Holy Angels Byzantine Church, San Diego, exteriorName of Church Holy Angels Byzantine

Address 2235 Galahad Road, San Diego CA 92123-3931

Phone number (858) 277-2511

Website www.holyangelssandiego.com

Worship Schedule Sunday Divine Liturgy, 9 a.m.  Holy day vigil, 7 p.m.  Holy day liturgy, 9 a.m.

Confessions 30 minutes before services, or by appointment.

Names of priests Father Robert Pipta has served as pastor since 2004.  He is a reverent liturgist, and an able homilist.  He’s friendly and is pleased to explain the Byzantine traditions to Latin-rite Catholics with limited knowledge of the rite.

Special activities Check the online calendar for the times of Matins and Vespers (prayer services),activities of theteen and young adults groups, and adult enrichment classes.  If you like ethnic foods, parishioners regularly bake and sell items, which serve as a fundraiser for the church.

Holy Angels Byzantine Church, San Diego, interiorLiturgy Liturgies are mostly in English and entirely sung.  There is no kneeling, parishioners usually stand or sit.  All ages receive Holy Communion; the host is dipped into the chalice with a spoon and administered to the faithful.  (If your small children are in attendance, they must first join the parish—and the Byzantine rite—before going to Communion.)  Other features of the liturgy you’ll notice include bowing, incense and singing by the congregation.

Fellow parishioners The rite’s origins are Ruthenian (Eastern European), but at Holy Angels this is a spiritual patrimony rather than being representative of a particular ethnicity.  You’ll find English-speaking Catholics from the surrounding area; stay after liturgy for the social and meet the parishioners.

Parking No problem.

Cry room None.  If you have unruly children, take them into the narthex (vestibule), which is separated from the main body of the church by glass.

Additional observations Holy Angels Byzantine enjoys union with the Bishop of Rome, but is an Eastern Catholic rather than Roman Catholic church.  They have the same faith and seven sacraments, but different customs and ways of celebrating liturgy.  The rite traces its roots back to Constantinople (once called Byzantium).  Two Greek missionaries, Cyril and Methodius, brought the Byzantine way of worship to Central and Eastern Europe.  Some of these Catholics emigrated to the United States and brought with them the Byzantine rite and traditions.  Holy Angels is part of the Holy Protection Eparchy (diocese) of Phoenix (www.eparchyofphoenix.org).   Liturgy was first celebrated for the mission community in 1958.  Holy Angels became a parish in 1960; it moved to its current location in 1973, the current church having been built in 1978.  The church was renovated in 2005; phase II of the renovation is now underway.  One of the church’s most prominent features are its icons, or “windows into heaven,” and an icon screen in the front of the church.  The screen has “holy doors” in the middle, which represent the gates to heaven.