Ventura County Greek Festival

It is an opportunity to share a part of ourselves with the community.  Who we are.  Where we come from.  What we believe.

As stewards of a faith that can trace its existence directly to the Apostles, we strive to live by Christ's Word. 

It is our heartfelt wish that you enjoy yourselves during Festival weekend, but please remember that we are here year round and always are prepared to help those in need, regardless of faith. 

If you would like to know more about our faith, please ask.  We would be happy to tell you about it.

St. Demetrios is growing!  We recently acquired over four acres of land in Camarillo on Santa Rosa and Woodcreek Roads for the purpose of building a new church.  We are pleased to announce that we have raised funds to pay off our land loan and are in the process of planning for our new church.  We welcome advice and donations from the community.  If you think you can help, please contact us.

When asked what is the Greek (Eastern) Orthodox Church, most people either haven’t heard of it, have a vague idea it has something to do with Easter Europe, or confuse the name with the Orthodox Judaic religion. There are over 170 million members of the Orthodox faith worldwide and they account for 9.3 percent of the total Christian population of just over 1.8 billion Christians. In other words, nearly 1 out of every 10 Christians, on a worldwide basis, is a member of the Greek (Eastern) Orthodox faith!
 

Originally there was one Christian Church which developed around 5 centers or Holy Sees located in Rome, Constantinople, Jerusalem, Antioch, and Alexandria after the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. The latter 4 centers or Holy Sees, each headed by a Patriarch, comprises the Greek (Eastern) Orthodox Church. The Patriarch of Constantinople is considered “first among equals” among these four Eastern Churches.
 

It was the Apostle Paul, who established the Christian Church in Greece through his early missionary journeys. His letters to the Corinthians, the Thessalonians, the Phillipians were written to the churches he had established in these Greek cities. The Church he founded there has never ceased to exist. It is known today as the Greek Orthodox Church. The Greek (Eastern) Orthodox Church is apostolic because she teaches what the apostles taught and can trace her existence historically directly back to the Apostles.
 

A rift between the Western Church (Rome) and the Eastern Church (Constantinople) culminated in the "Great Schism" of 1054 AD. The western church is known today as the Roman Catholic Church. The Greek (Eastern) Orthodox Church which was centered in the Byzantine Capital City of Constantinople has come to be known as the Greek (Eastern) Orthodox Church. The word Orthodox is derived from 2 short Greek words, i.e. Orthros meaning correct and Doxa meaning belief or glory. Tenaciously conservative and relying on its dynamic concept of tradition, the Greek (Eastern) Orthodox Church has preserved the ritual and Christian life of the early Church to this very day.
 

The St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church here in Camarillo is one of 555 parishes within the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. The ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Archdioce is with the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. Patriarch Bartholomew is the 330th Apostolic successor to the church founded by the Apostle Andrew. There are over 6 million members of the Greek (Eastern) Orthodox faith in North America. Nearly half of these are members of the Greek Orthodox Church.