MORE ABOUT SAINT BARBARA'S CHURCH

Exterior of the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Barbara, in Santa Barbara, California - Photo by Gerald Fecht for The Museum of the San Fernando Valley. (click on image to enlarge)

Bronze Peacocks and the Eucharist - interior doors of the Church of Saint Barbara , in Santa Barbara, California - Photo by Gerald Fecht for The Museum of the San Fernando Valley.
Ancient beliefs and symbols often found their way into the Christian religion. Here, on the door plates of a Santa Barbara Greek Orthodox Church, peacocks drink from the Eucharistic wine. It was a common belief at the time Saint Paul was preaching the Divinity of Jesus in the consecrated wine of the altar, that the flesh of peacocks (unlike other animals) did not decay after death. Thus, peacocks became symbols of the resurrected Christ.

Holy Deacon mosaic - interior of the sanctuary of the Church of Saint Barbara, in Santa Barbara, California - Photo by Gerald Fecht for The Museum of the San Fernando Valley.

Saint Barbara Greek Orthodox Church
1205 San Antonio Creek Rd
Santa Barbara, CA 93111-1313
(805) 683-4492