The Saint Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine is located in the historic Avero House area on Saint George Street in downtown St. Augustine. The shrine is dedicated not only to the memory of the first Greek Orthodox pioneers who arrived in the New World on June 26, 1768, but to all the following generations of immigrants who came to the New World seeking freedom, justice, and a better life for themselves and their children.

Today, St. Photios is a sacred, educational center where those of Greek ancestry may celebrate their cultural heritage. The shrine is also a public place where all may honor and remember their own immigrant ancestors. Exhibits and galleries tell about the life of early Greek settlers and the development of the Greek Orthodox Church in America. Visitors can view the shrine’s beautiful Saint Photios Chapel with handpainted Byzantine murals depicting sacred icons on the walls and on the domed ceiling. Also on view, the Avero House, originally built after a siege by the English in 1702, and currently restored to its 1730s appearance.