Another View of Saint Elias

First look inside the country church.  Breathtakingly beautiful!

Heaven up above the chandelier.  The inner dome is painted sky blue and filled with gold stars.

The choir loft.

Something about blue and white is so comforting. 

A side view of the iconostasis and royal doors.

Each window is glazed with a blue and gold cross.    

The view from the choir loft.

Behind the royal doors.

This is Saint Michael the Archangel.  The face is hand-painted onto a wooden sculpture that hangs between the royal doors and chandelier.  He is attached to a pully that can be lowered in order to light the candles then raised again to "shine the light."  

The chandelier has now been turned on.

When the church was built the parishioners would have been standing all the way through a service.  Now that everyone is a little older there are chairs with a soft back and seat.

The outside view of Saint Elias.

Each of the three domes is topped with a simple wrought iron Orthodox cross.

Historical grave markers in the cemetery. 

During a short walk through the Prayer Garden I found these delphiniums in full bloom.  Beautiful way to end my visit.

Saint Elias truly is a treasure on the Alberta landscape.  

A special thanks to Sylvia and all the ladies who made my visit to Saint Elias so memorable and a heartfelt "thank you" to all those who keep things looking beautiful.

Photographed near Pakan, Alberta on July 19, 2023.