St. Gregory the Great Orthodox Church

A Western Rite Congregation of the Antiochian Archdiocese near Washington, DC

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January Newsletter

December 31, 2022

We begin the new year and the month of January with the celebration of the Feast of the Circumcision of Our Lord on Sunday, January 1. This will also be commemorated as the Sunday within the octave of Christmas. Our usual service times (9AM Matins, 9:30 Mass) will be observed.

The Feast of the Epiphany (January 6) will be celebrated on the Eve, Thursday, January 5. The Blessing of Water will be at 6:30PM, Mass at 7, and a pot-luck supper will follow.

The special convention of our Archdiocese for the purpose of nominating a new Metropolitan will be in Dallas, Texas, on January 12 and 13.

Despite the Supreme Court’s overturning of the Roe vs. Wade decision, the annual March for Life will continue to be held in Washington, DC on the anniversary of that infamous decision. To affirm our church’s teaching that life at all stages is a gift from God, Orthodox Christians for Life will join the March on Friday, January 20. For more information, see oclife.org/march.

Our Annual Parish Meeting is scheduled for Sunday, January 22. Coffee Hour that day will be a pot-luck luncheon after which we will hear reports from various aspects of parish life and elect new members to the Parish Council.

After the restrictions of the covid pandemic and our gradual return to normal life, we will have house blessings this year in as many homes as possible. Please see Fr. Nicholas or Fr. Raphael to schedule a convenient time between January 7 and February 18. Marking the entrance and praying for God’s blessing on your home is an important way to begin a new year.

O Lord God almighty, bless ✠ this place that here may abide health, purity, victory, strength, humility, goodness, meekness, fulfilment of the Law, and giving of thanks to God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and let thy blessing remain on this place and on all who dwell here, now and evermore. Amen.

The three Wise Men: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar followed the star of God’s Son who became a man for our salvation – Two thousand and twenty-three years ago. May the blessing of Christ our Lord come upon this home and on those who dwell here throughout the new year.

20 ✠ C ✠ M ✠ B ✠ 23

Read the full January newsletter here.

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St. Gregory the Great Orthodox Church
A Western Rite Congregation of the Antiochian Archdiocese near Washington, DC
13407 Roxbury Rd · Silver Spring, MD · 301-288-4798
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