Purpose

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Romans 12:2

The Way of Christ has never been the way of this world, and our precious children are growing up in a secular culture that powerfully teaches them principles and values very different from those of Orthodox Christianity. In our mission church, we aspire to offer our children:

• A starting foundation of Christian teaching, based on patristic understanding of Holy Scripture,

• The beginning of a lifelong habit of regular participation in the divine services of the Church and the Holy Mysteries,

• Cultivating an Orthodox Christian mind, or phronema, that will help them as they navigate through the secular world in which we live for the rest of their lives, and

• Making friends, enjoying Orthodox fellowship, and experience of the loving koinonia, or communion, in which we unite as the Body of Christ.

We currently provide classes for children in preschool through 12th grade. Classes begin immediately after Divine Liturgy in the Parish Hall. Spending time with our children is a true blessing!

For more information about our church school, please email Karen Brodnak-Slate at schoolcoordinator@holycrossoca.org.

St. Macrina the Teacher

We are inspired by Saint Macrina the Younger who was the older sister of St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory of Nyssa. St. Gregory honored her for her sanctity and her ascetic life.

Acknowledging her influence on the whole family and others in two of his works (The Life of Macrina and The Dialogue on the Soul and the Resurrection), St. Gregory portrayed St. Macrina as the ideal Christian Teacher, teaching both by word and her own example, seeking God with her whole heart and mind.