Bp. Matthew Visits Historic Missions in California
Bp. Matthew’s visit linked Orthodox commemoration with historic Spanish missions across California.
LOS ANGELES — On April 30, Bp. Matthew of Sourozh, Interim Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the United States and Canada (Moscow Patriarchate), arrived in the United States and began an archpastoral visit that includes multiple dioceses across North America, with scheduled meetings with hierarchs of other Orthodox jurisdictions and participation in the summer patronal feast of St. Nicholas Cathedral in New York City.
In Los Angeles, Bp. Matthew visited the Mission of the Holy Archangel Gabriel and the Port of the Holy Apostle Peter, where he offered prayers to the Martyr Peter the Aleut at the site of his capture and commemorated Orthodox Christians connected to the site. During this broader visit, he toured key historical and mission sites in California, including San Diego, as part of a wider itinerary focused on early Christian presence in the region.
On May 1, he visited Mission San Diego de Alcalá, founded in 1769 by Franciscan missionary Junípero Serra as the first in a chain of twenty-one Spanish missions that played a central role in the early colonial and religious development of California.
The Mission San Diego de Alcalá, still functioning today as an active Catholic church, is also noted for its historical role in the conversion and instruction of indigenous peoples and the establishment of early European-style settlements in the region.
Previously, the UOJ reported that Metr. Saba continued a Southern California archpastoral visit.
