Father James

Welcome to Holy Cross Parish, whose parishioners are part of the Melkite-Greek Catholic church of of Antioch, where the followers of Our Lord, Jesus Christ first called Christians. Together, we worship God according to the ancient Byzantine Liturgy, striving to live a life of Orthodox Christian faith, pleasing to God in the midst of Modern culture of America.

From a small group of Christians from the Middle East, from Egypt, from Jordan, from Lebanon and from Palestine, worshipping for the first time at Cornelia Connelly in Anaheim, through the hospitality of the Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus, our community has grown from a handful of families to over 250 families in less than two decades. In that time, we have been served by many wonderful priests and deacons, each of whose talents helped make our community so dynamic.

Our Melkite Church is ancient, and at the same time alive, vibrant and most certainly growing. Within one year of purchasing the church on Lemon Street in Fullerton, we outgrew it. Now, we are worshipping in our new home in Placentia, thanks to the hard work of each parishioner at Holy Cross.

Worshipping, that is, rendering to God, is the primary activity of the people of God, and here we find a complete schedule of liturgical services offered throughout the year.

Through our parish organizations, we celebrate the seasons, gifts, and love that God showers upon us. Our Parish Advisory Council is striving diligently to provide for the needs of our members, our dedicated Eastern Christain Formation staff educates us in our faith, our Lady's Society is the largest of any church in America, and our Youth Group continues to grow in size and spirit, and participates in the various activities of the National Association of Melkite Youth.

As pastor of Holy Cross Melkite-Greek Catholic Church, it is my hope that this web site will lead you to an intense appreciation of our Eastern Christian traditions, through which, by the grace of God, we become God-like ourselves.

Your Servant in Christ,
Fr. James Babcock