St. Barbara’s Chapel

St. Barbara’s Chapel was founded in 1928 and is the oldest Orthodox church expressly built for Orthodox worship in continuous use in the state of Georgia!

The Greek Orthodox section of Greenwood Cemetery in southwest Atlanta was formally established in 1911, only 6 years after the founding of Annunciation parish.  Due to growing need, by 1928, the Greek Ladies Auxiliary Society (formally called Σύλλογου τών Κυρίων και Αγία Βαρβάρα, or the St. Barbara’s Association), which was the forerunner of our local Philoptochos chapter, made the decision to construct a cemetery chapel.

These dedicated women were determined to have a proper place from which to conduct services for their departed loved ones. At the time, Annunciation parish was located downtown, in a renovated Presbyterian church building on Garnett Street at Central Avenue.   Our community was still tightly knit, after having weathered World War One and the Venezelist controversy, and our Archdiocese had only been formally established in 1921.  Many parishioners spoke Greek-accented English, and widespread assimilation had not yet occurred.

The Ladies Society alone was charged with raising all funds necessary for construction, and the group bore full responsibility for any problems arising from construction of the chapel.   And still, our ladies proceeded to build this chapel! Imagine what a challenge they faced raising money during those times! A document, signed on June 1, 1928, outlined all the responsibilities that the ladies had taken on, and has been preserved in the Cathedral Archives.

We invite all Orthodox Christians to consider making their final resting place at the private, Orthodox Christian section of Greenwood Cemetery, which faces east and where monuments and crosses are welcomed.

Currently, burial plots are still available in the original Orthodox section, and a second Orthodox section has been added nearby not far from the chapel.  We have been blessed over the years to welcome many Orthodox Christians to their final resting place at Greenwood Cemetery, as well as many clergy of the Eastern Orthodox faith, including of Blessed Memory:

Rev. Fr. Demetrios Petrides + 1917 (Annunciation)

Rev. Fr. Thomas Papageorge + 1927 (Annunciation)

Rev. Fr. Panos Constantinides + 1955 (Annunciation)

Rev. Fr. Homer P. Goumenis + 2005 (Annunciation)

His Grace Bishop John of Amorion (former Bishop of Atlanta) + 2012

Rev. Fr. Jacob Myers + 2013 (St. John the Wonderworker)

Rev. Fr. Chris Williamson +2018 (St. John the Wonderworker)

Divine Liturgies are conducted at least three times a year (the Saturday closest to the Feast of St. Barbara on December 4th, second Saturday of Souls just prior to the beginning of Great Lent, and the Saturday of Souls right before the feast of Pentecost).  Other services are also conducted throughout the year.

Orthodox burial plots are available at a fraction of the cost of plots at other area cemeteries. (Old section are $2000 per plot.  New section is $1000 per plot, but sold in pairs)

For information on Plots please contact the Annunciation Cathedral at 404-633-5870 or via email at office@atlgoc.org.

Download a pamphlet outlining all the details HERE.