St. Luke's Greek Orthodox Cathedral is a

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the ''cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominations ...

of the

Greek Orthodox Church The term Greek Orthodox Church ( Greek: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία, ''Ellinorthódoxi Ekklisía'', ) has two meanings. The broader meaning designates "the entire body of Orthodox (Chalcedonian) Christianity, sometimes also cal ...

in the Dowanhill district of

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popu ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...

History

Belhaven U.P. Church

The church was designed by James Sellars and built in 1877 as the Belhaven Church for the

United Presbyterian Church of Scotland The United Presbyterian Church (1847–1900) was a Scottish Presbyterian denomination. It was formed in 1847 by the union of the United Secession Church and the Relief Church, and in 1900 merged with the Free Church of Scotland to form the Uni ...

. The church was built in Norman Gothic style, inspired by

Dunblane Cathedral Dunblane Cathedral is the larger of the two Church of Scotland parish churches serving Dunblane, near the city of Stirling, in central Scotland. The lower half of the tower is pre- Romanesque from the 11th century, and was originally free-stand ...

. The congregation became part of the

Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland. The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Reformation of 1560, when it split from the Catholic Church ...

in 1929 and continued to meet there until 1960. A prominent feature of the church is the collection of

stained glass Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...

windows designed by Stephen Adam which depict scenes from the Old and New Testament."Scenes from the Old and New Testament Designed by Stephen Adams (1848-1910)"
''Victorian Web''. Retrieved on 21 July 2020.

Orthodoxy

Following the amalgamation of Behaven Church with a neighbouring congregation, the Belhaven Church building was no longer needed by the Church of Scotland. It was converted to a Greek Orthodox Church; the work was paid for by Sir Reo Stakis. Stakis had also paid for the first (much smaller) Greek Orthodox church in the city, in 1953. St Luke's Templon, Glasgow

On 24 May 1970 the

Patriarch Nicholas VI of Alexandria Nicholas VI (February 1913 – July 10, 1986) served as Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria between 1968 and 1986. References * 20th-century Greek Patriarchs of Alexandria 1913 births 1986 deaths {{EasternOrthodoxy-bis ...

, who was attending the

General Assembly of the Church of Scotland The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the sovereign and highest court of the Church of Scotland, and is thus the Church's governing body.''An Introduction to Practice and Procedure in the Church of Scotland'' by A. Gordon McGillivray, ...

, visited St. Luke's and elevated it to the status of a Cathedral, with the blessing of the

Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople ( el, Οἰκουμενικὸν Πατριαρχεῖον Κωνσταντινουπόλεως, translit=Oikoumenikón Patriarkhíon Konstantinoupóleos, ; la, Patriarchatus Oecumenicus Constanti ...

. This occasion is commemorated with a marble plaque, inscribed with gold lettering, at the right side of the entrance hall. On Sunday 7 July 1996 the cathedral was visited by the

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople Bartholomew I ( el, Βαρθολομαῖος Αʹ, , tr, I. Bartholomeos; born 29 February 1940) is the 270th archbishop of Constantinople and Ecumenical Patriarch, since 2 November 1991. In accordance with his title, he is regarded as the ''pr ...

, who celebrated the Divine Liturgy.

Other cathedrals

The other cathedrals in Glasgow are St. Andrew's Cathedral (

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

) and St. Mary's Cathedral (

Episcopalian Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of the ...

Glasgow Cathedral Glasgow Cathedral ( gd, Cathair-eaglais Ghlaschu) is a parish church of the Church of Scotland in Glasgow, Scotland. It is the oldest cathedral in mainland Scotland and the oldest building in Glasgow. The cathedral was the seat of the Archbisho ...

(

) is also in Glasgow, but it is not a Cathedral Church, as it is no longer the seat of a bishop. Nearby churches include: * Jordanhill Parish Church (Church of Scotland) * Kelvinside Hillhead Parish Church (Church of Scotland) * St. John's Renfield Church (Church of Scotland) * St. Mary's Cathedral (Scottish Episcopal Church) * Wellington Church (Church of Scotland)

References

External links

Website of the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of St. Luke
Churches completed in 1877 19th-century Eastern Orthodox church buildings Category B listed buildings in Glasgow Luke's Tourist attractions in Glasgow Listed cathedrals in Scotland James Sellars buildings Church buildings converted to a different denomination Hillhead Greek Orthodox cathedrals in the United Kingdom Eastern Orthodoxy in Scotland Cathedrals in Scotland Listed churches in Glasgow 1877 establishments in Scotland {{UK-EO-church-stub