Welcome To St. Nicholas Cathedral

The history of the Cathedral located in Los Angeles, California, is truly a story of people of vision, courage, dedication, leadership and religious conviction. It is the story of the needs of many Orthodox families who had settled in the greater Los Angeles area since the turn of the twentieth century. It is a story of those who had devoted their lives to the service of our community, of leaders who are no longer with us but who shall always remain dear in our hearts because of their wisdom, love and accomplishments. Their legacy continues today.

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Celebrating Our 75th Anniversary

St. Nicholas opened its doors 75 years ago. We celebrate the past and look forward to the next 75 years!

We are pleased to announce that His Eminence, Metropolitan Saba, and His Grace, Bishop Anthony, will lead in the climactic conclusion of year-long celebration with a Gala Weekend April 25-26, 2026.

Click here for details, and please join us. In particular, we welcome back all those who have been part of the Cathedral but who have moved away. We are inviting all our former clergy and laity to join us for a joyous reunion!

Summary of Upcoming LENTEN SERVICES

In Addition to the regular, weekly services:
Saturday Vespers, 6 p.m.
Spanish: Sunday Liturgy, 7:45 am
English and Arabic: Sunday Matins, 9:15 a.m. • Divine Liturgy, 10:30 a.m.

NOTE: This year, certain calendar peculiarities, especially how the Feast of the Annunciation falls, will cause variations from the usual patterns some weeks.

Mondays — On Mondays in Lent we will serve Great Compline at 6:30 p.m.

  • On March 23, we serve the Little Compline with the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete and the Life St. Mary of Egypt.

Tuesday March 24 — we serve Great Vespers and Artoklasia at 6:30 pm for the Great Feast of the Annunciation.

Wednesdays — Join us at 6:30 p.m. for the Presanctified Liturgy. Fast from all food and drink from at least noon in preparation for Holy Communion (if your health allows). Then, we share a meal together. A short spiritual discussion will follow.

  • March 25 will be an exception, as we celebrate the Great Feast of the Annunciation with Matins at 9:30 am and Liturgy at 10:30 am. Then we will still have Great Vespers and dinner in the evening.

Fridays Little Compline with the Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos at 6:30 p.m.

  • On April 3, we serve the Little Compline with the Canon of Lazarus.

Saturdays — We serve the Liturgy each Saturday morning in Lent. See the calendar for the specific times; some Saturdays the Liturgy will be early, before FOCUS. You may bring koliva and a list of the names of your departed for a memorial each Saturday (except on March 28).

Palm Sunday: April 5 •  Pascha: April 12

Christmas Service Schedule
Schedule for Services Christmas Eve • جدول الخدمات لعيد الميلاد

Wednesday, December 24, 2025 • الأربعاء 24 كانون الاول

With the angels, the shepherds, the wise men and all the saints, let us come to adore Him Christmas Eve.

8:45 a.m.         Royal Hours of Christmas

10:30 a.m.      Divine Liturgy
(Paramon of Christmas)

While we encourage all to come to both the morning and night services (which are not the same), this may be an excellent opportunity for those who cannot drive after dark, for young children and entire families to celebrate the birth of Christ together.

8:00 p.m.        Christmas Matins

9:30 p.m.        CHRISTMAS DIVINE LITURGY

This is the traditional Christmas ‘midnight’ Liturgy, but we’re starting as early as possible, given that it is winter, and will be dark for a while already.

A reception will follow to break the Fast.

مع الملائكة والرعاة والحكماء وجميع القديسين، دعونا نأتي لنسجد له عشية عيد الميلاد

8:45 صباحا    ساعات عيد الميلاد الملكية

10:30 صباحا  القداس الإلهي
           
(بارامون الميلاد)

بينما نشجع الجميع على المجيء إلى كل الخدمات الصباحية والليلية (وهم مختلفون)، قد تكون هذه فرصة ممتازة لأولئك الذين لا يستطيعون السواقة بعد حلول الظلام وللأطفال الصغار والأسر بأكملها للاحتفال بميلاد المسيح معا.

8:00 مساءً     صلاة السحر لعيد الميلاد

9:30 مساءً     القداس الإلهي لعيد الميلاد

هذا هو قداس عيد الميلاد التقليدي "بمنتصف الليل"، لكننا نبدأ في أبدر وقت ممكن، نظرا لأنه موسم الشتاء، وسيكون مظلما لفترة من الوقت بالفعل.

سيتبع ذلك حفل استقبال للفطر بعد الصيام

 

Christ is Born!  Glorify Him!   المَسيحُ وُلِدَ \ فَمَجِّدوهُ

Lenten Service Schedule

HOLY WEEK & PASCHA 2025

LAZARUS SATURDAY • APRIL 12 • سبت لعازر
Matins 9:30 AM • Divine Liturgy, 10:30 AM
Great Vespers, 6 PM • Confessions Follow

Jesus’ raising Lazarus from the dead shows He can raise all mankind. Please also join us for lunch after Liturgy, and help us prepare for the Feast by preparing and decorating the Lord’s house.

PALM SUNDAY • APRIL 13 • احد الشعانين

Matins, 7:30 AM
Divine Liturgy, 9:00 AM
Divine Liturgy, 11:00 AM

 

Bridegroom Matins, 6:30 PM
Confessions Follow

We celebrate the triumphant entry of our Lord into Jerusalem, to face his voluntary death. “We like the children carry the palms of victory,” in procession. Adults and children may also bring decorated candles. To accommodate the large number of worshippers, we will have two liturgies Palm Sunday morning, with Bishop Anthony presiding. Join us at either 9 am or 11 am. Both Liturgies will be celebrated in a mix of languages. There will be a procession, coffee hour and pre-holiday bake sale after each liturgy.

The Procession with the icon of Christ, the Bridegroom of the Church, takes place, and we remember the righteousness of Joseph who, like Christ, suffered unjustly with patience and was exalted.

GREAT MONDAY • APRIL 14 • الاثنين العظيم

Presanctified Liturgy, 10 AM
Bridegroom Matins, 6:30 PM
Confessions Follow

We remember the example of the ten virgins waiting for the Bridegroom.

 

GREAT TUESDAY • APRIL 15 • الثلاثاء العظيم

Presanctified Liturgy, 10 AM
Bridegroom Matins, 6:30 PM
Confessions Follow

We remember the woman who anointed the head and feet of our Lord, wiping them with her hair, in contrast with Judas and his betrayal of Christ. The Hymn of Kassiane expresses these contrasts with profound poetry and majesty.

GREAT WEDNESDAY • APRIL 16 • الاربعاء العظيم

Presanctified Liturgy, 10 AM
Sacrament of Holy Unction, 6:30 PM

We are anointed for healing of soul and body as Christ was anointed in anticipation of his burial.

GREAT THURSDAY MORNING • APRIL 17 • صباح الخميس العظيم

Matins, 9 AM
Liturgy of St. Basil, 10 AM

GREAT THURSDAY EVENING • APRIL 17 •مساء الخميس العظيم

Matins with the Twelve Passion Gospels, 6:30 PM

On this day, when Jesus first said to his disciples, “Take, eat; this is my Body,” Orthodox Christians make it a point to participate in Holy Communion. Following the Liturgy, we will perform the rite of the Footwashing with the Church School. A Communion breakfast follows.

We walk with our Lord through the Passion. A procession with the Cross commemorates Christ’s voluntary Crucifixion.

GREAT FRIDAY • APRIL 18 • الجمعة العظيمة

Royal Hours, 10 AM
Un-nailing Vespers, 3 PM

GREAT FRIDAY EVENING • APRIL 18 • مساء الجمعة العظيمة

Matins of Christ’s Funeral, 6:30 PM

We try to spend this day in Church, heeding our Lord’s words to “watch and pray.” Then help us decorate the bier (نعش). At Vespers, Christ is taken down from the Cross and placed in it. Dinner is served after Vespers.

We join Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus and the Myrrh-bearing Women to sing in Praise of the buried Christ, and we process with the Bier and passing under it as if joining Christ in the tomb.

GREAT SATURDAY MORNING • APRIL 19 • صباح سبت النور

Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil, 10 AM

THE RESURRECTION • SATURDAY, APRIL 19 • القيامة

RUSH/MATINS/LITURGY, 11 PM

 

 

As we keep vigil, the Victory of Christ over death and his Resurrection ‘explode’ with throwing the leaves of victory. Please bring your children to this service. They will have an egg hunt after, too.

We receive the new Light and the Good News that “Christ is Risen.” We will bless red eggs, and you may also bring Easter Baskets to be blessed. An Agape Breakfast will follow.

AGAPE VESPERS • SUNDAY, APRIL 20 • الباعوث

Paschal Service in Spanish, 7:30 AM
Love Vespers, 1 PM

 

The Resurrection Service will be repeated early Pascha Morning in Spanish.

At the Agape (Love) Vespers, the Good News (Gospel) of the Resurrection will be proclaimed in as many languages as possible. A sign-up list will be posted during Holy Week for you to read any language you know (we might have the text available, if you don’t).

 

Typical Service Schedule
Sunday
7:45am - Divine Liturgy in Spanish
9:15am - Orthros (Matins)
10:30am - Divine Liturgy
  
Saturday
6:00pm - Great Vespers
  
Eve of Feast
6:30pm - Vesperal Divine Liturgy of the Feast

For some feasts, we serve a Vesperal Divine Liturgy on the eve of the feast.  Check our Cathedral Calendar for details.

  
Feast
9:30am - Feast Day Divine Liturgy

In most cases, we will serve Orthros along with Divine Liturgy on the morning of feast days.  Check the Cathedral calendar for current schedule and start times.

  
Today's Commemorations
Sunday of the Holy Cross, Agapius the Martyr & His Companions, Manuel the New Martyr of Crete, Holy Apostle Aristobulos of the Seventy, Bishop of Britain
Today's Scripture Readings
ST. PAUL'S LETTER TO THE HEBREWS 4:14-16; 5:1-6
BRETHREN, since we have a high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. Because of this he is bound to offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people. And one does not take the honor upon himself, but he is called by God, just as Aaron was. So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, 'Thou art my Son, today I have begotten thee'; as he says also in another place, 'Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchizedek.'
MARK 8:34-38; 9:1
The Lord said: "If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? For what can a man give in return for his life? For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of man also be ashamed, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." And he said to them, "Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power.
Today's Thought

You should secretly give from what you have to those in need, so that you receive from God, Who sees in secret, a hundred times more, as well as life eternal in the age to come (cf. Mt. 6:4; Mk. 10:30). – St. Gregory Palamas

St Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral
2300 W 3rd Street
Los Angeles, CA  90057

Cathedral@StNicholasLA.COM
(213) 382-6269

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