CHARLOTTE — St. Basil the Great Ukrainian Greek Mission in Charlotte recently installed an authentic Byzantine iconostasis for the sanctuary of the chapel at St. Thomas Aquinas Church where the community worships. An iconostasis is a screen, decorated with icons, that demarcates the sanctuary from the nave.
The iconostasis also acts as a veil for the sanctuary, the Holy of Holies. The central doors, or holy doors, have the Annunciation depicted on them to show that heaven and earth meet in the church just as heaven and earth were united in the womb of the Mother of God at the Incarnation. The opening and closing of the holy doors occurs at different times during the Divine Liturgy, or Mass, displays the different events of Christ's saving work being made present. The iconostasis also points to the Sacred Mysteries that cannot be seen but must be contemplated with the heart. New World Byzantine Studios in Charleston, S.C., designed, constructed and installed the iconostasis.
Learn more about St. Basil Mission at www.stbasil.weebly.com.
—Photos provided by Father Deacon Kevin Bezner and Father Deacon Matthew Hanes
