All Saints Orthodox in Olyphant celebrates Church Rebirth

7/8/2011

OLYPHANT – If you’re walking into All Saints Orthodox Church for the first time, you may find it hard to believe that it was nearly in ruins after a catastrophic fire in March 2006.

With construction complete more than five years later, the Rev. David Cowan and parishioners look at the tragedy not as a disaster, but as a test – and a triumph of faith.

“Through this struggle, the parish has become more tightly knit as a family; a body of faithful and diligent laborers for Christ,” said the Rev. Cowan, who became the rector of the church in January 2007.

“Stunning,” “glorious” and “radiant” are words the Rev. Cowan used to describe the construction, a project he said resulted in a completely different building from the one before the fire. However, he said the character of the century-old church has remained constant.

“In the church, you know that you are standing in the awesome presence of the living God,” said the Rev. Cowan. “It was that way in this church before the fire, and it is that way still and, some here will say, to an even greater degree now.”

The intricate architectural details that comprise the new grand altar and iconostasis, Greek for “icon stand,” help to make it just that – grand. Floor-to-ceiling icons, or images of the Lord and various saints, cover the iconostasis, altar, walls and ceiling of the church.

In the Orthodox faith, emphasis is placed on icons and their placement within the church. The Rev. Cowan said those who follow the religion may also put icons in their homes.

The icon project alone cost about $450,000, said the Rev. Cowan. He added that 95 percent of the funds came from insurance money, with the rest from donations.

The Rev. Cowan said all of the former icons have been replaced since the fire. Some are being professionally restored and framed to be displayed in the vestibule of the church to represent times before the fire.

The chandelier hanging in the center of the worship hall was shipped from Greece, while the iconographer himself, Ivan Rumantsiev, is from Russia and is a follower of the Russian Orthodox faith.

“The iconographer, like the bishop or the priest or the church school teacher, comes from within the church,” said the Rev. Cowan. “He is not a hireling, and that is what assures the preservation of the Orthodox character of the temple.”

In celebration of the completion of construction, the diocesan leader, Bishop Tikhon of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania, will reconsecrate the church in a ceremony set for Saturday, Sept. 17.

On Sunday, Sept. 11, the church will hold a special 10-year memorial service in remembrance of the 2001 terrorist attacks.

Contact the writer: mdavis@timesshamrock.com

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