About
Prophet Elias Greek Orthodox Church of Santa Cruz began very modestly in 1980 with the many Greek families of Santa Cruz County, and the priest and his family who had been assigned to the community, Fr. John and Presbytera Anastasia Karastamatis, along with their two children, Maria and Fotis. Fr. John began Sunday services by borrowing space at Poor Clares, a Catholic church in Soquel. The determination to found a church became a reality in 1982, when a building was purchased and converted into Prophet Elias Greek Orthodox Church. That building is where we are today at 223 Church Street.
Prophet Elias is succeeding and growing today due to the dedication and significant effort of its priests and parishioners. Members have done whatever is needed, from construction and building maintenance to sponsoring an annual festival which has grown into a 3-day street faire and is a major cultural event for Santa Cruz. Prophet Elias serves as a central meeting place for our community and is a place that brings the families together for spirituality and social events.
Today we have proudly renovated our building and added more space which includes new classrooms, a Mediterranean garden and courtyard, a banquet facility and a fully-equipped commercial kitchen. Our parish is over 100 families strong and continues to grow.
Fr. John Karastamatis