CatholicMatch.com
My wife saw this on Drudge this morning, and it is clearly not a Catholic Church - not even an Eastern Rite one. They carefully don't show the priest (which would give it away).

This has to be a Russian Orthodox Church.

Surely, if you are trolling for Catholic singles, you can show a Catholic church? Yes?

'scuse me !

Why not an EC Church ? Nowt wrong with that Iconostasis - could be either EC or EO

It's just , I suspect , a stock photo which looks good

The feel of the decorations around the iconstasis, and the presence of what seems like a stained glass window in the sanctuary, leads me to believe it is a Greek Catholic church, probably Ukrainian, probably in Canada.

I'm just speaking from my experience, but I'm quite sure it is not an EC Church. I've seen EC Churches and Ukrainian Churches. They usually have a more open iconostasis, and never resemble a class Russian Cathedral, as this does. IMHO, this has Russian Orthodox written all over it.

Specifically, I've only seen the sky high iconostasis in Russian Churches.

I'll happily be corrected, but I'm pretty sure it is an Orthodox church. Again, if anyone knows specifically what parish it is, I'll be happily corrected.

On another note, it is kind of disingenuous to portray this photo on a Catholic Match site.

I was in L'viv this past summer studying Ukrainian, and saw Iconostasis like this one in a few churches: EC; not EO.

I suspect it could well be as StuartK describes.

So, what are we? Chopped liver? I could be cruel and suggest they wanted a church that really looked like a church.

Actually, if you look close at the icon next to the Deacon door on the right, it appears to be an icon of St Iov of Pochaev. Which would kind of rule out it being an EC iconostas.

I know that this is fun wondering about what kind of church is in the picture, but how about cracking the mystery by e-mailing these people!?

Ray

The photo could be of either a Byzantine / Greek Catholic or an Orthodox temple (I have no idea). If you look through the holy doors at that site it looks like a very western Savior in what seems to be a stained glass window. But that again could be in either a Byzantine Catholic or Orthodox temple.

Higher tiered icon screens are not that unusual in Byzantine Catholic Churches.

This thread has a photo of the original icon screen from Windber. They style was almost universal in the churches built late 19th and early 20th century.

Here is one at St. George the Great Martyr Byzantine Catholic Church in Aliquippa (not the best picture and before the walls were done):

I cannot say which Church the one in the picture belongs to, but I have certainly seen Greek Catholic Churches that look exactly like that. I have also seen Orthodox Churches with a more open icon screen like many Greek Catholic Churches have.

Father John,

There are some Greek Catholic churches that have a very traditional (even sky-high) iconostas. Some Greek Catholic parishes have a more open iconostas but there are some (even newer parishes) that have a more traditional look. Next time you're in the Phoenix-Mesa area, look up St. Thomas Byzantine Catholic Church in Gilbert. It's quite a beautiful temple (and my former spiritual home). It's interior dates from the early 90s.

Not sure why showing the priest would give it away. I know many Greek Catholic priests with full beards and that wear highback phelons. I also know many clean shaven Russian Orthodox priests that wear Greek style phelons.

Perhaps a bigger giveaway are those bare shoulders on the bride.

Fr. Deacon Lance

Just say its an "Orthodox Greek Catholic" Church and call it a day. LOL! ;-)

I think it should be Greek Catholic Orthodox Church.

Brethren, I stand corrected - and want to assure you that I was speaking from my own experience of such Churches.

Thanks also for your kind and good-humored responses!

Just a note - we had some discussion of this same photo very recently on the Forum's Photo Gallery - see here.

Notably, we reached no conclusion at that time either. I will say, though, that, in viewing it again, I am really find myself wondering if it's been photoshopped to insert the couple.

The very recently suppressed Holy Ghost Byzantine Church in Cleveland is a striking example of a floor to ceiling iconostasis - see here.

I suspect that Father John's experience and exposure may have been colored by his location. Having viewed photos of several hundred iconostases in the past two years of working on the Directory, the more solid and higher ones are generally to be found in the East and Upper Midwest - particularly the 'Holy Lands' of the Coal and Rust Belts - whereas those in the Southwest are more likely to be open and/or shorter in height.

Many years,

Neil

Fr. John: St. Nicholas of Myra has a full height iconostas, and it's Ruthenian...

We used to have the "open" style, in fact, it was just ironwork and completely visible through, save for the 4 main icons. But many UGCC and Ruthenian parishes with the more open style have since installed/reinstalled more traditional iconostas.

For the record, most all of the EC Churches I've been in are in the east or midwest.

Oh well, so much for guessing

The railings in front of the iconostasis is not seen in many churches today. That might be a clue.

Oddities of lighting in the image cause me to think the couple in the ad are indeed graffed in from a different picture. It looks to me like just another photoshop job.

τω συστρατιωτης

Nice catch, Paul.

Ours is still the form you mentioned. Looks strange now that we are doing the walls.

In some ways, I miss the old Ironwork; It had several stages...
Stage 0: mosaic icons to either side of sanctuary (Pantocrator, Theotokos), no iconostasis at all. Sanctuary has mosaic icon of cross with crucifix mounted in front.
Stage 1: Just the ironwork, with doors; Icons still present
Stage 2: Add Pantocrator and Theotokos Icons on iconostas
Stage 3: Add Sts Nicholas of Myra and John the Forerunner on iconostas
Stage 4 (New Iconostas stage 1): replace with wooden iconostasis and doors, but missing upper icons, and using old icons
Stage 5 (Stage 2): Upper frame added, 4 great Icons on iconostas replaced, mosaic icons remain to sides, mosaic & crucifix in sanctuary remains. Nothing of old Iconostas remains in use.

New Iconostas has since had upper rack and door icons added a few at a time as the Iconographer completed them.

There doesn't appear to be an e-mail address on their site. I could only find a link where you can ask a question by "submitting a ticket": http://www.catholicmatch.com/help/ticket.html

How un-Byzantine, Ray

I sent an email to Catholicmatch.com about the church used in their advertising.

This was their response:

Griego,

I saw that identical response elsewhere. They've certainly gotten their money's worth from the photo - it has attracted attention, commentary, and analysis on OC.net, CAF, and at least one other site besides here - as well as on a couple of blogs.

Btw, as to the question of it being photoshopped, two friends of mine, both quite expert at such things, idependently examined it closely. Both assured me that it is not; each pointed out that detail of the iconostasis can be viewed through the diaphanous texture of the bride's veil as the basis for their conclusion.

Many years,

Neil

I also believe it to be photo shopped. I have some more questions about this.
1. Where are the sponsors?
2. Where are the crowns?
3. Where is the table with gospel, wedding chalice and icons on it?
4. And we have already covered where is the priest?