Church Sanctuary to Be Consecrated

The new sanctuary at St. Paul’s Greek Orthodox Church in Irvine will be consecrated, beginning with a consecration vespers service tonight and continuing Sunday with the consecration service. In the Orthodox Christian setting, consecration means to set aside a new sanctuary to the Glory of God.

At 7 tonight will be great vespers, which includes bringing the relics or remains of saints into the sanctuary and placing them on the new altar table with a vigil lamp. During the consecration service, holy relics are sealed into the altar table where they will remain. On Sunday the Matins and consecration service will take place. There will be a procession three times around the church to set boundaries that will be consecrated as part of the sanctuary.

Psalm 24 will be sung, which allows the clergy and congregation to enter the church. The archbishop places the relics into the altar table, which is then washed and anointed with the holy oil of Chrismation. After this baptism of the new altar, other altar appointments will be blessed and placed on the altar table.

The archbishop and bishop will bless all areas of the church building by anointing them with the holy oil of Chrismation, then the oil vigil lamp will be placed on the altar table.

Archbishop Iakovos, Bishop Anthony and other bishops and priests from Southern California will participate in the services. Archbishop Iakovos, who is spiritual leader of Orthodox Christians in North and South America, became the archbishop in 1959. He presides over the Standing Conference of Orthodox Bishops in the United States. Bishop Anthony of San Francisco is bishop of the western states. Father George S. Stephanides is pastor of St. Paul’s Greek Orthodox Church.

On Sunday, Matins is at 8:30 a.m., followed by the consecration service at 9:30. The first Divine Liturgy in the consecrated church is at 11:30 a.m. The church is at 4949 Alton Parkway. Information: (714) 733-2366.