TO ALL RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS IN ORANGE COUNTY
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Enclosed please find some information about the Orthodox Church and Parish here in Orange
County, which can become your spiritual home. Please read it carefully and do not hesitate to
call at any time if you need more information.
Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos Serbian Orthodox Church of Orange County, California is
a parish of the Diocese of the West, Serbian Orthodox Church in America. Our parish is under
the episcopacy of His Grace Bishop LONGIN. The Serbian Orthodox ruling heirarch is His
Holiness, Patriarch PAVLE, and our parish rector is Priest Fr. Blasko Paraklis.
Our parish is named after the Most Holy Theotokos, the ever-virgin Mary, counted as a most
Holy human being ever. Our annual parish feast day is September 21.
Among the worshipers are senior citizens, grateful that there is a church close in their area;
families seeking religious education for their children; students and single adults, who appreciate
the spiritual guidance and fellowship; new immigrants who seek support in the daunting task of
acclimating to their new country, and a broad range of others.
The Orange County community seeks to perpetuate the faith and pass a strong spiritual and
cultural foundation on to future generations. Divine Liturgy and vespers services are celebrated
regularly on Sundays and Feast days followed Sunday School, all in a rented facility which
houses a beautiful chapel, classrooms, a fellowship hall and a full kitchen.
The Community consists mostly of Serbian and Russian Orthodox Christians. The services are
conducted in Church-Slavonic, Serbian and English language.
You are welcome in our church! We are thankful for all those God sends, in His divine
providence, to our spiritual home. Those who would like to learn more about our ancient
Christian faith should feel free to contact the parish priest. Our Church welcomes all who have a
sincere desire to follow the founder and head of our ancient Faith, our Lord, God and Savior
Jesus Christ.
If you are an Orthodox first-time visitor without a parish of your own, we encourage you to join
our community. Simply ask one of the Faithful, someone on duty at the candle stand, or the
priest. Even if you already belong to a Russian Orthodox Church in LA area, you are most
welcome to come to our Church at any time you are not able to go to the Russian Church.
After the Divine Liturgy, we welcome all visitors to join us in our small fellowship hall for lunch
and conversation with our parish family. You will find people from almost every walk of life.
We are one family in Christ bound together in one common faith.
We hope you will visit us. Our ancient faith is founded upon the love of God who so loved the
world that He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to us that we might, by His example,
learn to truly live and, by His death and resurrection, be free from the tyranny of sin. We
genuinely hope that You find Him here in our midst.
For more information in English please call Fr. Blasko Paraklis @ 949 830 -5480 or by email:
frparaklis@aol.com
For more information in Russian please call Helena and Igor Novachuck @ 949 716-9410 email:
Elena.Novachuk@cox.net
With God’s blessings,
Fr. Blasko Paraklis
About Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos
Serbian Orthodox Parish
Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos Serbian Orthodox Church of Orange County, California is
a parish of the Diocese of the West, Serbian Orthodox Church in America. Our parish is under
the episcopacy of His Grace LONGIN, Bishop of New Gracanica and the West. The Serbian
Orthodox ruling heirarch is His Holiness, Patriarch PAVLE, Archbishop of Pec, Metropolitan of
Belgrade Karlovci, and our parish rector is Priest Blasko Paraklis.
Our parish is named after the Most Holy Theotokos, the ever-virgin Mary, counted as a most
Holy human being ever. Our annual parish feast day is September 21. Originally founded in
Orange County, California by His Grace Bishop Joan in the spring of 1998, our parish gained a
full time priest, Father Blasko Paraklis, in October of that year. United in Faith, parishioners
shared a sense of fellowship and a growing determination to build a church, fellowship hall and
school from the onset.
Among the worshipers are senior citizens, grateful that there is finally a church close in their
area; families seeking religious education for their children; students and single adults, who
appreciate the spiritual guidance and fellowship; new immigrants who seek support in the
daunting task of acclimating to their new country, and a broad range of others.
Following the example set by early Serbian immigrants to this country, the Orange County
community seeks to perpetuate the faith and pass a strong spiritual and cultural foundation on to
future generations. Divine Liturgy and vespers services are celebrated regularly on Sundays and
Feast days followed Sunday School, all in a rented facility which houses a beautiful chapel,
classrooms, a fellowship hall and a full kitchen.
As is traditional from the earliest of structures built specifically for Christian worship, the
sanctuary (the altar in the chapel) is at the extreme eastern end of the building, the direction of
the light, symbolized by the rising sun. The narthex (the vestibule) is at the west end of the
building, the 'dark' end representing the darkness of sin. The nave (main body) is situated
between the two.
The icons (religious pictures) that adorn the chapel are traditional in style with examples from a
variety of Orthodox cultural traditions. On the Eastern wall behind the Holy Altar table, hang the
icons of the twelve major Feasts of the church year. Icons of the Crucifixion and Resurrection
are located left and right of center, and the icon of the Holy Eucharist is in the center.
The Serbian Orthodox community in Orange County is determined to build a permanent place of
worship that will be an earthly testimony to the glory of God, a place that will welcome all who
are faithful to the Orthodox Church and its teachings, and all those seeking to learn more about
the faith. In this endeavor, the parish humbly and respectfully seeks your support.
Some Notes To Our Visitors
You are welcome in our church! We are thankful for all those God sends, in His divine
providence, to our spiritual home. Those who would like to learn more about our ancient
Christian faith should feel free to contact the parish priest. Our Church welcomes all who have a
sincere desire to follow the founder and head of our ancient Faith, our Lord, God and Savior
Jesus Christ.
If you are an Orthodox first-time visitor without a parish of your own, we encourage you to join
our community. Simply ask one of the Faithful, someone on duty at the candle stand, or the
priest.
After the Divine Liturgy, we welcome all visitors to join us in our small fellowship hall for lunch
and conversation with our parish family. You will find people from almost every walk of life.
We are one family in Christ bound together in one common faith.
Some Notes On Good Order in Orthodox Worship
We gather in church as a parish community united in an ancient faith for a singular purpose--the
worship and glorification of God. For this reason, we ask you to please refrain from any unusual
or disrespectful behavior while you are in our place of worship as this distracts the Faithful from
our purpose. Distracting clothing, smoking inside the building, standing with hands in pockets,
conversing, excessive or flamboyant bows and any other behaviors that draw attention to oneself
are discouraged. We glorify God in humility, inner peace and reverence through our thoughts,
prayers, appearance and behaviors.
A Note on Holy Communion
Please understand that non-Orthodox visitors, regardless of their Christian affiliation or
confession, are not permitted to receive Holy Communion in the Orthodox Church.
Reception of the Divine Gifts identifies a person with the Orthodox body of believers
exclusively. It has been thus since the first Mystical Supper in the upper room. While no one at
all is considered worthy of Holy Communion, including the clergy, the Orthodox Church does
not admit any Orthodox person to Communion who is not prepared. An indispensable element of
preparation for Holy Communion is considered to be regular participation in the Mystery of Holy
Confession. Another indispensable element is total fasting, preferably from the preceding
evening, but at least from the midnight prior to morning reception of the Mystery of Holy
Communion. Orthodox visitors are encouraged to contact the Priest prior to the Divine Liturgy if
they intend to receive the Mysteries.
A Note on Candles and Commemorations
You will find in the hallway before you enter the chapel a small candle stand where candles may
be purchased for a donation. These candles are lit and placed in one of the candle stands
accompanied by our prayers. The candle is at once a small offering and a symbol of our own
lives. The warmth of the flame is our faith casting light upon a world darkened by sin. We
recognize that our life on earth is temporary, thus we must shine brightly with the Light of God
while the time is given to us. It is the favorite lie of our adversary the devil that there is 'plenty of
time'. Our Orthodox visitors will also find that we offer small pieces of paper for writing the
names of living and deceased family members at the candle stand. The names are given to the
priest who offers special prayers for the health or blessed memory of your loved ones. The list of
names must be received in the Altar well prior to the beginning of Divine Liturgy.
Thank you for joining us online. We hope you will visit us. Our ancient faith is founded upon
the love of God who so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to us
that we might, by His example, learn to truly live and, by His death and resurrection, be free
from the tyranny of sin. We genuinely hope that You find Him here in our midst.