What time are our weekend worship services?
On Sunday morning at 9:30 am.
The principal, weekly Orthodox worship service is called the “Divine Liturgy” (the “Holy Eucharist”) on Sunday morning.

The Divine Liturgy is the culmination of a cycle of worship services that include Vespers and the Hours. Our weekend schedule is:
Saturday Evening: Great Vespers at 6:00 pm
Sunday Morning: Hours at 9:05 am • Divine Liturgy at 9:30 am.

What is our worship service like?
Our worship is Biblical, liturgical, and sacramental.
Orthodox worship services consist of Psalms, Scripture readings, and prayers. They typically include a homily (sermon) or an instructional talk.

Our order of worship (“liturgy”) is the same as that followed by the Apostles and first-century Christians. We participate in seven, principal “Sacraments” including Baptism and Holy Communion.  Read more...

Are you an American Orthodox Church?
Yes, we are (some other Orthodox Churches, however, have foreign affiliations).
We are a parish of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), with its senior bishop and main office in Washington, DC. The OCA is the continuation of the historic 18th-century missionary effort that first brought Orthodox Christianity to America.

The Mission of the Orthodox Church in America, the local autocephalous Orthodox Church, is to be faithful in fulfilling the commandment of Christ to “Go into all the world and make disciples of all Nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all [things that He has] commanded” so that all people may be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth: To preach, in accordance with God’s will, the fullness of the gospel of the Kingdom to the peoples of North America and to invite them to become members of the Orthodox Church; To utilize for her mission the various languages of the peoples of this continent; To be the body of Christ in North America and to be faithful to the tradition of the Holy Orthodox Church; To witness to the truth, and by God’s grace and in the power of the Holy Spirit, to reveal Christ’s way of sanctification and eternal salvation to all.

Many other Orthodox churches in the United States are affiliated with national Churches in foreign countries and indicate that relationship in their title. For example, a “Greek” Orthodox parish is under the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Istanbul, Turkey. Likewise, a “Russian” Orthodox parish is under the Patriarchate of Moscow in Russia.

Our Archbishop Benjamin of San Francisco and the West with a few of our Parishioners

Why is our parish named “Holy Wisdom”?
After Jesus Christ, “the Wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:24)
Whereas all Orthodox churches are built to glorify God, most are named to memorialize a great event in the life of our Lord or to commemorate a Great Saint. Very few, however, are named after our Savior Jesus Christ and, when they are, the name chosen is an attribute of Christ. The name of our parish, “Holy Wisdom,” is taken from 1 Corinthians 1:24, 30.  Read more...

12 things I wish I’d known ...
...before my first visit to an Orthodox Church.
Orthodox worship is ancient and traditional! Before visiting an Orthodox church for the first time, you might enjoy reading the article “12 Things I Wish I’d Known” by Frederica Mathews-Green, a helpful (and sometimes humorous) guide, answering some of the common questions that visitors often have on their first visit.  Etiquette Guide...

What is our church parish like?
We are a small and growing mission community!
If you are an Orthodox Christian looking for a parish, we are a lovely community to join.

If you are interested in the Orthodox faith, you are most welcome to visit us. Should you wish to become an Orthodox Christian our priest and parish will gladly teach you.

Most of us are converts from Roman Catholic and Protestant backgrounds, a few of us were born into the Orthodox Church, and some are individuals exploring the Orthodox Faith.

All our services are in English. We do follow the ancient Christian traditions in life and worship, and our community is very welcoming.

I’ve never heard of the Orthodox Church; What is it?
It is the 2,000-year old Christian Church.
Extending over two millenia, the history of Orthodox Christianity is very rich. Orthodox Christian beliefs have remained consistent from the New Testament Apostolic tradition through to the present day.  Read more...

Is the Orthodox Church very large?
It is the second-largest Christian Church in the world.
Orthodox Christians comprise approximately 3.8% of the world population, and about 0.5% of the US population. In comparison, Roman Catholics comprise 17.4% of the World population, and 20.8% of the US population.  Read more...

What is the history of Orthodox Christianity in America?
Orthodox Christianity in the world began on Pentecost, AD 33.
Orthodox Christianity in America began in AD 1794.
The Orthodox Christian presence in North America began in 1794 when eight missionaries arrived in Kodiak, Alaska. They had traveled 7,300 miles in 293 days by foot, horse, boat, and ship from Valaamo Monastery. Valaam is located in Karelia, the northwestern-most region of Russia adjacent to Finland.

As they preached from Alaska south into northern California, many Native Americans were led by God to the Orthodox Christian faith. In 1840 a diocese was established in Sitka and, after the 1867 purchase of Alaska by the United States, the see was transferred in 1872 from Sitka to San Francisco. From San Francisco dedicated and saintly bishops oversaw both continuing mission activities as well as the establishment of new parishes to serve immigrant communities throughout North America.

The Orthodox Church in America (OCA) today is the continuation of this evangelical missionary history and tradition. This is expressed by our diocesan hierarch, Archbishop Benjamin of San Francisco and the West, in a video that can be accessed here. Guided by the Holy Spirit, our Holy Wisdom Mission continues this evangelical and missionary tradition.

Canonized North American saints from the 19th and 20th centuries include: Herman of Alaska, Patriarch Tikhon of Moscow, Archbishop Innocent of Alaska, Bishop Raphael of Brooklyn, Confessor Alexis (Toth), Jacob (Netsvetov) of Alaska, Hieromartyr John (Kochurov), Hieromartyr Alexander (Hotovitzky), Hieromartyr Juvenaly, Martyr Peter the Aleut, and the New Martyr Basil (Martysz).

Immigrants from Eastern European and Mediterranean nations arrived in the 19th and 20th centuries and established Orthodox churches for themselves and their families, often bringing clergy from the “old country.”

All parishes and their clergy were under the jurisdiction of the San Francisco diocese until the 1920s when some formed into separate, “ethnic,” jurisdictions. All Orthodox in America have remained in full communion, and an Assembly of Bishops has been established to facilitate the restoration of a common canonical administrative structure.  Read more...

What do Orthodox Christians believe?
The Nicene Creed summarizes our beliefs:
We believe in one God, the Holy Trinity of three Hypostases (or Persons):
   The Father: the Creator of all things,
   The Son: through Whom all things are made,
   The Holy Spirit: the Lord and Giver of life.

We believe that Jesus Christ is God. He is the Word, the Son of the Father, Who became man, Who died on the Cross, and Who is resurrected on the third day for our salvation.

We believe in one, holy, catholic, and Apostolic Church:
   One: The same worldwide for all of its 264 million adherents.
   Holy: The Body of Christ.
   Catholic: For all people, at all times, in every age and place.
   Apostolic: The faith of the New Testament Christian church.

Click here to read the full text of the Nicene Creed, provided both in its original Koiné Greek (as it was written at the First and Second Ecumenical Councils in AD 325 and 381, respectively), as well as in English as we recite it today.

Orthodox Christianity is the exact faith taught by Christ, preached by the Apostles, and maintained faithfully, unaltered, and unadulterated for the past 2,000 years.  Read more...

The Orthodox Christian Church today continues the unchanged faith and life of the New Testament Church.
It is the one, holy, catholic, and Apostolic Church. It is the New Testament Church.
The gates of Hades have not prevailed, and will not prevail, against it.