St. Ignatius Orthodox Church celebrates blessing of new doors and stairway
Florida. Stairways and doors play important spiritual roles in the Orthodox Church
| 23 Oct 2019 | 01:17
On Sunday, Oct. 20, members of St. Ignatius Orthodox Church, 75 North Main Street in the Village of Florida, gathered outside to celebrate the blessing of their new front doors and a new stairway which leads from street level up to the church property. (
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Father George Kevorkian blesses the new stairway which leads from street level up to St. Ignatius Orthodox Church in the Village of Florida.
Pastor Father George Kevorkian concluded the blessing and invited the members to continue the service in the church. (
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Members of St. Ignatius Orthodox Church, 75 North Main St., gathered outside on Sunday, Oct. 20, to celebrate the blessing of their new front doors and a new stairway which leads from street level up to the church property.
“These new projects not only beautify the church,” said the pastor, Father George Kevorkian,” but also allow us to express our gratitude to the Village of Florida by contributing to the beauty of the community.”
The presence of stairways and doors play important spiritual roles in the Orthodox Church.
“The outer stairway represents our first ascent from a broken secular world to the glory which awaits us as we worship God in His Church,” explained Kevorkian. “This first ascent leads us to the outer front doors of the church, which separate the sacred from the profane. They serve to shut out all things, which have a purpose other than participating with the saints and angels in heavenly worship. All who enter these doors need to be very serious about meeting God, which is not only an awesome event, but an encounter, which should humble us greatly.”
Members of St. Ignatius Orthodox Church began to worship in their current location on March 18, 2007.
Services are held in the English language, according to the Eastern Rite.
The membership is from a broad cross-section of people who either were born into the Orthodox Church, or who came into the Orthodox Church later in their lives.
“We appreciate and celebrate our diversity of backgrounds, yet we are united in one faith,” said Kevorkian. “We are blessed to worship in the Village of Florida and to witness the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
St. Ignatius celebrates the Paraklesis to the Theotokos on Wednesdays at 7 p.m., Great Vespers on Saturdays at 5 p.m., and on Sundays celebrates Orthros at 9 a.m. and Divine Liturgy at 10 a.m.
- Roger Gavan