Church of St.Nicholas (Greek Orthodox) (Cardiff)

 church, orthodox christianity, Greek Revival (architecture)

Church is a Parish Church of the Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain under the Ecumenical Patriarchate. This parish started in 1873 as the Greek Sea men’s Mission. Now it serves all Orthodox Christians in Cardiff and surrounding areas.

The first official meeting of Greeks in Cardiff had taken place on 18th December 1873. At that meeting the Greek seamen had decided to build a Greek Church, near the port, and dedicate it to Saint Nicholas, the Patron Saint of sailors. That meeting was organized by an Englishman, called Timothy Hatherly, who had been ordained an Orthodox Priest at Constantinople and had returned to his native land to serve the Greek Orthodox congregations. On 4th March 1877 Fr. Hatherly had started organizing another Greek Community in Bristol.

The plastered interior is covered in lavish painting and decoration. The Iconostasis, a screen of icons, of Christ, the Virgin and Saints, closes off the sanctuary, reserved to the priest; the walls carry more icons, and the central dome has Biblical figures surrounding the figure of Christ Pantocrator (ruler of the world). At the west end are scenes from the life of St Nicholas, the patron, the Transfiguration and Pentecost. The whole church was beautifully restored, at the expense of the Greek community, in 2002

greekorthodoxchurchcardiff.org.uk/
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