The Antiochian Orthodox Church, of which St. Nicholas is a part, traces its origins to the church in Antioch, the capital of ancient Syria, that was established by the apostles Peter and Paul. Though the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America was founded in the late 19th century to serve immigrants from Syria and Lebanon, today it embraces Americans of all races and cultures. T
he church has grown, in part, because it generally conducts its services in English, unlike most other North American Orthodox branches, whose services are usually in the native tongue of the group it originally was created to serve. The use of English and a growing disillusionment among members of other denominations have helped the Antiochian Orthodox church to grow. Such interest has made the 500,000 member Antiochian Orthodox Church the third largest branch of the Orthodox faith in America, behind the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese and the Orthodox Church in America with its Russian roots.
