About

It started with a young convert. He found a deep passion for his faith and wanted to learn more about church history. Eventually, he discovered Eastern Christianity, an ancient tradition the church did not commonly use. He, now devoted to retaining this rich practice, decided to immerse himself with the Melkite Catholic Church, one of the Eastern Catholic Churches in communion with Rome.

While in college, he shared with his peers this unique way of living the faith and gained support for starting a ministry on his campus. In spring 2022, Light of the East became a distinguished ministry at JP Catholic University.

The Ministry aims to bring awareness to our Eastern Christian brothers and sisters in America and throughout the world. Our weekly discussions will explore the teachings of the early church fathers and the practices of Eastern Catholics. In addition, the ministry will actively host Liturgy of the Hours (sometimes with the “Divine Office Ministry”) by praying Vespers (Evening Prayer), Orthos/Matins (Morning Prayer), or Sixth Hour (Noontime prayer).

Some events planned for this quarter include praying at Planned Parenthood for the Unborn, weekly visits to Eastern Catholic Churches in the Greater San Diego area, and workshops from members of the eastern churches. We hope to do some baking for Pascha (Easter!) and eventually host Divine Liturgy (Eastern Catholic mass) on Campus soon!