St. Stephen's Greek Orthodox Cathedral, Greek Orthodox Cathedral in 16th arrondissement, Paris, France.
St. Stephen's Greek Orthodox Cathedral has a light tan stone facade with bands of pale brick, three round-arched windows below and a large three-lancet arched window above. Inside, Charles Lameire decorated the walls, Ludwig Thiersch made the marble iconostasis, and Léon Avenet designed the stained glass.
Demetrius Stefanovich Schilizzi, a London banker who began his career in Paris, paid for the church on condition it be consecrated to Greek Orthodox worship and made available to the Greek colony. The first stone was laid in 1890; the building, designed by Émile Vaudremer and built by Guillotin, was consecrated on 22 December 1895. It became an episcopal seat in 1953 and the seat of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of France in 1963.
The cathedral has been the seat of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of France since 1963, and before that of a bishopric from 1953. Its consecration in 1895 was attended by the Greek and Russian diplomatic representatives and the Greek colony of Paris. The archimandrite Grégoire Palamas preached there until 1898.
The cathedral is located on rue Georges-Bizet and is regularly open to visitors. Religious services take place throughout the week, so checking visiting hours in advance is helpful.
The cathedral holds the funerary liturgy of Maria Callas on 20 September 1977, and the wedding of Édith Piaf and Théo Sarapo on 9 October 1962. The absolution of Eleftherios Venizelos was pronounced there on 21 March 1936, before his body was taken to the Gare de Lyon.
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