Located steps from St. Augustine’s historic city gates at St. George Street is the St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine. This institution of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, is dedicated to the first colony of Greek people who came to America in 1768.
The Shrine consists of exhibits depicting the life of early Greeks in America and the development of the Greek Orthodox Church in America, and the St. Photios Chapel.
The Shrine is a small building around the corner from the Catholic Basilica. The history of the first Greek Orthodox community is housed within its walls.
New Smyrna Florida was founded in 1749 and the first colonists arrived on June 26, 1768. Of the 1,403 colonists who left by way of the Mediterranean Sea, only 1,255 arrived at the new colony. Provision hadn’t been made for the colonists’ arrival and soon they found themselves faced with clearing a swampland filled with gators and poisonous snakes. One year into their colony over 450 men, women and children had died.
The new colony faced revolts and difficult times planting crops and making a living to improve their living conditions. Until, in 1777, 600 colonists walked to St. Augustine to start a new life there. In November 1777, the colony ceased to exist.
The shrine is a memorial to the first Greek settlers on the American continent.
St. Photios the Great was a Patriarch of Constantinople during the ninth century. His accomplishments earned him a reputation as the greatest of all Patriarchs. One of his greatest accomplishments was in mission work. In 863, St. Photios sent his nephews, Saint Cyril and Methodios, to preach the Gospel in Moravia. As a result of their efforts, the Slavic people’s and nations embraced Orthodox Christianity. He died in 877.
Follower of the Apostles’ way. And teacher of mankind: Intercede, O Photius, with the Lord of all, To grant peace to the worldAnd to our souls great mercy!