The Dormition of the Virgin Mary, Greek Orthodox Church of the Hamptons will hold the official door opening of the newly built sanctuary, whose resplendent copper dome and Justinian Cross can be seen from County Road 39 in Shinnecock Hills.  On August 15, which is the Feast Day of the Dormition (also known as the Assumption), His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America will preside over the door opening services.  At 9:30 AM, The Archbishop will lead those in attendance to the courtyard outside of the new Sanctuary with its impressive, central doors closed.  There, His Eminence will lead the people in prayer, asking God to bless all of the people and the new church building.  The Archbishop will then sprinkle the exterior of the church and those present with the Holy Water.  Then he will proceed to open the doors, leading the congregation inside to celebrate the first Divine Liturgy (The Eucharistic Service of the Orthodox Church) to ever be conducted in the new Church.

The three phase project, which spent more than a decade in planning, has been under construction for the past two years.  The completion of the Sanctuary, the major of the three phases, is a historic milestone in the life of the parish and is an extraordinary contribution to the architectural landscape of the East End.  The Sanctuary is a domed, cruciform church, modeled after the classic style of the 6th century Byzantine ecclesiastical architectural tradition.  The dome of the church boasts a height of 60 feet.  Commenting on the design, Rev. Father Alexander Karloutsos said, “We wanted to simultaneously achieve the sense of intimacy and majesty in this Church.”

The door opening will begin at 9:30 AM with the Archieretical Divine Liturgy beginning at approximately 10:00 AM.  The church is located in Shinnecock Hills at 111 Saint Andrews Road.

Contact: Rev. Father Alexander Karloutsos
fralex@goarch.org
917 453 0839