By: Arthur Pino

Coming to the Old World is a new experience for me. I can say that, besides the luxuries and brands similar to those in America, it is quite different. This land has been inhabited for at least 4,000 years, according to the sign outside the Agio Lazaros (The Church of St. Lazarus). My first experience occurred the morning after I arrived. The church opened at 6:30 AM, and I was there even slightly before. There was much more reverence than the masses in the States. A sign outside the door states that no shorts are allowed for men. I loved it, as it was a practice I had already followed and was prepared for. Unfamiliar with the chairs, I was hesitant to sit in any because they were so nice and different from the pews I was accustomed to. I took a seat near the back and observed.

The priest(s), the number changed from 1 to 6 throughout the service, chanted; the only word I was able to decipher was “Alleluia” (“praise the lord” / hallelujah). As Christians walked in, they each kissed the images that were displayed. Beautiful, ornate, gold images that I was afraid to touch. They kissed them. Images of the Holy Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ, St. Lazaros, and The Archangel Michael. If more than one of these were present within the depiction, both were kissed. I followed suit, appreciating each one in detail, then kissing them as the locals did. It felt like an honor; this was an incredible opportunity, and I had not even seen the tomb of the Saint yet. To the right of the altar was an entrance leading downstairs. Based on its appearance and my familiarity witho American notions of keeping out of places that do not seem intended for the public, I simply sat near it. Shortly after, a church worker approached me and instructed me to sit closer to the altar; I did. I noticed that a desk on the stairs of the altar was being leveled with various boo;s; it spoke volumes. While sitting, I was approached and asked if I wanted to go downstairs, and I was more than happy to. Here, I saw empty tombs, three if I recall correctly. Near one was the image of the Virgin Mary; I knelt down and said three “Hail Mary” prayers, and as I exited the area, I washed my hands with Holy Water. This is a place of worship dedicated to both St. Lazaros and Jesus Christ; the appearance was not important; the worship was. Again, I thought to myself, how lucky I am to be in this place, a place connected to a disciple of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus.

The church began to fill, not with tourists, but with elderly men and women participating in Sunday Mass. A man walked in shortly after, wearing shorts, a T-shirt, and sandals, accompanied by his son. Obviously, I had mistaken this man for a tourist, but in fact, he was a priest, who put on a robe and started chanting while his son played in the background. Eventually, the Father of the church came out from behind the golden altar. Holding a Bible, he stood as we all approached, first the men, then the women, and kissed the Bible. Some kissed the Father’s hand as well. Christianity is important to this town, and it was important for me to be here for this reason. America does not practice the same reverence; it is actually the opposite, where Christianity and its practices are often ridiculed, dismissed, and even blamed for various aspects of society. Americans speak of Christianity, particularly Catholicism, in a negative light by most. When asking someone from America not to use the name of Jesus in vain, which is quite common amongst Americans, you can expect to be guffawed at or told simply they don’t care.

In America, we are very privileged; we do not have the problems these people face; most of our problems are self-invented “first world problems,” forgetting that many people in the world do not have much more than their religion. This city is predominantly Christian, and and most businesses have an altar behind the register, similar to the predominantly Spanish-speaking areas of Denver. This would not be done in the United States. It would likely have the opposite effect than intended. In short, it just feels good to be in a place so different in regards to religion.

Additionally, the significance it holds for my religion is deeply meaningful to me. Not only was this one of the places where the Gospel was first spread, but it also holds significance in the importance of the Crusades, which were battles fought in the name of Christianity. Things impossible to find in the New World.