St. Sophia Cathedral
Miami FL

Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral is the first Greek Orthodox Church in Miami and was founded in 1927. It is also a part of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Atlanta.

A major decision was made in 1941 to purchase a new site and construct a new church to meet the needs of the growing community. The cornerstone was laid March 7, 1948. The building along with the Community Center was officially open in the year 1950. The consecration of our church was carried out November 25, 1973 by Archbishop Iakovos.

Our Mission

To Safeguard and keep the traditions, values and faith of the Orthodox Church pure and undefiled by proclaiming the Gospel of Christ to all people in accordancewith the Orthodox Faith and to sanctify and minister the spiritual growth and needs of the faithful through Liturgical worship and spiritual programs

 

https://www.stsophiamiami.org/  

 

Saint Sophia, the Greek Orthodox Cathedral for the Southeast Florida district, is a vibrant, Christ-centered parish in the heart of Miami that provides for the sacramental needs of Orthodox Christians in the community and offers a host of outreach ministries. It also has a long history of religious, social and cultural involvement in South Florida. Many of the Greeks who arrived in the United States during the great wave of immigration in the early 1900’s eventually found their way to Florida. Some came to Miami because they heard of the warm climate and of citrus fruit growing in the winter. Henry Flagler’s railroad reached Miami in 1896 and had made travel easier. These immigrants came, liked what they saw, and brought their families here. A Greek community was beginning to emerge in Miami. The Greeks needed a church where they could worship, and where Greek Orthodox religion, language, customs and culture could be taught to their children. However, before they could purchase property, church services were held at various locations. The Trinity Episcopal Cathedral on Biscayne Bay at 464 N.E. 16th Street, Miami, at one time generously offered the Greek Community the temporary use of its elegant church for services. On November 15, 1925, the first group of Greeks met at the home of Stavros Petros to legally establish a Greek Orthodox community. Without hesitation, they pledged funds at this meeting, and a temporary committee was named to draft a constitution and find a suitable church. In the following two years, under the chairmanship and leadership of I.G. Delyanis, the Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Community was organized into a functional entity. Finally in 1927, a constitution was adopted, and an election of the first parish council was held with Achileas Zapetis elected as its first president. A small church was eventually purchased at 1501 N.E. 1st Avenue, which was to serve the needs of the community for the next 20 years. During these 20 years, both the parishioners and community suffered in the Great Depression, but it steadily grew and matured with the beautiful city of Miami. The Greek School and Ladies Philoptochos were established in the 1930’s, serving the young people and other members of the parish. In order to meet the needs of a growing community, a major decision was made in 1941 to purchase a new site and construct a new church and community center. Under the chairmanship of President John Colozoff, a committee was formed, which jointly and severally assumed this responsibility and did in fact purchase the land where the beautiful Cathedral now stands. The services of a young architect, Chrystoforos Kantianis, were retained to design and supervise construction of the Byzantine church, in addition to a community center, which was to house an auditorium/gymnasium and several classrooms. The cornerstone of the new church was laid at last on March 7, 1948, with His Grace Bishop Germanos officiating. On August 15, 1949, during the A.H.E.P.A. national convention, the first church services were held with His Eminence Archbishop Michael as celebrant, assisted by Fr. Demosthenes Mekras. The community center building was completed in 1952 under the presidency of another great leader and benefactor, George D. Karnegis, for whom the community center would be named in 1994. Later, the interior of the church was completed with the installation of imported marble and mosaic icons as well as beautiful iconography created by Stelios Maris in the Byzantine design—making Saint Sophia one of the most beautiful and impressive Greek Orthodox churches in the United States. A major highlight in the history of the church was the consecration of Saint Sophia Cathedral with the relics of Saints Andrew, Nestor and Haralambos by His Eminence Archbishop Iakovos on November 25, 1973. Since its founding in 1927, the St. Sophia community has been blessed with the service of twelve priests. The very first priest was Fr. Chrysanthos Kaplanis, followed by Fr. Karapiperis, Fr. Daniel Scarpas, Fr. Germanos Papapanagiotou, Fr. Tjomanis and Fr. George Thalassitis. Father Methodios Phousianis then assumed the pastorate at St. Sophia from 1939 to 1945, during the height of the planning phase of the new Cathedral. In 1944, Father Demosthenes J. Mekras came to Miami where he served as Deacon for one year before his ordination to the priesthood in 1945. In 1946, he assumed the spiritual leadership of the congregation. At the time, there was only four Greek Orthodox parishes in all of Florida. During his 43 years at St. Sophia, many of the churches on the East Coast of Florida were established. In the early years of his tenure, though, Father Mekras ministered to an Orthodox population covering almost half the state, from points south of Tarpon Springs and Jacksonville all the way to and including the Caribbean! Fr. Mekras served continuously at St. Sophia with piety, wisdom and dedication until his retirement in 1986. St. Sophia was then blessed to have Father George Neofotistos, a respected religious educator and counselor and former Director of St. Basil Academy, serve as Dean of the Cathedral from 1986 until his retirement in 1993. This was followed by Fr. George Economou and Fr. Maximus Moses. Since 1997, Saint Sophia welcomed Father Stavroforos Mamaies, whose spiritual presence continued that of his predecessors. In 2012 Fr. Spiro D. Bobotas was assigned as the latest spiritual leader of the community. Saint Sophia Cathedral has grown with its surrounding community. It is a church blessed with many bicultural families, including many who are Greek,Hispanic, Russian, Serbian, Romanian, Bulgarian and more. All of these families serve to enhance the parish’s diversity and affirm the universality of the Orthodox faith. Tapping into the richness of all cultural traditions and the respective emphasis on both faith and family has proven valuable in maintaining a close knit and invigorated community. With God’s help and our Orthodox Faith, St. Sophia Cathedral will continue to provide sacramental needs and spiritual guidance to all who seek God’s Blessings.