New church in Payson opens doors with open house
A beautiful new church in Payson adds to the religious diversity of Utah County.
The Saints Peter and Paul Eastern Orthodox Church is a stunningly beautiful old country architectural style building located on 5.5 acres at 1173 South 1950 West in Payson.
Three onion shaped gold steeples with the traditional Byzantine cross atop each.
It is a variation of the Christian cross with a bot- tom crossbeam slanted up- ward that has been a Rus- sian Orthodox symbol since the 16th century. The church chapel will accommodate 140 parishioners.
A parsonage is also near completion in rustic Russian style. Future plans include a church cemetery and a com- munity hall.
On Oct. 29, an iconogra- pher who specializes in the visual interpretation of cul- tural history arrived from Serbia.
He will begin work on the semicircular recess, known as an apse, on the east end of the chapel, typical of tra- ditional Byzantine churches. It will be a fresco painting, a technique of mural paint- ing executed upon wet lime plaster. It will be an iconic painting of the Mother of God and the Angels. Father Justin Havin said, “It is going to be spectacular!”
An open house and church tours had been scheduled for Nov. 7 has been cancelled due to COVID 19. That is not surprising with the pan- demic infection rate in Utah County. However, it is obvi- ously disappointing to many.
Father Justin Havens, pas- ter of the Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church has reported a rapidly growing congregation. The church has a mix of ethnic people from Russia, Greece, Serbia, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, and Middle Eastern Chris- tians in addition to converts from Protestants, Latter-day Saints, Jews, Muslims, and other religions.
Father Havens is excited about having a Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church in rural Payson. He has commented on the friendliness of everyone he has meet.