We begin the new year with the observance of Our Lord’s Circumcision on Sunday, January 1. The celebration of the Epiphany of Our Lord will be on the Eve, Thursday, January 5, with the Blessing of Water at 7PM, Liturgy at 7:30 and a pot-luck supper following. Our Annual Parish Meeting will be held after Liturgy on Sunday, January 22nd.
The one-year memorial for Subdeacon Jerome (Jerry) Chiles will be observed with a Requiem Mass on Saturday, January 7, at 10AM (preceded by Lauds for the Departed at 9:40).
In Orthodox tradition, homes are blessed during the season of Epiphany. Please speak to Fr. Nicholas or Fr. Raphael to schedule yours sometime between January 6 and February 11.
Food for the Hungry contributions should be brought to church as soon as possible. The canned goods will be weighed for the Archdiocesan records and donated to Manna Food Bank in Gaithersburg.
We rejoice with Sister Michele, who has progressed to the next level of her life as a nun at Holy Transfiguration Monastery (in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania), receiving the Apostlenik (black veil) as a sign of this advancement. As the veil was placed on her head, the priest prayed that she would be granted the grace to “lead this angelic life”. We continue to pray for her, knowing that she always prays for our parish.
We now have a parking lot at our new property and the inside work is essentially complete! Furniture has been placed in the new church. Outside work continues on storm water management. While the final work on paving and planting must wait until Spring and warmer weather for completion, we hope that the final inspections leading to our Use and Occupancy permit may happen in the first week of January. We are very grateful to our friends at The Woods Academy for their hospitality during this past year.
As we begin to have services in our new church we should return to the custom of maintaining silence in Church before and after services. It is certainly appropriate to welcome visitors and ask that they join us for coffee hour, but other conversations and greetings can wait so that we do not disturb those who choose to pray before and after the liturgies or make their confessions.
Read the full January Newsletter here.