Holy Church of St. Joseph the Hesychast

St. Joseph the Hesychast Church is one of the most distinguished pieces of architecture of the Elevation of the Holy Cross Church Complex. It is the first church in the lay world to carry the name of this great saint.

The church began to be constructed in 2016 and was consecrated on July 22, 2020 by Metropolitan Davit (Makharadze) of Alaverdi.

The church’s architecture is notably unique: a small basilica crafted from large, light-colored stones, giving it a cave-like appearance which contributes to a calm and tranquil atmosphere during services.

The interior of the church is also unique: the basilica has icons of St. Joseph the Hesychast and the members of his brotherhood, as well as an icon of Eldress Makrina of Portaria, which were all created specifically for this church. Each one of them is holding a scroll with their own quote about the Jesus Prayer being inscribed on it.

The iconostasis of the church is also unique and special, because of its form and because of the icons of Christ and the Most-Holy Theotokos that are depicted on it.

It is especially important to note the presence of the mosaic of the Most-Holy Theotokos on the conch. This mosaic was created specifically for the church, and it has no analogy in the world.