As the exterior work required by the County is being finished on our parish property, the Council has called for a parish work weekend on May 13-14. If you can come for some time on Saturday or stay after church on Sunday to offer your help, there are numerous tasks to be accomplished, both inside the building and on the grounds. There are also some things which should be done before then, so please let Council chairman, Keivan Shahrakhi, or Fr. Nicholas know when you are available.
On May 21, his grace, Bishop JOHN, will be with us to dedicate our building. We will sing the Solemn Reception of the Bishop after Matins that Sunday and he will ordain Reader Kevin (Keivan) to the sacred order of Subdeacon. The blessing of the church will begin outside with prayers and the sprinkling of holy water on the exterior of the building. We will then process inside, singing the Litany of Saints, and church will be dedicated. The Mass in honor of our patron saint, Gregory the Great, will follow and we will conclude the morning with a banquet to celebrate this joyous occasion. Bishop JOHN will remain here for several more days, as he will be giving a retreat for the Washington area Clergy Council on Tuesday, May 23 at St. Nicholas Cathedral (OCA).
The Feast of the Ascension of our Lord will be celebrated on the Eve, Wednesday, May 24, with Mass at 7:30PM, preceded by Vespers at 7 and followed by a pot-luck supper.
We bid farewell to Joana Tasi and Pieter Dykhorst as they leave us at the end of the month and move to St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. We are grateful for their time with us and their contributions to the life of the parish through hospitality, bread baking, Council service, and in many other ways. We wish them Godspeed.
Read the full May newsletter here.