Churches

St. Stephen's Greek Orthodox Cathedral

Paris

St. Stephen's Greek Orthodox Cathedral is an Eastern Orthodox cathedral in Paris, at 7, rue Georges-Bizet. It serves as the cathedral of the Greek Orthodox Church of Paris and as the seat of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of France. The building has been the seat of a bishopric since 1953. Originally consecrated as a simple church under the name Saint-Étienne, it has a history closely linked to the Greek Orthodox community in Paris. The church was built by Guillotin, head of a powerful banking house in London who had begun his career in Paris. He donated it to the Hellenic government on the condition that it be used for Orthodox Greek worship and made available to the Greek colony in Paris. Its first stone was laid in 1890, and the inauguration took place on a Sunday under Archbishop Germanos of Héraclée, in the presence of Greek and Russian diplomats, colony dignitaries, and friends of Hellenism. The cathedral was later registered as a historic monument and then classified by order.

Map showing the location of St. Stephen's Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Paris
Location of St. Stephen's Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Paris

Nearby Objects

Cathedral and Episcopal Seat

St. Stephen's Greek Orthodox Cathedral is the cathedral of the Greek Orthodox Church of Paris and the seat of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of France. It is located at 7, rue Georges-Bizet in Paris. The building has served as the seat of a bishopric since 1953. At the time of its consecration, it was a simple church under the name Saint-Etienne.

Construction, Dedication, and Later Religious Role

According to Histoire, the Church of Saint-Etienne was built by Guillotin, head of a powerful banking house in London who had begun his career in Paris. He donated the church to the Hellenic government on the condition that it be used for Orthodox Greek worship and remain available to the Greek colony in Paris. Histoire also notes that Schilizzi allocated a sum near an unspecified amount to fulfill a vow. The first stone was laid in 1890, and Vaudremer commissioned Leon Avenet to create the stained glass windows.

The church was inaugurated on a Sunday under the presidency of Archbishop Germanos of Heraclea. The ceremony brought together numerous attendees, including Greek and Russian diplomats, colony dignitaries, and friends of Hellenism. Archimandrite Gregoire Palamas preached the sermon. Histoire places this building within a circle of notable Orthodox patrons in France, including the Schilizzi, Rodocanachi, and Sechiari families, who supported the institutional establishment of Hellenism in Paris and had founding roles in the Dormition church in Marseille.

The cathedral became the seat of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of France the following year. It later hosted the absoute for Eleftherios Venizelos before his body was transferred to Gare de Lyon on the 23rd in the early afternoon, and it also held the funerals of Maria Callas. In 1995, its centenary divine liturgy was celebrated by Bartholomee I of Constantinople, primate of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. The building was registered as a historic monument by an order dated an unspecified day, later replaced by a classification order.