Greek Fest: Church and Icons

There is a church just off of Highway 151.  It is Assumption Greek Orthodox Church and it is lovely.  It was founded by Greek immigrants who settled in Madison, so the congregation is very fond of the heritage.  Every summer they hold a small two-day fair called Greek Fest.  Mostly what it consists of is Greek food, music, and a tour of the sanctuary (just decorated with icons).  It's small, but awesome.

I shared a plate of various Greek foods with my dad and little brother.  This sampler included meatballs, a cheese phylo, a spinach pie, dolmades (stuffed grape leaves), shish-kabob, and bread, plus some loukoumades (Greek honey puffs).  We ate our lunch outside, so we were able to listen to some Greek music (while trying to ignore the unbearable heat). 

The Eastern Orthodox denomination holds a unique place in Christian history.  Unlike the western church which changed considerably over the past several centuries, the Eastern Orthodox church has remained relatively unchanged in terms of art and tradition.

This denomination places a huge emphasis on icons.  In fact, the artist who painted the icons in the church still has a few more to paint.  I can't list all the icons in the church, but I'll try to name a few. 

Pictured in the Pendentives (four triangles surrounding the dome), are the Four Gospel Writers: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.  Each of them is shown in a sort of study where they are writing their gospels.

There are many icons along the walls of the sanctuary (Saints Anne, Paraskevi, and Theadore Tyron to name a few).  These icons are on either side of the pews.  Back in Europe, the church sanctuary is standing room only.  Here, they put in pews so that people can sit down, which is logical considering that the average Orthodox liturgy can last for more than an hour (I'm understating the case here because some liturgies go for six hours!). 

The dome icons consist of important figures from the Old Testament (Noah, Abraham, Sarah, and King David being a few of them).  The icon at the top of the inside of the dome itself portrays Jesus.  Apparently the dome is supposed to represent Heaven (hence why Jesus is shown at the top).

The icons surrounding the alter are the ones that really hold your attention.  The icon you first notice when you walk in the door of the sanctuary is the one of the Virgin Mary, her title in this church being "Mother of God".  However, as much as she's called "the bridge between Heaven and Earth, Mary does not hold the same position in the Orthodox church as she does in the Catholic church.  She is seen as one of us; a human being with flaws.  She is portrayed holding the infant Christ and her halo is made of gold leaf.  In front of her icon is a Eastern style crucifix. 

I recommend Greek Fest for anyone who wants to find something to do at the end of July in Madison.  It's got great food, music, and church history.