St. Elias Melkite Catholic Church - Hayward (CA)

5 /5 Giovanny Blanco: The most welcoming church you’ll attend. The richness found at St. Elias is rooted in the intangibles, Christian fellowship, love for orthodoxy, and above all else, zeal for the Lord. Want to worship as the early Christians did? Visit St. Elias. The Divine Liturgy celebrated here is faithful to the traditions passed down by the fathers of the Church. Want to grow in your understanding of the Holy Scriptures? Look no further. Worried that your children will cause a ruckus at church? If they do, don’t worry about it. The community at St. Elias will not mind. As Jesus Christ Himself said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matt. 19:13-14). There is no better place to spend your Sunday than St. Elias. If you want to experience the Christian tradition in all its beauty, then “come and see.”

5 /5 Samuel Waterman: St. Elias is the friendliest church I have ever gone to, with the most beautiful Liturgy that I have ever encountered. Everyone there treats the Byzantine tradition with great care and reverence, always ensuring an authentically Eastern Christian experience. The homilies by Fr. Carnazzo are next to none, with unmatched courageousness, eternal wisdom, and a firm foundation within the Church tradition. The community is so warm and welcoming that you will want to spend the entire Sunday there! If you are looking for an authentic Christian experience, then visit St. Elias and take a step into ancient Antioch, "where they were first called Christians" (Acts 11:26).

5 /5 P Igor: Im originally Russian Orthodox. I live in the Gilroy area and was looking for an Orthodox based church for my family and myself. I found St. Elias and decided to visit. I reached out to Fr. Sebastian regarding some questions and he was amazing at answering all of them. The location is easy to find. The service is very traditional Orthodoxy which I love. Everyone is very welcoming and warm, I felt nervous the first time, but everyone made feel welcomed, its hard to explain how amazing it felt in words. This congregation is wonderful. I highly recommend St. Elias to anyone wanting to open their faith in Christ. Its an excellent church for anyone. I am blessed to have found it.

5 /5 Sandra Calip: The community of St. Elias has become family to us. We are so blessed to be a part of this church where tradition and orthodoxy are valued and adhered to. Want to witness the very Divine Liturgy that was celebrated during the Early Christian Church—beautiful, rich, and most importantly, where Christ is truly present? Join us on Sundays! Everyone here is so incredibly friendly and family oriented; perfect for young families with small children.

5 /5 Marco Bianchi: I was introduced to the Eastern Divine Liturgy when I was in Italy and through it was given me the grace to stay before the Mystery that does all things in a way that I had never experienced before. I was touched intimately by the beauty and the profoundness of the liturgy, it was really an attraction, a beginning of fulfillment that I was participating into. Since then I have looked for where the Divine Liturgy was celebrated wherever I was moving. I was extremely surprised when a friend made me discover St. Elias, as not only it is a parish where the liturgy is celebrated with reverence, attention and is beautifully chanted, but even more: it has become a place where I learn of the History of Salvation through the homilies of Fr. Sebastian and where many questions are answered, and new ones arise, because the path towards Christ is endless. It has become the point of reference of my week and what I am looking forward. “Come and see” (John 1,39).