Our Journey Through The Years

MILESTONES

Parish Founded - 2004

The parish of St. Christina was founded in 2004 by a group of committed Orthodox Christians who, after worshipping together at Holy Cross Monastery in Castro Valley, petitioned the Diocese of the West to establish a new mission in the Fremont area. Led by a steering committee and guided by Fr. Matthew Tate, 23 individuals representing 15 families signed the initial petition that April to begin the formal organizing process. Their efforts culminated on August 1, 2004, when the mission held its very first service in Munoz Hall, a small "upper chamber" located above a liquor store in the historic Niles district of Fremont.

First Permanent Home - 2006

The first more permanent home for the mission is our current location on Peralta Avenue in Fremont, which the parish occupied starting in 2008 After spending their first year and a half in rented halls that required us to set up and take down our sanctuary for every service, this "full-time" space was a major milestone for the community. Despite the building's bright pink walls, the location provided the stability necessary to host an open house, retreats, and workshops, finally giving the mission a recognizable, non-transient presence in the local community.

The Present

Over the last decade, St. Christina’s has blossomed from a small mission into a vibrant, established parish with a clear vision for the future. Today, our ministries extend far beyond our walls, from a dedicated Sunday School and an extensive lending library to our long-standing commitment to the Tri-City Homeless Shelter. With our transition to official parish status in 2014, we’ve shifted our gaze toward even greater goals: expanding our outreach, and one day building a traditional Orthodox church building to serve as a beacon of faith in the Fremont area for generations to come.

A group of people sitting at a dining table during a gathering, with a person standing and speaking to them, in a room with purple walls, wooden cabinets, and a window.

A large group of people, including children and adults, gathered in an indoor setting in front of a brick wall, holding small religious icons or cards. In the center, a religious figure dressed in gold and white robes stands behind a table with framed pictures and religious items, with a large cross and decorative flowers on the wall behind them.

Man in ornate religious robes and a tall hat cleaning the ceiling with a brush in a room with religious icons.

A group of five people standing inside a church, holding a baby, for a religious ceremony or celebration.

A group of people standing in front of a building with the number 4511 on it, holding a sign for Saint Christopher Orthodox Mission with service details and a small icon. The group includes children, adults, and a priest, and it appears to be a church or community gathering.

Orthodox Christian religious ceremony with clergy and laypeople holding religious icons and crosses, inside a church or chapel

OUR FOUNDERS

Built on Faith and Sacrifice

St. Christina’s was born from the vision of 23 individuals representing 15 family units who first gathered at Holy Cross Monastery and later a private home in Mountain View on May 1st, 2004. These founding members—including names like the Worths, Prescops, Wilsons, and Leonards—shared a deep-seated desire to establish a stable, local Orthodox "presence" in the Fremont area where they could worship, educate their children, and serve the needy. Their vision wasn't just about finding a building; it was about building a living community rooted in the Holy Spirit, characterized by a commitment to liturgical beauty, religious education, and charitable outreach to the local community. Even in the early days of worshipping in a rented "upper chamber" with a leaky roof, their collective goal remained clear: to plant a spiritual vineyard that would eventually grow into a permanent, traditional Orthodox temple for generations to come.

St. Christina’s journey reached a beautiful milestone on January 9, 2014, when we officially transitioned from a mission to a full-fledged parish within the Orthodox Church in America (OCA). This wasn't just a change in title; it was the fulfillment of a dream that began in a small rented room, proving that with faith and a lot of heart, a community can truly flourish. Being part of the OCA’s Diocese of the West has provided us with a spiritual home and a clear-eyed vision to grow even further. Today, we carry that momentum forward by expanding our ministries, nurturing a new generation of faithful in our Catechesism, Services, and Sunday School, and keeping our hearts set on the goal of one day building a traditional Orthodox church that stands as a permanent beacon of peace and prayer in the Fremont area.