Today we’d like to introduce you to Tatiana Geringer.
Hi Tatiana, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
The Story of the Resurrection Orthodox Cathedral & Spiritual, Cultural, and Music Center From Vision to Reality
The Vision
The St. Luke Russian Orthodox community in South Florida had seen remarkable growth — from a handful of faithful just five years ago to more than a hundred on ordinary Sundays and three hundred on great feasts. Yet this growth only made clearer what was missing: a true cathedral and cultural center to call their own.
From humble beginnings — guided by a devoted core of believers and the blessing of the First Hierarch of ROCOR, His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas — a greater mission was born: to build a cathedral in the traditional Russian Orthodox style. This cathedral would not only serve as a house of worship, but also as a spiritual, cultural, and musical anchor for generations to come.
This is more than a church; it is to be a beacon — a place where theology, song, heritage, and fellowship converge. A place uniting the Slavic soul with the American experience, welcoming both Russian- and English-speakers, fostering intergenerational life, and providing a home for Orthodox musical excellence through the PaTRAM Institute.
The name chosen — Resurrection — resonates across all Orthodox traditions. It points to Pascha, the Feast of Feasts, celebrated by all, transcending every division. It proclaims hope, renewal, and life from death.
From Dream to Ground
The project faces familiar challenges: funding, securing land, and rallying hearts. Yet the parish — joined by hundreds of families across the United States and Canada — has responded with remarkable generosity. In a very short span, $1.5 million was raised in May 2024 to purchase property in Deerfield Beach, Florida: 1.32 acres with 9,000 square feet of existing structures.
That acquisition was the essential foundation. The property at 1416 SE 2nd Terrace became sacred ground, providentially discovered just weeks before a visit by His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas and the wonderworking Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother of God. With prayers and blessings offered on the site, the mission gained new urgency: if the soil itself had been sanctified, how could the work be delayed?
Laying the First Stones — Phase 1 and Beyond
With the property secured, the community entered Phase 1, planning the transformation of existing structures into core gathering spaces:
• Converting the church shell into a worship space suitable for Orthodox services.
• Expanding and renovating the parish hall and cultural center with a stage, classrooms, a music room, children’s classrooms, and a mothers’ quiet room.
• Installing a kitchen to host banquets, community gatherings, and festivals.
Once Phase 1 is complete, community and liturgical life — including the radiant celebration of Pascha — will move to the new site.
Phase 2 will extend the mission: providing clergy housing, constructing a grand altar and bell tower, and commissioning an iconostasis and frescoes.
Phase 3 will crown the project with sacred adornments: frescoes, iconography, and artistic beauty — transforming the structure into a living temple of God.
Each stage depends upon the continued sacrifice, generosity, and labor of the faithful. The Resurrection Cathedral is a $10 million, multi-year project — a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help raise an Orthodox cathedral and cultural center that will stand for generations. Gifts are not only investments in bricks and mortar, but in faith, music, heritage, community and the future of Orthodoxy in America. We invite everyone to walk with us on this journey of faith and beauty and join us in this sacred work at resurrectionrocathedral.org.
Architectural Vision — Golden Cupolas & Orthodox Grandeur
The goal is to raise a temple in the classical Russian Orthodox style — crowned with golden cupolas, surrounded by fine mosaics, and graced with rich landscaping. This cathedral will be an architectural gem for South Florida: a landmark that embodies both the eternal faith of Orthodoxy and the unique beauty of Russian tradition.
One can already imagine multiple golden domes gleaming under Florida’s sun, a bell tower proclaiming the Gospel, and mosaic icons adorning the façade. Within, frescoes will cover the walls and ceiling, light will filter through windows, and the iconostasis will stand in front of the altar with sacred majesty.
It will be a structure at once majestic, reverent, symbolic, and welcoming.
Musical & Cultural Heart — PaTRAM and Community Life
A cornerstone of this mission is musical excellence. The Resurrection Cathedral has partnered with the PaTRAM Institute (Patriarch Tikhon Russian-American Music Institute), which will serve as its musical heartbeat and build its home at the Cathedral.
PaTRAM has already recorded six internationally acclaimed albums and holds two Grammy nominations. It has begun forming the Cathedral Choir, which will enrich the life of the community with liturgical singing, concerts, educational programs, recordings, and choirs in both Slavonic and English for youth, men, and women alike.
Equally vital will be the Cultural Center, hosting festivals such as Maslenitsa and Yolka, theatrical and musical performances, Slavic cultural gatherings, receptions, lectures, international events, and community outreach.
In this way, liturgy, music, education, fellowship, and culture will weave together into one living tapestry.
A Story to Tell
This is a story of faith, sacrifice, and enduring hope. A small but growing parish — longing to give its children and newcomers a spiritual home — dared to dream beyond rented halls and temporary spaces. We envisioned a cathedral not only for today, but for generations.
What began as a few dozen faithful has become a movement: a campaign to create a beacon of Orthodoxy. The call went out for bold giving, volunteer labor, shared vision, and prayer. And the faithful believed: that even in Florida, where palm trees and coastal skylines are expected, one can raise a temple crowned with golden domes — a house of worship, a home for culture, and a cradle for sacred music that resounds far beyond its walls.
When complete, the Resurrection Cathedral will stand as a monument: cupola gleaming in the sun, choirs resounding in Slavonic and English, frescoes telling the story of salvation, a hall alive with cultural life, and a community gathered across generations. It will be a place of pilgrimage — for baptisms and funerals, weddings and feasts, concerts and catechesis.
In that edifice — more than stone and gold — will dwell a people: believers who dreamed of a cathedral in the sun, built it brick by brick, and entrusted it to God for their children and their children’s children.
This is a historic endeavor, and we welcome everyone to join us.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Our path from dream to reality is not without struggle. From the very beginning, the community faced daunting questions: Where will we find the land? How will we raise the funds? Will enough hearts answer the call?
There are times when resources feel too scarce, when permits and bureaucracy slow progress, and when skeptics doubt the possibility of building a true Cathedral and Cultural Center in South Florida. At times, it seems as though every step forward requires three times the effort — countless meetings, reviews, architectural revisions, fundraising drives, and appeals for volunteers.
Yet families continue to sacrifice time, comfort, and resources. Parishioners labor late into the night to prepare proposals, organize campaigns, and host events. Some give not out of surplus but from sacrifice — gifts humble in size yet equal in weight to the largest donations. Hundreds yearned, and continue to yearn, to be part of this remarkable project.
These struggles do not weaken the mission — they strengthened it. Each obstacle becomes proof of the community’s determination, resilience, and hope, carrying the project forward step by step toward its fulfillment.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Tatiana Geringer, Director of Development
I have always believed in the power of bringing people together — through events, music, and shared purpose. For many years, I ran my own event planning and management company, creating and executing everything from intimate gatherings to large-scale productions. It was during this time that PaTRAM Institute became one of my clients. What began as a professional relationship quickly grew into something deeper: I became their exclusive event planner, responsible for shaping experiences that reflected their mission of excellence in Orthodox music.
A few years later, I was invited to serve as the CEO of PaTRAM. Accepting that role meant closing my own company, but it also meant stepping into a calling that combined my skills with my passion. As CEO, I not only managed the organization’s growth but also began to help build a choir for the Resurrection Cathedral. That work naturally led me deeper into the life of the Cathedral itself.
My involvement quickly snowballed, and I was asked to take on the role of Director of Development for the Resurrection Orthodox Cathedral, while also assisting with broader administrative and operational responsibilities. Today, I specialize in development, fundraising, and organizational leadership — but at the heart of it, what I do is help turn vision into reality.
I am most proud of being part of something lasting: building a cathedral and cultural center that will not only serve today’s community, but generations to come. What sets me apart is my ability to bridge worlds — combining event planning expertise, organizational leadership, and a deep personal commitment to mission. For me, this is more than a role; it is a way to serve, to build, and to leave behind something truly meaningful. This is my project-of-a-lifetime!
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters most to me is sharing the richness of the Orthodox faith, culture, traditions and our heritage — not just as ideas, but as living experiences. I want people to feel that they are part of something beautiful and enduring, something bigger than themselves. Whether through music, worship, or community gatherings, my greatest joy is helping others find belonging and meaning in the life of the Church, and knowing that together we are building something that will stand for generations.
In fact, you can live the experience this month! An extraordinary evening of culture and tradition awaits! On October 17, we invite everyone to join us for the Slavic Soirée — our largest fundraiser of the year. Experience an unforgettable celebration featuring live music, captivating dance performances, a lavish buffet of authentic Slavic cuisine, premium vodka tastings, black caviar, and the excitement of a live auction and basket raffle. For information and tickets: givebutter.com/slavicsoiree2025.
Contact Info:
- Website: resurrectionrocathedral.org
- Instagram: instagram.com/roc_rocor_fl
- Facebook: facebook.com/rocrocorfl
- Youtube: youtube.com/@SaintLukeChurchFlorida
- Yelp: resurrectionrocathedral.org/contact
- Other: resurrectionrocathedral.org/makeagift
Image Credits
Cathedral renderings courtesy of Peter Arton.
