Mission of our Orthodox Community
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The Greek Orthodox Cathedral of St. Luke
the Evangelist is the spiritual and community centre for Greeks from mainland Greece and
Cyprus. It is one of three Orthodox Churches and the only Orthodox Cathedral in
Scotland. It also serves all other Orthodox communities in Glasgow, such as Serbs,
Romanians, Russians etc. Visit the
Building History
section to view the history of the building.
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After a generous donation in 1960 by Sir Reo
Stakis, the Greek Community in Glasgow
moved from a small church in Crafton St. to
the present building in Dundonald Road,
creating the very first centre of orthodoxy in
Scotland. The consecration of this Church by
the Archbishop of Thyateira and Great
Britain, was attended by the Lord Provost of
Glasgow and other church and civic
dignitaries. The commemorative bronze
plaque on the left side of the entrance hall
marks this occasion.
On 24 May 1970 the Pope and Patriarch of
Alexandria, Nicholaos VI, who was attending
the General Assembly of the Church of
Scotland, visited St. Luke's and to mark the
occasion he elevated it to the status of a
Cathedral, with the blessing of the Oecumenical Patriarchate. An appropriate
marble plaque, inscribed with gold letters, at
the right side of the entrance hall
commemorates this most memorable day.
Another visit by the spiritual leader of the
world orthodox churches took place on
Sunday 7 July 1996, when that day's Divine
Liturgy was conducted by the Oecumenical
Patriarch, His All-Holiness Vartholomaeos I,
who had come to Scotland to receive an
honorary degree from the Department of
Practical Theology of the University of
Edinburgh.
Apart from the prayer life and upbuilding of
the Greeks in Scotland, St. Luke's serves as
an important meeting place for Greek
Orthodox and other Christian Orthodox
students and scientists who come to study
or work in Scotland. Special functions are
undertaken from time to time to meet the
needs of the visitors or to promote
intercultural exchange between Greeks and
Scots. Members of the congregation have
the opportunity to meet in the church hall at
the end of the Divine Liturgy every Sunday,
and catch-up on the week's events over
refreshments and cakes provided by the
Ladies of the Christian Fellowship.
The cathedral welcomes visitors of all
denominations throughout the year, the
traditional Easter service being a particularly
well attended event, whilst the cathedral's
participation in Glasgow's annual Doors Open
Day provides visitors with another
opportunity to visit this historic building.