St. Markella Greek Orthodox Cathedral

About this church

The Cathedral of Saint Markella begins Sunday Matins at 8 a.m. and Divine Liturgy at 9:45. Daily Vespers starts at 7 p.m. in Astoria. This is a Genuine Orthodox Christian cathedral that follows the Patristic, or old, calendar. Metropolitan Petros of Astoria established it in 1954 for local Orthodox Christians who maintained that calendar. Its blue-domed architecture and traditional Byzantine interior—iconography, carved stands and chairs, chandeliers, an episcopal throne, and candelabras—grew from an earlier house church on 26th Street.

The parish became a national reference point for old-calendar Orthodox believers in America, supporting new parishes, clergy, schools, monasteries, Sunday School, print publications, radio, and Greek cable television. Its history also records an afternoon school and the Brotherhood of Saint Markella. A 1995 electrical fire damaged part of the altar and church; the congregation restored the cathedral, and its account highlights an icon of Saint Markella that survived beneath melted metal. The patron-saint page connects the parish to the fourteenth-century martyr from Chios and includes her apolytikion and story. The website provides Orthodox liturgical chants, videos, event information, newsletters, photo galleries, and parish media. Still unspecified are the languages used for each liturgy, usual duration, visitor Communion guidance, dress, parking, mobility and hearing accommodations, children's formation or nursery arrangements, safety practices, and streaming. The visible events calendar contained no detailed upcoming entries during this review.

Researched from the church’s official website and reviewed August 26, 2026. Sources: Official weekly schedule, Sunday Matins and Divine Liturgy, daily Vespers, addre · Official about page, 1954 founding, Patristic Calendar, house-church origins, bl · Official homepage, cathedral founding, Orthodox resources, liturgical chants, vi · Official patron-saint page, Saint Markella of Chios, apolytikion, prayer, martyr

Service times

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Location