Thanks to all who helped make our church so beautiful for the Christmas celebrations. It was truly a group effort this year.
The Feast of the Circumcision of Our Lord, celebrated on January 1, begins the month of January and the new secular year. Matins will be at 9:30am, Mass at 10, followed by a pot-luck New Year’s brunch and games. On Sunday, January 5, the feast of Epiphany will be transferred (at the direction of the Archdiocese). The great Blessing of Water will be observed at 9am in place of Matins, with Mass following at 9:30.
The Food for Hungry People collection will end on January 5, after which all our contributions will be taken to the Manna Food Bank.
It is customary for Orthodox homes to be blessed during the season of Epiphany, so please speak with Fr. Nicholas to schedule yours sometime between January 6 and February 15, when the pre-Lenten observances begin.
The annual March for Life, which was established in 1974, will take place this year on Friday, January 24. This event is a great celebration of the sanctity of life and it draws tens of thousands of people from around the country and from all religious back-grounds. Most years, our Archdiocese has been represented by one of our bishops, with Bishop JOHN giving the opening prayer last year. A Liturgy will be held at St. Nicholas (OCA) Cathedral in Washington, DC, before the March. Orthodox Christians gather around the Orthodox Christians for Life banner to march as a body when possible.
Read the full January newsletter here.