Antiochian Orthodox Church in California Celebrates Anniversary

September 16, 2000

Source: Los Angeles Times

On September 16, 2000, the Los Angeles Times reported on the 50th anniversary of the St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church. Begun in "1950 when a handful of Lebanese and Syrian immigrants in Los Angeles came together to build an Orthodox church of their own...the congregation has multiplied to more than 800 families--2,000 members of ethnicities that include Lebanese, Syrian, Egyptian, Jordanian, Palestinian, Russian and Ukrainian...Additionally, as the gritty downtown Los Angeles neighborhood known as Westlake was transformed in the 1980s into an enclave for working-class Mexican and Central American immigrants, St. Nicholas began an outreach program for Latino families."

The Very Rev. Michel Najim, dean of St. Nicholas, commented on the changes his church has seen, saying that, "As immigration continues to change Los Angeles, it changes our church. It started with Lebanese and Syrians. Now it's become almost like an American church. We're trilingual here--we speak Arabic, English and Spanish...We have found that we have to share the Gospel with everyone, regardless of race. If Chinese people start moving into the neighborhood, then I'll learn Chinese too," Najim said with a laugh.