Ascension Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Oakland

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Greek Orthodox Christian community of Ascension Cathedral in Oakland, California was formed in 1907. The Assumption Greek Orthodox Church (in Greek, "Koimoissis tis Thetokou"), the first Greek Orthodox church in the East Bay, opened on May 21, 1921 on Brush Street in Downtown Oakland. In 1960 the community moved the location of its church to 4700 Lincoln Avenue, next to the site of Oakland's Mormon Temple. It was elevated to the status of a cathedral in 1992. The cathedral has a distinctive collection of Orthodox iconography. A new chapel, dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, is currently being constructed on the church grounds. Two Divine Liturgies are celebrated each Sunday.

The Cathedral hosts an annual Greek festival, which is traditionally held the weekend after Mother's Day. The largest festival of its kind in the United States, the Oakland Greek Festival offers a wide variety of Greek foods, cultural exhibitions, greek dancing, and live music.