Every part of an Orthodox church directs us toward Christ and tells the story of our salvation. Explore the sacred spaces of Saint Peter & Saint Andrew and discover what they mean.
Inside Our Church
From Above: Gathered Around Christ
The view from above shows the shape of our church: the congregation gathers around the central liturgical space. The Church is not an audience watching a service, but one Body gathered around Christ, praying the same prayers, confessing the same faith, and approaching the same Eucharistic table.
The Iconostasis: Heaven and Earth Meet
The iconostasis, the icon-bearing screen at the front of the church, proclaims through its icons that Christ has united heaven and earth and that the saints are alive in Him. At the center is the Pantocrator. When we worship, we do not worship alone; we join the worship of the whole Church, both on earth and in heaven.
The Altar: The Heart of the Church
The altar is the most sacred place in the church. Here the Divine Liturgy is celebrated, and the bread and wine are consecrated as the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. The altar points us to the table of the Last Supper, the sacrifice of the Cross, and the heavenly banquet of the Kingdom of God. Christ is in our midst.
The Relics: The Church Across the Generations
Within our church we preserve and venerate sacred relics of the saints. Christians do not worship relics; worship belongs to God alone. We honor the saints as men and women whose lives were transformed by the grace of God, members of the same Body of Christ to which we belong.
Among the sacred relics preserved in our church are a small piece of the wood of the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, a small portion of the belt of Saint Mary traditionally associated with Saint Thomas, and relics of Saint John the Baptist, Saint Peter and Saint Andrew, Saint Paul, Saint Mark, Saint Athanasius, Saint Mary Magdalene, and others.
These relics remind us that the Church is not limited to one place or one generation. We worship the same Lord, confess the same faith, and belong to the same Church as the saints who came before us.
Look Up: The Cross and the Light
The high wooden roof, the Cross and the great triangular window lift the eyes upward, from the earthly toward the heavenly. In the Coptic Orthodox understanding, the church is an icon of heaven on earth. Through Christ, the Cross has become a sign of victory, salvation, sacrificial love, and resurrection. Light fills the church from above, and Christ declares, "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12).