Commemorating the Fall of Constantinople
In conjunction with the annual commemoration of the Fall of Constantinople, the Saint Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine is proud to announce its inaugural Drawing Competition open to children ages 9-12 of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.
The annual commemoration of the Fall of Constantinople is not only a remembrance of the fall of the capital of the Roman Empire on May 29, 1453 by the Ottomans who finally took the “Queen of Cities” established by Saint Constantine the Great some eleven centuries earlier; rather, it is also a celebration of Byzantine culture and the Hellenic culture that sprang from this pivotal event in world history.
St. Photios National Shrine Executive Director Polly Hillier Recognized for Women s History Month
The St. Photios National Shrine congratulates its Executive Director Polly Hillier for being recognized by the St. Johns Cultural Council for Women s History Month!
Polly Maouris Hillier came to St. Augustine from New Zealand in 2005 to work at St. Photios National Shrine. A native of the Hudson Valley, she serves as the Executive Director of the Shrine, which is known affectionately by locals as the “Jewel of St. George Street.”
Her career in the not-for-profit sector, experience as an educator, love of Orthodox Christianity, and her interest in history were a perfect foundation for working at the first shrine of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.