Ancient ceremony opens the door to a new era for worshippers at a Utah garden-center-turned-church

Even in the heat of a scorching Saturday afternoon sun, worshippers at Sandy’s newly completed St. Anna Greek Orthodox Church came out to witness a historic moment for their Utah parish.

They were there for the July 13 open-the-door ceremony, a ritual that traces back to ancient times but had modern relevance to these believers, who had poured heart, soul, sweat and, yes, money into transforming a 16,000-square-foot defunct garden center into a sacred sanctuary.

For several years, St. Anna parishioners and artisans had worked over and upgraded the vast empty space of the former Western Garden and Atrium at 9201 S. 1300 East, painting the walls with biblical scenes and Orthodox icons.

Saturday’s ceremony marked the beginning of the retooled building’s new era as a home for these “people of God.”

(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Archbishop Elpidophoros of America arrives at St. Anna Greek Orthodox Church in Sandy for opening services on Saturday, July 13, 2024, at the new church that was transformed from a garden center into a sacred sanctuary. (Francisco Kjolseth/)

On that day, the church was filled to capacity (about 340 seats) while many others watched and sweltered in their cars as Archbishop Elpidophoros, head of the Greek Orthodox Church in America, knocked on the sanctuary’s outer door with his staff, asking to be let in.

He first immersed his cross in holy water and blessed the congregants before chanting in Greek, quoting Psalms, “Lift up the gates, O you rulers, and be lifted up, you everlasting doors, and the king of glory shall enter.”

(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Archbishop Elpidophoros of America uses his staff to kock for the opening of the doors for the newly transformed St. Anna Greek Orthodox Church in Sandy on Saturday, July 13, 2024. The new church was transformed from a garden center into a sacred sanctuary. (Francisco Kjolseth/)

From inside the church came this question: “Who is the king of glory?”

The archbishop replied, “The Lord of heaven.”

(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Parishioners attend the opening of St. Anna Greek Orthodox Church in Sandy on Saturday, July 13, 2024. (Francisco Kjolseth/)

Christ already is in heaven, explained the Rev. Anthony Savas, pastor of St. Anna. This ceremony is “to re-create the shattering of the gates of Hades as Christ enters the underworld following his death on the cross. He is breaking down those doors and liberating humankind.”

After the four-minute prayer service, the doors swung open and Elpidophoros — who was accompanied by two other visiting hierarchs, including the newly enthroned bishop, Metropolitan Constantine of Denver, who oversees 13 states (including Utah) and 49 parishes — sang hymns while proceeding into what has been described as “Byzantine splendor.”

This was “an opportunity to open ourselves to the experience of God’s love, forgiveness, mercy and compassion, as we rejoice in the works of our hands,” the charismatic Turkish-born prelate said in his homily during the Saturday service.

(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Father Anthony Savas of St. Anna Greek Orthodox Church in Sandy addresses parishioners during opening services on Saturday, July 13, 2024, at the new church that was transformed from a garden center into a sacred sanctuary by iconographers from Athens. (Francisco Kjolseth/)

The archbishop urged the congregants to think about the stone being rolled away from Christ’s tomb and to “open the doors of our hearts to one another, …[to] open the doors of our spiritual eyes, so that we behold in one another the image and likeness of God…[to] open the doors of our minds to see in each other brothers and sisters in Christ, who are in need of our attentive love and compassion…and [to] open the doors of our souls, that are so often fastened shut by bitterness and disappointment, resentment and loneliness — so that we may feel the rush of the Spirit, and welcome the presence of the living God in our lives.”

Parishioners at St. Anna, named for Jesus’ reported grandmother, were honored by the archbishop’s presence and pleased with the outcome of their efforts.

(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Archbishop Elpidophoros of America meets with parishioners following opening ceremonies at St. Anna Greek Orthodox Church in Sandy on Saturday, July 13, 2024. (Francisco Kjolseth/)

“Saturday evening made my heart sing, and it made me so happy with what we have been able to accomplish in 10 short years. To have the archbishop here to celebrate it with us was absolutely amazing,” Elaine Peterson, officer on the parish council, wrote in an email. “Everyone left happy.”

Stephanie Chachas, president of the Women’s Philanthropic Auxiliary, praised the “people of St. Anna” for coming together to build the church.

“It shows the love we have for Christ and for each other,” Chachas said in an email. “We have worked so hard and for so long. To see it as a reality was both inspiring, but mostly humbling.”

(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Father Constantine Zozos of Pocatello Idaho walks through the new St. Anna Greek Orthodox Church in Sandy as Dena Savos forms the cross on herself during opening services on Saturday, July 13, 2024, in the new church that was transformed from a garden center into a sacred sanctuary. (Francisco Kjolseth/)

For Savas, the door opening felt like a “college graduation.”

“There was a sense of accomplishment looking back on the fruition of past efforts, but the overwhelming anticipation of what lies ahead is what’s most exciting,” Father Tony, as he is called, told The Salt Lake Tribune. “The parish has been extremely focused and dedicated to finishing our church building.”

(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Father Anthony Savas of St. Anna Greek Orthodox Church in Sandy participates in opening ceremonies for his newly remodeled church on Saturday, July 13, 2024. (Francisco Kjolseth/)

Now comes the hard part, Savas said. Putting the church and its followers to work on “ministry, outreach, spiritual education and fellowship.”

Or, as the archbishop said, opening the “doors” of their hearts.

Ancient ceremony opens the door to a new era for worshippers at a Utah garden-center-turned-church

Ancient ceremony opens the door to a new era for worshippers at a Utah garden-center-turned-church

Ancient ceremony opens the door to a new era for worshippers at a Utah garden-center-turned-church

Ancient ceremony opens the door to a new era for worshippers at a Utah garden-center-turned-church

Ancient ceremony opens the door to a new era for worshippers at a Utah garden-center-turned-church