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The Chapel of St. George
In 2012, after twenty-five years of searching for property upon which to build his dream, Dr. George Lazar (a retired pioneer of orthopedic hand surgery in the Baltimore area) and his wife Anna approached the community of St. Mary’s to inquire about the possibility of using the 911 Shawan property to build an Orthodox Chapel. Their dream was to have a Bulgarian-style Orthodox chapel that provided a place for people to visit at all times of the day to “feed the spiritual needs for every soul who is seeking the Lord and their salvation.” Preparation of the site upon which the chapel would be built started approximately March 2013.
The chapel's construction is rooted in Byzantine architectural origin. Like Dr. Lazar and his wife Anna, the iconographers and builders of the chapel were of Bulgarian origin, and it's design reflects their cultural identity. The chapel roof is covered in Byzantine-style tiles, shaped from red clay. The floor and ceiling of the chapel are comprised of exposed timber. The interior walls of the chapel are comprised of gypsum boards embossed with biblical verses. The glass windows contain etchings of icons. The iconostasis is made of hand-carved wood imported from Bulgaria and reflects the genesis and fall of Adam and Eve. Painted iconography graces the walls of the altar.
On May 11, 2014, the Chapel of St. George was dedicated with the blessing and presence of Bishop Thomas. The chapel was consecrated on November 3, 2019 by His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph. The chapel is used for weekly Paraklesis, Vespers and a variety of other services throughout the year. The Chapel of St. George follows the bylaws of St. Mary Antiochian Orthodox Church and the constitution of the Antiochian Archdiocese of North America.
