A Word of Welcome

Come and Pray With Us

On behalf of the clergy and faithful of Saint George Cathedral, I greet you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Here at the Cathedral, we gather around Christ into a life of worship, repentance, healing, communion, and love. Some who come here are visiting for the first time. Some are returning after years away. Some are looking for a spiritual home. All are welcome.

What you will find here

An Orthodox church is unfamiliar to most people the first time they enter it. You will see icons on the walls, candles burning, and incense rising. You will hear ancient chant sung without instruments. Much of the service is sung rather than spoken. People stand, bow, and make the sign of the cross.

None of this is decoration. Everything in the church is there to teach and to pray. It has been handed down, largely unchanged, since the first centuries of the Church.

You do not need to know what to do. Come, stand or sit as you are able, and let the service carry you. No one will single you out.

The Divine Liturgy

The heart of our life is the Divine Liturgy, celebrated every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. It is the same Liturgy the Church has offered for more than sixteen centuries, in every language and in every part of the world.

In it we hear the Scriptures, we pray for the world and for one another, and we offer the Eucharist — the Body and Blood of Christ. This is not a symbol or a memory. It is the Lord Himself, given for the life of the world.

Holy Communion

Holy Communion is offered to Orthodox Christians who have prepared themselves through prayer, fasting, and confession. If you are not Orthodox, we ask you not to approach the chalice — not to keep you at a distance, but because Communion is the expression of a unity of faith we hope one day to share with you fully.

At the end of the Liturgy, everyone is invited to come forward and receive the blessed bread. Please do.

Look through this website

Take your time with these pages. You will find teaching on the Orthodox faith, explanations of our services and sacraments, guidance on weddings and baptisms, and information about our schools, ministries, and parish life. For funeral arrangements, please contact the Cathedral office. Much of what people ask us is answered here.

If you do not find what you are looking for, write to us or call. We would rather answer you directly than leave you guessing.

Come and see

Philip said to Nathanael, “Come and see.” That remains the best answer to most questions about the Orthodox faith. Read what you like, but at some point you have to walk in and stand in it.

Come and pray with us. Stay after the Divine Liturgy, join us for coffee, and introduce yourself. I would be glad to speak with you — after services, or by appointment.

With love in Christ,