Athens has become quite the Cosmopolitan place. Music, cuisine – indeed high quality cultural offerings of all kinds – are readily available. It is a capital after all, and that means there are many embassies and related institutions staffed by people who miss all the elements of their culture. That includes their religious life, and at Easter time, the pull can become strong, but there are numerous houses of Christian worship in the city for them – and where native Greeks and Greek-Americans can experience Christianity’s holiest days together with their friends from other traditions. Most years, Athens residents and visitors can attend all the services of both Eastern and Western Holy Week and Easter – 2025, however, is one of those years where celebrations coincide, culminating with Easter on April 20. Passover is April 12-20.
Of course, those churches are islands in an Orthodox Christian sea. When a Greek Orthodox Christian moves to Athens from America, he gets a wake up call, literally, every Sunday morning: There probably isn’t a house in Athens and its suburbs that isn’t close enough to a Greek church with bells ringing on Sunday morning. Of course, in America there are many places with churches very close together – but they are of different denominations. Many Greek Orthodox Christians’ memories of childhood include long drives – or bus and subway rides – to get to one of their churches. In Athens, the is always one just a few blocks away.
Expats in Athens of other denominations know the feeling, but there are churches for Protestants of various kinds, and the Roman Catholic and the Armenian Apostolic churches have wonderful cathedrals. At Christmas time and Easter, there are holiday events at those churches, including concerts, and the Greek Ministry of Culture and the Greek National Opera present a Festival of Sacred Music. This year it lasted five days, from Lazarus Saturday, April 12, to Holy Wednesday, April 16. The Festival’s concerts took place in unique venues in Plaka and central Athens, such as the Greek Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens, the Catholic Cathedral, the Evangelical Church, the Fethiye Mosque, the Old Stock Exchange, the Acropolis Museum, the Goulandris Foundation, the Museum of Greek Folk Musical Instruments, the Olympia Municipal Music Theatre ‘Maria Callas’, the Dionysiou Areopagitou and Apostolou Pavlou pedestrian streets, as well as both halls of the Greek National Opera at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center. Under the artistic direction of Giorgos Koumendakis, the Festival featured more than 40 concerts and artistic events, and for the first time it welcomed the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra to its program.
A brief list with contact information for some of the main churches that are not Greek Orthodox follows:
St. Paul’s Anglican Church is known for its cultural offerings and this year’s Easter season included an Organ Recital by Roger Tilley that took place April 11. Admission was free, though a collection was taken for the maintenance of its delightful little pipe organ.
Contact: Philellinon Street 27, Tel. 210 721 4906. Website: anglicanchurchathens.gr
The Cathedral of St. Gregory the Illuminator is a glorious tribute to the distinctive and beautiful architecture of the Armenian homelands in Asia Minor and the Caucasus of the members of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
Contact: Kriezi Street 10, Athens Centre. Tel. 210 325 2067. Website: armenianprelacy.gr/en/home/
Roman Catholic Cathedral – Basilica of St. Dionysius the Areopagite is a beautiful Italian renaissance-style basilica, the church that complements the nearby the Greek Orthodox nave that is also dedicated to St. Dionysios, one of Athens’ three Orthodox patron saints. There are services in Greek, Latin, and English.
Contact: Panepistimiou Boulevard 24, Tel. 210 362 3603. Website: saintdenis.gr/en/
The First Greek Evangelical Church is located across the street from the iconic remains of the temple of Olympian Zeus. The parish features numerous cultural events throughout the year. The historic church in the centre of Athens has existed for more than 150 years.
Contact: Vasilisis Amalias Avenue 50. Tel. 210 323 1079. Website: aeee.gr/en
The St. Andrews German Evangelical Church is located at the base of beloved Mount Lycabetos, and has a congregation that comes from over 32 different nations.
Contact: Sina Street 66-68. 210 698 5070. Website: standrewsgreece.com
Synagogues in Athens
The word ‘Pascha’ comes from the Jewish Passover, which is celebrated around the same time as the Pascha of the Christians. In Athens, there are two synagogues, one facing the other on Melidoni Street in the Thissio district.
The oldest synagogue in Athens is the Romaniote synagogue Etz Hayyim (Tree of Life), a name commonly used for Romaniote synagogues. It was built in 1904 by Romaniote Jews who came from Ioannina. It is located at Melidoni 8, Thissio, telephone: 210 220 7070.
The Beth Shalom Synagogue (House of Peace)
Directly opposite Etz Hayyim is the Beth Shalom Synagogue at Melidoni 5. It was erected by Sephardic Jews who came to Athens after the incorporation into the state of Northern Greece in 1912. Built in 1935 by the distinguished and award-winning architect Emmanuel Lazaridis – who also designed the Unknown Soldier Monument in front of the Greek Parliament building. Telephone: 210 325 2823.
The synagogues share the website: athjcom.gr
