A season to appreciate magnificent LI churches

Think you need to travel to Europe to see traditional Byzantine mosaics or an authentic model of a Norwegian Viking ship pointed toward an altar? Think again. You can see both, plus more - think Tiffany stained glass - in magnificent churches here at home.

What better season to admire our local houses of worship than the holiest time of the Christian year?

Greek Orthodox Cathedral of St. Paul

110 Cathedral Ave., Hempstead

INFO 516-483-5700, stpaul hempstead.org

THE STORY The interior Byzantine mosaics of the Cathedral of St. Paul took 40 years to complete. Pieces of glass tile in gold, blues, reds and greens cover the ceilings and walls with scenes from the life of Christ. Stained glass windows and marble floors and columns add to the beauty of the space. The exterior of the church is brick with a red Spanish-tile roof and a dome topped with a cross.

DON'T MISS Look up to see Christ in the center of the dome, surrounded by 48 biblical figures, from Adam to Abraham to King David. Don't miss the bishop's throne, a canopied chair carved of onyx with an intricate bronze design, or the three weeping icons inside their protective cases. The stained glass window in the back of the church was donated by Telly Savalas, who was a member along with his brother, said Father Luke Melackrinos.

Cathedral of the Incarnation

50 Cathedral Ave., Garden City

INFO 516-746-2955, incarnationgc.org

THE STORY This gothic church has an imposing spire, green iron trim and fish-scale roof. The intricate work and gargoyles on the exterior is reminiscent of the great gothic churches of France.

DON'T MISS Walk inside the tall double-doors and look up; the ceiling is ornate. The apse is vaulted, with carved stone and lined with stained glass windows. A separate Lady Chapel has an octagonal altar.

St. Mark's Episcopal Church

754 Montauk Highway, Islip

INFO 631-581-4950, stmarksonline.us

THE STORY While this church site dates back to 1847, the current building, completed in 1880, was a gift from William Vanderbilt, who lived nearby in his Idle Hour mansion in Oakdale. It is modeled after Norwegian churches. The Tudor exterior opens to an wood interior with authentic Tiffany stained glass windows.

DON'T MISS After a 1989 fire damaged a large part of the church, it was redone, and the pews were equipped with handmade, needlepoint cushions to kneel on, each depicting a biblical symbol or scene. "A whole army of church ladies got together and needlepointed," says Rachel Simpson, daughter of the Very Rev. Richard Simpson. A model of a Viking ship is suspended from the ceiling, pointed toward the high altar. The altar's podium is carved wood; pipes from an organ flank the high altar.

St Patrick's Roman Catholic Church

235 Glen St., Glen Cove

INFO 516-676-0276, stpatrickshill.com

THE STORY This gray stone church with brick-red colored trim sits up on a hill. The stones were ferried over from Rye, N.Y., to construct the building. A covered walkway with arches surrounds half of the building. "In a monastery, they would have called it cloisters," says Deacon Michael Devenney. The property houses the All-Saints Regional Catholic School and is still home to two nuns. The church was founded in the 1850s by primarily Irish immigrants who later joined by immigrants from Germany, Poland and Italy. The church is heavily attended by immigrants; about 35 percent of the congregation is from Central and South America, Devenney says.

DON'T MISS The bell tower was recently repaired; the bells toll every 15 minutes, though the clock still doesn't keep accurate time. "A lot of people come here just to have their wedding ceremony or Mass celebrated here," he said. "The aisle is 75 feet long, so it's perfect." Check the meditation and statue gardens.