Our Parish History
Our Parish History
The Greek Orthodox Church of Our Saviour is a parish under the spiritual and ecclesiastical shepherding of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. It was founded in the 1950s on the beautiful grounds of a private estate, the mansion of which initially served as sanctuary, offices, and educational and social spaces. In 1961-62 a glorious Byzantine church was built adjacent to the mansion; the mansion itself continued to serve as offices, and educational and social spaces. A beautiful chapel was fashioned out of part of the mansion and was named after His Eminence Iakovos of blessed memory. A frequent celebrant at Church of Our Saviour, Archbishop Iakovos consecrated the main sanctuary in 1972. In the course of time, a large multipurpose hall, named after generous donor and member Arthur Marros, was erected; it included educational spaces on the lower level. A major change to the sanctuary was the addition of iconography on all interior surfaces, completed in 2016.
The following are some comments about the logic behind the original and impressive design of our sanctuary by the eminent architect John M. Kokkins, who, it is noted with profound gratitude, donated his services for this impressive church building. Writing in 1962, Mr. Kokkins explains:
“In considering the most appropriate architectural design to express the community we were striving to become, we were unanimous on following Byzantine tradition, adapted to the present time and place. Since the available site had unusual advantages, it was also hoped that the new structure should have distinctive appeal. Once members of the Parish Council, under the shepherding of His Eminence Archbishop Iakovos, agreed on the dome as the most expressive characteristic of Byzantine architecture, my work as architect began.
“The Byzantine tradition, of course, includes churches with basilican type plans like the church of St. Demetrios in Salonica; churches with plans in the shape of the Greek cross and multiple domes like that of St. Marks in Venice and the Daphnia’s Church near Athens; churches of concentric plan like that of Aghia (St.) Sophia in Constantinople, and in modern times, churches with composite plans, that is to say, a dome superimposed on a basilican plan like the cathedral church of modern Athens.
“Of the various types of churches, the Greek-cross type has been the most common, especially prior to the twentieth century in the Greek countryside. Although Aghia Sophia has been an isolated example of its type, it is also the largest, most distinctive and most renowned church of Eastern Orthodox Christianity, considered by most Greeks as the ideal example of Byzantine architecture. Still, one should not forget the baptistry as an essentially equally important type of Byzantine religious structure.
The baptistry developed out of the need of mass conversion of adults to the Christian faith by administering the sacrament of baptism only two or three times a year. These structures were usually round or polygonal in plan with a superimposed dome, the most likely prototype of which was the Roman Pantheon. The architects of Aghia Sophia were no doubt influenced by the Pantheon.
“The best surviving examples of this type of church are: S. S. Sergius and Bacchus at Constantinople and S. Vitale at Ravenna, Italy. Like Aghia Sophia, they were both built by Justinian and are both crowned with a dome a little more than fifty feet in diameter. This antecedent, which was hardly used by the Byzantines since the time of Justinian, offered in our opinion the most promising source of inspiration for the design of a modern church with Byzantine flavor.
“We adopted the dome over the entire nave as the central theme of the design, a symbol of the heavens over the earth. All other functions of the holy liturgy were subordinated to the dome: the main entrance or narthex in front, the altar directly opposite and aisles at the perimeter for general circulation and connection between narthex and altar. The function of the liturgy being simple, we felt the structure should also express simplicity, thereby impressing, both externally and internally.
“Externally, the curved roof of the dome, the use of the Mediterranean roof tile (so called in the USA “Spanish tile”), stone and red brick, and circular and round-headed windows are additional obvious links to tradition. Internally selected features of Byzantine ornament were deliberately used to give unmistaken evidence of the origins and the traditions of the Greek Church. The columns, the arches, the vaults, the dome, all combine to produce one simple and harmonious unit.
“In Church of Our Saviour, the focus is the altar and the iconostasis, visible equally well and almost equally distant from every part of the nave. Here the priest, the chief functionary of the liturgy, is literally in the center of things, in full and direct view of all communicants.
“In entering the church and while still in the narthex, one is immediately in full view of the dome and becomes fully conscious of its all-embracing importance. Wherever one stands, wherever one looks, the dome is ever present and always dominant. It is designed in reality in the shape of an egg, but it appears like an ellipse, the short diameter of which is 47′-0″, and the long 52′-0″. The cross-section of the dome is a three-centered arch, the peak of which is 47′-2″ above the floor of the nave. The dome is built of plaster and steel lath and ribs, and it is suspended from a heavy structural steel frame. Its large diameter is just less than half that of Aghia Sophia, but very large indeed by modern standards. It is hoped a large mural of the Pantocrator and his apostles will someday cover this vast space. What an opportunity for a talented artist and a generous benefactor! [And this has indeed come to be in the course of time-the editor.]
“The nave is lighted by twelve long and slender windows glazed with glass of various soft hues, each window symbolizing one of the twelve apostles.
“The chief characteristic of Byzantine architecture is the treatment of interior surfaces. Byzantine muralists and mosaic setters not only reached unsurpassed heights in their art but also served as the source of inspiration for future painters, both Renaissance and Modern. One of the reasons for the preeminence of Byzantine decorative arts is the opportunity afforded for such arts by the unique wall surfaces resulting from the interior architectural treatment of Byzantine style. Such surfaces and opportunities we have here too, in abundance, enough to excite the imagination of any artist. These surfaces have another side effect: unusual acoustics.
“Approximately one-third of the nave (soleas) is reserved for the choir, pulpit, bishop’s throne, seats for distinguished personages, baptisms, weddings and funerals; it is raised two steps above the main part of the nave. There are seating accommodations for 250 persons arranged in individual seats imported from Greece with carved Byzantine emblems. There is standing room for at least two hundred additional persons if necessary. [Seating has been expanded over time-the editor.]
“It is contemplated that the separation between altar and nave, and narthex and nave will be accomplished by means of specially designed and carved wood screens properly embellished with icons and other ornaments. [This too came to be-the editor.]
“There remained one problem: to provide a proper and harmonious connection of the new structure to the existing mansion, which will continue to be used as a community house. This was effected by locating the new church at some distance from the old house and connecting the two with a long cloister-like-corridor using the same stone as the mansion house and gradually blending it into the brick and stone of the church. In this manner, the French-Norman style of the mansion and the Byzantine of the church hold hands with a minimum of conflict.
“When the site work is finally done, and the new planting is in place, the whole composition will be firmly brought together into one coherent unit. Mellow tones of immortal music or doleful peeling of chimes generated by the marvel of modern electronics will spill from loudspeakers purposely housed in the cupola. Thus, the architect hopes, new beauty will be brought out of the past to delight the eyes and ears of modern people.”
Another assessment of our church building was offered by Antigone Vlachoyannis in 1996, who titled her remarks, “In celebration of a great work for generations to come”:
“Situated at 2195 Westchester Avenue East in Rye of Westchester County, New York, the small magnificent Byzantine Church of Our Saviour, with its church complex, is one of the most beautiful Greek Orthodox complexes in the United States. Designed and executed gratis by dedicated architect John M. Kokkins and supervising engineer Peter Limber from 1961 to 1962, the church was built on the grounds of what used to be the Harmonay estate on a piece of land encompassing more than ten acres of prime property.
“The design of the church and community complex incorporated the existing Harmonay mansion. The building materials, stone and tiles of the two-leveled mansion, blend in the natural surrounding environment of trees and flowers and do not antagonize the Church’s building, which consists on the outside of similar materials such as roofing tiles, bricks, blunt marble and stone. An imposing entrance (because of its size, shape, severe simplicity of design and materials) was designed to distinctly invite in and to mitigate between the size of the actual entrance door and the height of the church’s building.
“Aghia Sophia in Constantinople (Istanbul, Turkey), and San Vitale church in Ravena, Italy, became the inspirational points for the architectural design of this complicated steel structure. Four different centers were designed to create the oval (not ellipse), egg-shaped dome, which rests on 12 round columns in alternating pink and ochre trompe–l’oeil marble columns. Two squared columns, one on each side of the main entrance, complete the circle formed by the columns and have only a decorative purpose. The columns’ capitals were made by Italian sculptors in New Jersey and are exact replicas of the ones in Aghia Sophia.
“The noted Byzantine artist, George Lydakis, designed and executed in repoussé the naturally antiqued sterling silver iconostasis (division with icons, between the nave of the church and the sanctuary and altar), encompassing a wealth of Orthodox symbolism. This iconostasis was inspired by the original one in the church of Aghia Sophia. The mosaic floor (terrazzo) in pink, white, and brown colors, with green, dark green and black trimmings, includes in its design at the main entrance the two-headed Byzantine eagle made of one-inch-thick bronze. The same eagle appears also on both sides (back and front) of the backs of the unique sitting arrangements of this church. Instead of benches, like in other churches in the U.S. or chairs, like in Greece, we find at each side of the nave, 9 rows with approx. 12 large, dark armchairs per row, each with a flat sitting cushion, in deep red color. All chairs were carved with the Byzantine motifs in Greece by the traditional furniture carvers of the Island of Skyros and were then shipped to Rye, NY.
“Four impressive, large round chandeliers in antiquated bronze hang from the ceiling forming a hypothetical square. They were designed by Mr. Kokkins to compliment the architectural design of the building and reflect symbols from the realm of culture and faith. The Platytera (Madonna with Child) at the proscenium arch in the altar, the Pantokrator (Christ) at the dome, as well as other frescos on the walls and icons of the iconostasis, are all executed according to Byzantine prototypes and underline the character of this temple of worship. Several more furniture pieces, such as the amvon (pulpit), the episcopal throne, the analogion (cantor’s stand), the pangari (candle stand), are all carved in a traditional, intricate Byzantine pattern by skilled Greek artists abroad. Although impressive with their carvings, they do not impose with their presence. Gathered together purposely in the same space of worship, several thousand miles away from their original prototypes of inspiration, they enrich our appreciation of craftsmanship, art tradition, history, faith, culture, communication and commitment.
“The author would like to thank Rev. Fr. Baglaneas, Mr. Kokkins, Mr. and Mrs. Vance, Mr. Tahmincioglu, and last but not least Mr. and Mrs. Allen for offering valuable information and leads during her research for this paper.”
[this webpage was edited by Irene Kacandes in January 2025]
