Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs

Telephone: (310) 322-1892

Number above is the telephone for Saint Andrew Church.

*Registration for Certification Course 2024/25 is now open! Register Here!

The Ecumenical and Interreligious Officer serves the Archbishop and the offices of the Archdiocese as a resource in ecumenical and interreligious matters. The Officer represents the Archdiocese to the various Christian and non-Christian communities in the greater Los Angeles area and coordinates official dialogues.

Resources:

Ecumenism | Interreligious Dialogue | Ecumenical Resources | Interreligious Resources

Archdiocesan Covenant | Official Dialogues | Parish & Lay Opportunities

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity | The Bishop and Christian Unity

Ecumenical & Interreligious Events | Ecumenical & Interreligious Programs

Certification Course

About Rt. Rev. Alexei Smith

Rt. Rev. Alexei Smith, a Greek Catholic priest, has served as Ecumenical and Interreligious Officer of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles since November 2000. As such he directs the Catholic Church’s relations with all other Faiths in Los Angeles.

Additionally he is currently serving as CADEIO’s [the Catholic Association of Diocesan Ecumenical and Interreligious Officers] liaison to Christian Churches Together, a growing Ecumenical movement, and as the co-coordinator of the Western Region’s Catholic/Muslim Dialogue for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Locally, Father Alexei served for many years as President of the Interreligious Council of Southern California and is the recipient of numerous commendations and awards. In 2011, he was elected President of the Southern California Ecumenical Council, now the Southern California Christian Forum, a post he still holds. In 2019, he received Loyola Marymount University’s President’s Award, the highest non-degree honor given by LMU. He is currently a member of the Liturgical Commission of the Archdiocese, and has been invested as a Knight Commander of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, and recently was named to the Board of the Academy of Judaic, Christian, and Islamic Studies.

Father Alexei taught a course entitled “Interfaith Dialogue Since Vatican II” at Mount Saint Mary’s University, as well as a course entitled “Current Trends in Ecumenical and Interreligious Thought” as part of the International Institute of Tribunal Studies in Los Angeles. He is currently teaching Ecclesia Certification Courses at Mount Saint Mary’s entitled “Ecumenism and Interreligious Relations: A Catholic Ministry,” as well as co-teaching an Interfaith course at Loyola Marymount University entitled “Literature and Faith in the Holy Land,” offered by the Jewish Studies Program at LMU.

Our Staff

Rt. Rev. Alexei Smith

Director