Behold St. Matthew Orthodox Church a beacon of ancient Christian tradition. St. Matthew Orthodox Church stands in Torrance California. This parish is deeply rooted in the belief that the Holy Orthodox Church represents the true Church of Jesus Christ and His Apostles.
St. Matthew is part of the ancient Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch. Here, St. Luke wrote that believers were first called “Christians.” This is in the Book of Acts. The church is part of the global Eastern Orthodox Church community. This community spans many countries. These include Russia Greece and Romania. It also includes Serbia Cyprus and the Middle East. You will also find them in Japan China and India. They are in the Philippines throughout Europe including Germany France and Poland. The community extends across the British Isles and the African continent. This includes Ghana Nigeria Tanzania Uganda and South Africa. It also covers North Central and South America.
Today over 250 million Eastern Orthodox Christians exist worldwide. Over 1 million are in the United States.
St. Matthew Orthodox Church is more than a place of worship. It is a vibrant community. People of all ages and backgrounds work out their faith together. They raise their families. They follow Jesus Christ’s commandments. They also adhere to the ancient Holy Eastern Orthodox Church’s spiritual norms. Many members came to the Orthodox Church from other Christian faiths. Some came from non-Christian traditions. All are welcome at St. Matthew. Visitors are always honored with prayer and worship.
Fr. John Mahfouz is the priest and pastor. He was born and raised in Los Angeles. His family has Palestinian and Egyptian roots. He was baptized at St. Nicholas Orthodox Christian Cathedral in Los Angeles. Fr. John served there in many roles. He was an Altar Server Sunday School Teacher and Summer Camp Counselor. He also worked in administration. After studying Chemistry at UC Riverside he worked as a Sleep Disorder Technician. The Church then sent him to Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Seminary in Boston. He received his Master of Divinity there. He studied at the Patriarchal School of Theology in Lebanon. There he met his wife Khouria Lina. They married and moved to San Diego. Fr. John worked at St. Katherine College. In 2013 he became a Deacon. In 2014 he assisted at Saints Peter & Paul Orthodox Christian Church in Salt Lake City. He became a priest in 2015. In 2017 he became the Priest of St. Matthew Orthodox Christian Church. Fr. John and Kh. Lina have six children. Fr. John is passionate about youth ministry.
St. Matthew offers daily services from Tuesday to Sunday. The church has one of the oldest Orthodox bookstores in Southern California.
St. Matthew was the son of Alpheus. His Hebrew name means “Gift of Jehovah.” He was also Levi a tax collector in Capernaum. St. Matthew wrote the first book of the New Testament. This is the Gospel According to Saint Matthew. He wrote about Jesus Christ’s coming birth preaching and resurrection. He also wrote about the Sermon on the Mount. St. Matthew likely wrote the Gospel in the late first century.
St. Irenaeus and St. Clement of Alexandria said that St. Matthew preached in Judea for fifteen years after Jesus’ Ascension. He also preached in Persia and Ethiopia. Stories of his martyrdom exist.
Remember St. Matthew commemorated on November 16. “O Holy Apostle and Evangelist Matthew intercede with our merciful God to grant our soul forgiveness of sins.”