Pictures of Orthodox Churches

The main church of Holy Trinity Monastery

Holy Trinity Cathedral

This cathedral is located within the Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, New York. The church, with its golden domes and frescoed interior, was designed by R.N. Verkovshkoy in the "tent" style of churches in northern Russia. Dedicated to the Holy Trinity, the main church was consecrated in 1950. The church is the main attraction for visitors to the monastery. The church houses a number of holy relics and icons.

The monastery belongs to the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, the supreme Church authority established after the communist persecution of the Church. The governing Synod of Bishops is located in New York City. The monastery was started in 1930 by two young Russian immigrants. After making a $25 downpayment on a farm, the two started construction on a house and a chapel. After many difficulties, they were eventually joined by other seekers of monastic life.

Now, the monastery has a seminary building which houses an auditorium, museum, archives, library, and classrooms. The monastery includes the St. Job Printing Press which publishes Orthodox Russia, Orthodox Life, and The Orthodox Way. It is the only press now publishing in Church Slavonic. The monastery has several cemetaries, which include a smaller Cemetary Church.

The chapel of St. Mary's Byzantine Catholic Church

St. Mary's Byzantine Catholic Church

Orthodox churches are richly decorated with religious art. Holy images in the form of icons are an important part of worship. The Orthodox revere relics of saints, icons, the cross, but they do not allow the use of carved images.

At the front of the chapel is the iconostas which separates the sanctuary containing the altar from the rest of the church. The congregation looks into the sanctuary through the doorways of the iconostas. St. Simeon of Thessalonica wrote concerning the ikonostas that not everything is permissible for everyone. Thus, the church is composed of two parts: the revealed and the sacramental. In the early days of the Church, the iconostas was used to hide portions of the service from the skepticism of pagans and catechumans not yet ready to accept baptism.