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
Alexis the Man of God, Paul the Righteous Martyr, Patrick the Enlightener of Ireland, Marinos the Martyr, Theocteristos the Confessor
Today's Scripture Readings
ISAIAH 25:1-9
O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure. For thou hast made the city a heap, the fortified city a ruin; the palace of aliens is a city no more, it will never be rebuilt. Therefore strong peoples will glorify thee; cities of ruthless nations will fear thee. For thou hast been a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat; for the blast of the ruthless is like a storm against a wall, like heat in a dry place. Thou dost subdue the noise of the aliens; as heat by the shade of a cloud, so the song of the ruthless is stilled. On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of fat things, a feast of wine on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wine on the lees well refined. And he will destroy on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death for ever, and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth; for the LORD has spoken. It will be said on that day, "Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation."
GENESIS 9:8-17
Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, "Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth." And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will look upon it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth." God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth."
PROVERBS 12:8-22
A man is commended according to his good sense, but one of perverse mind is despised. Better is a man of humble standing who works for himself than one who plays the great man but lacks bread. A righteous man has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel. He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits has no sense. The strong tower of the wicked comes to ruin, but the root of the righteous stands firm. An evil man is ensnared by the transgression of his lips, but the righteous escapes from trouble. From the fruit of his words a man is satisfied with good, and the work of a man's hand comes back to him. The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice. The vexation of a fool is known at once, but the prudent man ignores an insult. He who speaks the truth gives honest evidence, but a false witness utters deceit. There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Truthful lips endure for ever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment. Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but those who plan good have joy. No ill befalls the righteous, but the wicked are filled with trouble. Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who act faithfully are his delight.
Today's Thought

Do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4

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

Cathedral@StNicholasLA.COM
(213) 382-6269

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