Parish History

The Elevation of the Holy Cross Church is part of the Orthodox Church in America, one of the international Christian Orthodox organizations which operate in compliance with the tenets of the world-wide Orthodox teaching established by the Apostles and the Holy Fathers in the first century. The OCA was established from the Moscow Russia-based Russian Orthodox Church following the initial Christian Orthodox settlements in Alaska in 1794 and was granted autocephaly in 1970.

The Elevation of the Holy Cross Church was established in August, 1976, by fourteen parishioners from the Church of the Holy Myrrhbearing Women who wanted to have a church which held services in the English language. The Church of the Holy Myrrhbearing Women was established in April, 1925, the liturgical services were conducted in Church Slavonic and they supported the effort to establish a new English-serving parish in Sacramento.

The initial mission to establish the English-serving church was started in borrowed facilities, initially in a side chapel at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, then to the Carmichael Presbyterian Church, and then to the YMCA chapel before purchasing a half-acre lot with a house on El Camino Avenue in May, 1980. The house was converted to a chapel and the parish finally had an actual place of their own. The facility was small and quickly too crowded. A search for larger quarters was undertaken, but proved difficult.

The current location for the church was purchased in 1992 and the adjoining parcel, doubling the size to three acres, purchased in 1995. Much effort was undertaken to obtain the necessary permits and to build a chapel while services were held in the small, cramped house. Much of the work on the conversion of the property and building of the chapel was done by the parishioners themselves and the church was completed in time for the 2003 Holy Pascha services.

From the initial fourteen members, we now have in excess of 100 attending services, with more on Holy feast days, and the current chapel is inadequate. The plans for the new chapel, with a 500 year life expectancy, to further God’s work have been completed, awaiting funding for the expansion.