Birmingham Orthodox Cathedral facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Dormition of Theotokos & Saint Andrew, Birmingham |
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| Cathedral Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God and St. Andrew | |
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| 52°28′58″N 1°54′52″W / 52.48278°N 1.91444°W | |
| Location | 8 Arthur Place, Summer Hill Terrace, Birmingham B1 3DA |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Greek Orthodox |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | J.A. Chatwin |
| Style | Early English gothic revival |
| Years built | 1873 |
The Cathedral Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God and St. Andrew is a Greek Orthodox cathedral in Birmingham, England. It's dedicated to the Dormition of the Theotokos (which means the "falling asleep" of Mary, Jesus's mother) and St Andreas.
This church became the first Greek Orthodox Church in Birmingham in 1958. Regular church services began with Father Nicodemos Anagnostou as the first priest.
The building itself was designed in 1873 by J.A. Chatwin. He was an architect who worked on many churches in Birmingham. The church is built in a Gothic revival style, which means it looks like older Gothic churches. It has a wide main area called a nave and tall arched windows. The current priest is Protopresbyter Kosmas Pavlidis.
The cathedral also has a special Greek school. Children and adults can go there to learn the Greek language and culture. You can find more information about it below in the section Apostolos Andreas Greek School.
Contents
A Look Back: The History of the Cathedral
By the early 1900s, there were Greek Orthodox communities in other big UK cities. These included Manchester, Liverpool, and Cardiff. In Birmingham, the idea for a Greek Orthodox church started after World War II. Many Greek Cypriots moved to Britain around this time. They were looking for a better life and often settled in big cities to find work.
By 1947, enough Greek Orthodox people lived in Birmingham. The Archbishop of Thyateira began sending a priest once a month. This priest would hold church services in a hall on Pershore Road. On other Sundays, Greek Orthodox people from Birmingham traveled to churches in London or Manchester.
More people joined the community over the next few years. In 1951, weekly Sunday services began at the Anglican Church of Saint James in Edgbaston. The Orthodox service would start after the Protestant service finished. During this time, the first Greek school also opened. Lessons were held in a room above Mr. Andreas Constantinou's cafe.
The Archbishop suggested the community get organized to raise money. Mr. Andreas Constantinou's cafe was a popular meeting spot for Greeks in the city. A man named John Efstathiades, who had been a church warden in Cyprus, arrived in Birmingham.
Even though he was in his 70s, Mr. Efstathiades worked hard. He teamed up with Andreas Constantinou and others. They wanted to find a permanent building for a Greek Orthodox church. They asked all the Greek people in the area for help. Their goal was to buy important church items like icons and a Holy Bible.
They also asked the Protestant Bishop of Birmingham, Brian Green, for help. The Bishop told them about four empty churches. The church at Arthur Place, near the city center, seemed the best fit.
So, in 1958, the first Greek Orthodox Church in Birmingham opened. It was dedicated to the Dormition of the Virgin Mary and Saint Andrew. Father Nicodemos Anagnostou became the first permanent priest. He began holding regular church services in Birmingham.
Becoming a Cathedral: A Special Church
On December 14, 1980, something very important happened. Irineos of Patara Birmingham, who had served as a priest at the church, became a bishop. A bishop is a high-ranking leader in the church.
Because he was now a bishop, the church became his main church. This means it was officially named The Cathedral of The Dormition of The Theotokos and St. Andreas. A cathedral is a church that serves as the seat of a bishop.
Bishop Irinaios passed away on December 19, 2009. He is buried in Greece, where he lived after he retired.
Apostolos Andreas Greek School: Learning and Culture
The Apostolos Andreas Greek School in Birmingham started in 1958. At first, it was in a traditional Greek coffee shop. This shop belonged to Andreas and Margarita Konstantinou. Later, the school moved to the church building itself.
In the early 1960s, many Cypriot families moved to the area. This caused the number of students to grow a lot. Rooms at a British school nearby were rented. This allowed the school to teach over 260 students.
For about 40 years, the school used different British schools. It also used temporary rooms behind the church. On November 23, 2002, a new school building opened. The Archbishop Grigorios was there for the opening. Since then, the school has been in its own building next to the church.
Many important people have taught at the school. One very special person was Bishop Irinaios. He taught for over 30 years and also became the school's Headmaster.
However, the most important person in the school's history was Mr. Christophoros Cartoudis. He taught at the school starting in 1961. He even became the Headmaster, teaching the grandchildren of his first students! In 2014, Queen Elizabeth II gave Mr. Cartoudis a special award. It was called the British Empire Medal. This was to thank him for his great work for the school and the Greek language.
In 1995, our school became an exam center. Students from different schools come here every year to take exams.
For the last 10 years, the Cypriot Ministry of Education has sent teachers to Greek Schools in the UK. These teachers are appointed through the Cyprus Educational Mission (C.E.M). Our school's Deputy Headteachers from CEM have included Maria Genari and Panagiota Magou, who is the current Headteacher.
The school is also part of the National Resource Centre for Supplementary Education (NRCSE).
As time goes on, the school's main goals stay the same. It teaches students about Greek language, history, religion, and culture. This helps them feel proud of who they are and where they come from.
Images for kids
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Cathedral sign
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The Cathedral School
