History

Greeks first began settling in Santa Cruz County in 1913, but for decades their numbers were too small to support a parish of their own. The nearest Greek Orthodox churches were in San Francisco, where Santa Cruz County Greeks attended services on feast days and for weddings and baptisms. When Saint Nicholas opened in San Jose in 1945, many became members of that community, and when Saint John the Baptist opened in Salinas in 1956, the Greeks of Watsonville began churching there. Intermittent services in Santa Cruz itself were held at Calvary Episcopal Church on Center Street by priests from San Jose, and at least on three occasions Easter Agape services were held in private homes.

The long journey toward a local parish began in earnest in 1978, when a "Yasou" letter was sent out to identify Orthodox Christians in the area. One hundred twenty-five were found. The driving force behind the effort was James Peterson, a Detroit-born Greek Orthodox layman and former choir director at Saint Nicholas in San Jose, who had moved his family to Santa Cruz in 1972. The first service was held at the Seventh Day Adventist Chapel on November 26, 1978. A Steering Committee was organized in 1979, a budget of $12,750 was adopted, and the community was chartered as a nonprofit. On December 15, 1979, Father John Karastamatis was appointed as the first full-time priest. In February 1980, Bishop Anthony made a pastoral visit, the Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos was established, and the community adopted Prophet Elias as its patron saint. Services were held at the Chapel of the Poor Clare's Monastery in Aptos while the community continued to grow. On October 23, 1980, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America granted a charter and the community was officially recognized as a parish.

In November 1981 a General Assembly voted to purchase the Wessendorf and Holmes Mortuary at 223 Church Street in Santa Cruz, and the Douglas Family purchased the property on behalf of the community that December. Renovations transformed the former mortuary into an Orthodox house of worship, and on Sunday, February 21, 1982, the first Divine Liturgy was celebrated at the Church Street location. Icons were installed on the iconostasion in July 1983, and ownership of the building was formally transferred to the parish that same month. Stained glass windows were installed in 1986. On October 17, 1989, the parish's building survived the 7.1 Loma Prieta earthquake without structural damage. A narthex was added in 1996, and iconography by Tatiana Grant was commissioned for the protheseis, platytera, and doors of paradise. Major renovations to the church building were completed in May 2005.

Prophet Elias Greek Orthodox Church at 223 Church Street in Santa Cruz serves approximately 100 families and a diverse Pan-Orthodox congregation as a parish of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco, conducting services in English and Greek and running active outreach programs addressing homelessness, hunger, and support for local foster children.