Yay! Church Interior Pictures!

Previous Phases:
Phase 1
Phase 2
Phase 3
Phase 4
Phase 5
Phase 6
Phase 7
Phase 8

The following pics were taken today when I went to church for choir practice -- we practiced in the new building, so I got to click around and see all the new stuff (thanks, Matushka, for facilitating the "tour" of the great new altar we've got (see below). The first picture is the approx. ten-foot cross that will go on top of the huge gold-leaf dome which will go on top of the building. It is, as you can see, wrapped in what appears to be Saran Wrap. Huh.


Next up is the pic of the doors leading from the narthex to the nave. These are nice, wooden doors that work really well with the tile that is, as you can see, stylishly covering the concrete slab that we all stood on during the Abp's blessing visit on 12/4. Yes, that's Nick again.






From inside the doors, here's a pic from the back of the nave -- actually, it's sort of a "second narthex," since the two walls there are there to mark the back of the nave and, being moveable, will help us accommodate lots of folks for Pascha, etc. We're looking at the four quarters of the gold cupola, which are still awaiting the gold leaf. Once that gets here, the dome will be leafed and placed on top of the building! In the background you see the red-carpeted amvon and the just-made, traditional wooden altar.


This is a shot of the cupola quarters from the side. The thing is huge; it's probably about 10-12 feet high from base to tip, then add another 10 feet or so for that cross that's outside...whoo, boy...





Off to the side, opposite the cupola, is our new kitchen. Huge thing, this kitchen, which is great for us; we'll be able to properly facilitate our Old Country Christmas sales, which require much preparation of baked goods and pierogi...mmm...pierogi... {drools}



Interior of the very roomy kitchen, complete with nice wooden cabinets and cabinets, sinks...







...a range, an oven, and lots of other good stuff.








This is a classroom that's on the other side of the nave from the kitchen. This'll be used for everything from Church school to Adult Education.






The amvon, with Nick and Matushka sitting on the steps, waiting for the rest of the choir to get here...altar there in the background...






And now a close-up of the altar! This altar was made for us and paid for completely by donations (thanks be to God). It's a traditionally made altar for an Orthodox Church, which--aside from the three-bar cross on front--dictates that it be made entirely out of wood. No metal parts or tools or anything. No clue why that is, but the altar's gorgeous nonetheless. One of our altar servers (Steve!) asked if there was any way we could leave this uncovered for liturgies...unfortunately, no, but I felt the same desire myself while looking at it...


Matushka is showing us the reliquary in the top of the center of the altar; each Orthodox altar must have on it a relic of some saint in order to be used--I can't remember whose relics are on our current one. Next to the hole is a plastic bag with four wooden pegs that go in the corners of the altar once it's consecrated.


This small cross is on the side of the "lid" of the altar, on the side that is to face the people.







This is a storage unit we had built into the back of the altar (facing away from the faithful). It'll just be used to store some of the Holy Vessels, I think--chalice etc.





Close-up of the reliquary, pegs, and reliquary lid (also with cross engraved into front side of lid).