople-cum-Istanbul, in spite of the troubles with the Ottoman-cum-Republican State and the ever-present tensions found in being a communal minority within a society defined by Turkish ethno-nationalism with varying dimensions of Muslim identity politics. The hostility in Republican Turkey toward its Orthodox Christian citizens has ranged from pogroms to legalistic suppression, the latter most prominently via the closing of the Theological School of Halki due to a law banning private higher educational institutions in 1971. Halki had been the main theological school of the Patriarchate, so its reopening remains a central issue of importance for the worldwide Orthodox faithful.

Left: The Relic of St. Nicholas centrally featured in the northern Transept. Right: A consecrated Altar to the right of the Relic, featuring an American flag and dedicated to Greek-Americans who have died in wartime service.

His All-Holiness Bartholomew I has been Ecumenical Patriarch and Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome since 1991, known for his environmental advocacy as well as regular engagement in ecumenical and interfaith dialogue. As many Eastern Orthodox churches historically developed ethno-national identities and gained autocephaly, the Ecumenical Patriarch has an especially salient role in the character of Greek Orthodoxy, the polities of which maintain the use of Koine Greek in Liturgy. At the highest archiepiscopal levels, Greek Orthodoxy is composed of four Patriarchates (Constantinople, Antioch, Jerusalem, Alexandria), three autocephalous Churches (Greece, Cyprus, Albania), six Archdioceses subject to Constantinople (America, Canada, Thyateira & Great Britain, Italy & Malta, Crete, Australia), and an autonomous Church subject to Jerusalem (Sinai).

Left: The Kavouklion to the left of the Relic. From Good Friday through Easter Sunday, the Kavouklion is moved to the Solea and represents Christ’s Tomb. Right: The Icon upon the Kavouklion depicting Christ’s Resurrection. Christ reaches out to Adam and Eve, symbolizing the lifting of Original Sin. The almond-shaped aureola around Christ is a Mandorla, reserved for the Persons of the Trinity and St. Mary.

The relationship between the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Church of Greece, the latter formed in 1833 after the Greek War of Independence, is of particular importance given their responsibilities over the largest Greek Orthodox polities. Whereas the Church of Greece has formal jurisdiction over the territory of Old Greece prior to the Balkan Wars of 1912–3, the Patriarchate has formal jurisdiction over Northern Greece, Mount Athos, Crete, and the Dodecanese. For pragmatic reasons, the Church of Greece is the de facto administrator of most dioceses across the country, but the Patriarchate retains recognition and privileges within the aforementioned territories.

A wide perspective on the Solea, framed by a balustrade and projecting outward as an extension of the Sanctuary housed within the High Apse. Dividing the Sanctuary from the Nave is the Iconostasion (Iconostasis). Solea and Iconostasion are conventional to Eastern Rite churches.

The first Greek communities in the Americas were in Florida (1768) and New Orleans (1850s), but the first great wave of Greek immigration to the United States occurred during 1890–1917 due to the hardships of Ottoman rule, with most of the 450,000 migrants of that period settling in the northeast. Most were male and had planned their stays to be short-term, but the Greek Genocide, Population Exchange, and National Origins Formula (1921–65) incentivized many to apply for American citizenship, which allowed the single men to sponsor picture brides and the married men to sponsor their families. During 1947–79, around 235,000 Greeks immigrated to the United States and became culturally associated with the booming businesses of diners and coffee shops, with New York State featuring the largest concentration of Greek-Americans to this day.

Left: The Pulpit at the northeastern corner of the Solea. Right: The Throne of the Archbishop on the southern side of the Solea, featuring a mosaic Icon of Christ wearing an Eastern Vestment (Omophorion) and Bishop’s Crown (Miter).

At the turn of the 20th Century, the rapidly growing Greek Orthodox polity in America was symbolically under the spiritual aegis of the Ecumenical Patriarchate before being placed under the formal jurisdiction of the Church of Greece in 1908. When the then-Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America was incorporated in 1921 and recognized by New York State in 1922, formal jurisdiction was restored to the Patriarchate. The incorporation and jurisdictional pendulum, which contentiously divided Orthodox Greeks in America and Europe, were consequences of the Ottoman Empire’s violent collapse and Greece’s internal factionalism between Royalists and Liberals.

The eastern walls of the Transept flanking the Iconostasion. Left: The Ten Commandments, representing the heritage of the Old Testament. Right: The Nicene Creed, adopted at the First Council of Nicaea in 325 and amended at the First Council of Constantinople in 381.

What was the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America was split in 1996 and has since had jurisdiction over just the United States as the Archdiocese of America, the largest Orthodox polity in the country with around 500 parishes. The Archdiocese consists of the Direct Archdiocesan District of New York and eight Metropoli: New Jersey, Chicago, Atlanta, Detroit, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Boston, and Denver. The Holy Eparchial Synod is thus composed of the eight Metropolitan Bishops with His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America as Synodal President.

Left: The Patriarchal Emblem in mosaic at the center of the Solea. Right: A vertical perspective on the eastern terminus of the Cathedral. The Iconostasion shrouds the Sanctuary and Christ Pantocrator (Christ the Judge) watches over all from the Dome. In the semi-dome of the High Apse is the Platytéra conventional to Eastern Rite churches, which iconically features St. Mary as Theotokos (Bearer of God). The Platytéra is also referred to as Our Lady of the Sign.

The Archdiocese has historically been at the forefront of national matters beyond just the Greek community, most notably during the Civil Rights era. His Eminence the late Archbishop Iakovos (1911–2005), Primate during 1959–96, was one of the few prominent white clergymen and the only episcopal figure to join Martin Luther King, Jr. for the march in Selma, Alabama. Remaining a vocal proponent of human rights throughout his life, the Archbishop positively raised the profile of Orthodoxy in the United States and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Carter in 1980.

The Iconostasion in focus, with the Deacon Doors at its sides and the Royal Door at its center enclosing the Altar or Holy Table. The landing before it is the Ambon, upon which the Deacon reads the Gospel and says the Litanies, the Priest gives the Dismissal closing the Divine Liturgy, and parishioners receive Holy Communion. Per the Constantinopolitan Rite, the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is used for regular Sundays, the Liturgy of St. Basil for Lent Sundays and Great Feasts, and the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts for Lent Weekdays.

The Archdiocesan Cathedral has humble origins in the Holy Trinity parish, the first Greek Orthodox parish in New York City and the second in the Americas. Established in 1891, the parish initially shared space in an Evangelical church before purchasing a Gothic Episcopal church in 1904, where it remained until a devastating fire in 1927. Its present lot was subsequently purchased in 1929, with the edifice constructed over the course of five months during 1931–2, consecrated in 1933, and elevated as the Archdiocesan Cathedral in 1962.

The segments of the Iconostasion in detail. Center: The Royal Door featuring the four Apostle-Evangelists: Saints Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Left: The northern segment featuring the Archangel Gabriel, the Holy Trinity (per the titular identity of the Cathedral parish), and St. Mary. Right: The southern segment featuring Christ, St. John the Baptist, and the Archangel Michael.

The Archdiocesan Cathedral sponsors various ministries and associated institutions, including but not limited to the founding chapter of the Philoptochos Society (women’s philanthropy), Greek Orthodox Youth of America (GOYA), a Homeless Ministry, and The Cathedral School. The latter was founded in 1949 to instill an appreciation of Hellenic language, culture, and history among Greek-Americans. However, it has long featured a diverse student population that embodies the concept of Hellenism as an inclusive, universal model for the education and character-building of Greeks and non-Greeks alike.

An angled perspective on the Platytéra, fronted by the Sanctuary Lamp.

The essential role of faith in the lives of Greeks the world over cannot be overstated. The incredible history of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and Greek Orthodoxy is but one segment of the even longer Greek civilizational journey from Classical Antiquity through to Christendom and the Modern era. In the realms of philosophy, culture, and religion, there are few civilizations that can claim the outsized influence that Greek civilization has had on human development.

Christ Pantocrator in focus, encircled by six-winged Seraphim. The three letters in the tri-radiant signify the words “I am Who am” spoken by the Burning Bush to Moses. The fingers of his right hand form the Christogram IC XC, which are the first and last letters of “Jesus” and “Christ” in Greek.

These photos were taken utilizing both a wide-angle lens and a standard zoom lens on two nonconsecutive days before the first confirmed cases of COVID-19 in New York City. Photos of the facade were limited by the extensive scaffolding. The New York City Chapter of the American Guild of Organists features an unobstructed photo of the Cathedral exterior.

Acknowledgments and gratitude go to The Reverend Father John Vlahos and Deacon Sotiri Michalatos. As Cathedral Dean, Father John approved the production of this feature upon initial email contact. Deacon Sotiri followed up to schedule and facilitate interior photography.

Further gratitude goes to the Greek Redditors who helpfully identified the Nicene Creed, confirmed the memorial aspect of the Transept Altar, and noted differences with churches in Greece.

Interested parties may learn more about the Capital Campaign and donate online.