Services
Sunday @ 9:30am Holy Qurbana
In 1990 Rev. Fr. M.C. Cherian (late H.G. Dr. Zachariah Mar Theophilos) visited Sacramento as a guest to Mr. George Peediyakkal family and celebrated the first Holy Eucharist in Sacramento, the capital city of California. From 1990 through 1997 the Holy Eucharist was celebrated when a priest became available in the area. In the summer of June 1997, then Senior Metropolitan H.G. Dr. Thomas Mar Makarios visited Sacramento. After the Holy Eucharist on June 7th 1997 at the Saint Katherine Greek Orthodox Church, His Grace blessed and named this as the Saint George Orthodox Congregation in Sacramento having about five families at that time. From 2000 onward Rev. Fr. Joseph Kalapurayil visited this congregation once a month and celebrated holy liturgy, initially in a residential setting and later on at a facility provided by the Serbian Orthodox Church. In 2001, our faithful families requested H.G. Mathews Mar Barnabas the then Metropolitan of the American Diocese to recognize this congregation as an independent parish in the Sacramento area. Our request was granted on 18th November 2001 via kalpana number K74/200 and Rev. Fr. Joseph Kalapurayil was appointed as the vicar. Soon after, the church was registered as a non-profit organization in the State of California.
In May 2002, as membership grew, we moved to the Friends Community Church in Sacramento for our services. During this period Rev. Fr. Rege Mathew, Rev. Fr. Mathew Philipose and Rev. Fr. V.T. Thomas, vicars of the San Francisco Church, visited Sacramento and conducted monthly services on Saturdays. In June 2005, Diocesan Metropolitan H. G. Mathews Mar Barnabas appointed Rev. Fr. V. T. Thomas as the vicar and Holy Qurbana was conducted every week. Under the leadership of Rev. Fr. V. T. Thomas, in 2012 a property with building at Ehrhardt Avenue, Sacramento, was purchased. After some building renovations, we moved to the new facility. Holy Qurbana on 1st July 2012, marked the commencement of worship in this facility and this has been the home of St. George Orthodox Church to date. H. G. Alexios Mar Eusebius, Metropolitan of the South-West American Diocese appointed Rev. Fr. Mathai Alakot as the vicar of the parish effective 1st October 2013. We did additional renovations to the altar and interior of the church facility in 2014. Rev. Fr. Mathai Alakot served the parish until September 30, 2018. Rev. Fr. Slomo Isac George was appointed as the vicar of the parish by the diocesan Asst. Metropolitan H. G. Zacharias Mar Aprem, and he took charge in October 2018. Rev. Fr. T. U. Jacob was appointed as the new vicar of the parish in October 2019.
By God’s grace, from its humble beginning in 1990 and through the formation of a small congregation in 1997, the St. George Orthodox Church has progressed well. Today, the parish has 22 families as subscribing members and a few other families attending regular church services. All the parishioners including the youth and children actively participate in all church activities including MMVS, MGOCSM and Sunday school. We pray for the continued growth and development of our church in the future.