Holy Cross Orthodox Church

;Did you know that according to the FBI, over 170,000 minors who are US citizens are forced into the commercial sex industry each year? This practice, known commonly as human trafficking, is the third most common type of organized crime activity in the US. Even locally in the Baltimore/Washington area, legislators, educators, healthcare professionals, and law enforcement officials have expressed tremendous concern over the growing activity of the trafficking of minors for commercial sex.

Araminta Freedom Initiative is a Christian organization in the Baltimore area seeking to take a stand against this horrible practice. They will be holding an Action Event on Friday, February 17th, where those interested can learn more about how to get engaged in ending human trafficking in this area. This event will be held at the Synergy Center, at 6419 York Road in Towson, MD. Registration starts at 6:30pm, and presentations will end at 8:30pm. RSVP is encouraged but not required. For more information, contact Jeff Mount at jmount@kravmd.com.

Rev. Father David G. Subu and The St. Juliana's Guild present to you an opportunity for spiritual reflection and growth with the visit of Mother Aemiliane, Abbess of the new Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple monastery, located about an hour outside of Washington D.C. In our efforts to support a much needed spiritual well in a dry desert, we will be taking a collection to help them take root in the Washington/Baltimore communities. Please join us! Learn more…

Saturday, 10 March
St. Mary Orthodox Church
Falls Church, VA
10:00 AM-4:15 PM (2.1)

The feast of The Meeting our Lord (Presentation of Christ into the Temple) is on Thursday, 2 February. We will be celebrating the feast Wednesday evening, 1 February, starting with a churching and chrismation at 6:30pm, followed by an evening Divine Liturgy at 7:00pm.

The Sisterhood of St Nina will continue to study and discuss Saint Theophan's book, "Turning the Heart to God" on Sunday evening, 19 February, Meatfare. We will have a potluck at 5:30pm and discussion from 6:00 – 7:30pm. We will complete this discussion and study on 29 April .

Saturday, 3 March will be our annual Pysanki egg decorating morning. We will meet at 9:00am and share breakfast foods while we work on decorating our eggs. Dyes will be furnished; bring your own eggs and any tools you have.

The annual women's retreat at the Antiochian Village is 30 March 30 through 1 April. This year's theme is "The Prototypes of Christ in the Old Testament" with speaker Father Paul Tarazi. The cost includes 2 nights, 5 meals and snacks beginning with dinner on Friday evening and concluding with a brunch after liturgy on Sunday. A single room will cost $242; double $176 and triple $154 per person. There is some scholarship money available if you would like to go and need a little help with the cost. See Father Gregory. Everyone who goes has a wonderful time of fellowship, study and worship while we enjoy the wonderful setting of the Village and the fabulous food. Let Debra know if you'd like to go and we can work on sharing rooms and rides.

This year's AWE Project will once again be the Convent of St Thekla at Antiochian Village. Details on how to give will be sent out during Great Lent.

May St Nina pray for us!

We will celebrate St Nina with Great Vespers and a reception this Saturday evening, 14 January. Vespers at 6:00pm with a pot luck dinner following vespers. Sh. Ina sent us a few pictures and stories about her encounters with St Nina /St Nino this past year that we will share at the reception. Please bring a dish to share. Georgian dishes are especially appropriate but anything will be appreciated. Please join us for the celebration of the life of St Nina and all she has done for Holy Cross.

The annual parish meeting will be held Saturday, 28 January beginning with at 5:00pm with a Pot Luck supper followed by Vespers at 6:00pm (no confession) and then the meeting around 7:00pm. At the meeting we will adopt a budget for the new year, elect parish council members, and discuss any other issues. Please plan to attend!   

Beloved in Christ,

On Monday, 23 January at 9:30am we'll have a service at Holy Cross for the victims of abortion. Following the service those who would like to take part in the March for Life in Washington, DC, will leave for the March. As we have in past years, we'll drive to the Metro and go into DC from there. We'll join the hundreds of Orthodox Christians (laypeople, deacons, priests and bishops) who come for this march from the mall to the Supreme Court building. There we will gather to be led by the bishops in a memorial service. Usually we are home by mid–afternoon.

Every year since the founding of Holy Cross we've participated in this action as a witness to the truth that the image of God in each and every person, regardless of phase of development, marks human life as unique and inviolable. This is a basic teaching of our Church. And as Orthodox Christians who are also American citizens we bare the responsibility of speaking that truth in the public square.

As in the past, we will also include a special Litany at the close of the Liturgy on Sunday, 22 January.

  — Fr. Gregory Mathewes–Green

Interested in reading the Epistle? There will be lector training this Saturday at 4:00pm at the parish. Anyone who is 16 or older is eligible to read the Epistle. Once trained, you will be put into the weekly rotation. This training will cover the mechanics of reading and allow for practicing. If you wish to learn to chant the Epistle in the appropriate tone (instead of straight chanting or reading), that will need to be arranged separately. Please RSVP to Roxann if you plan on attending.

From Sdn John David: The will be Men's group meeting this Saturday morning, at the Church, starting at 7:45am. James is our Cook and Terry Mattingly will lead the discussion. Please RSVP to James if you plan to attend. He needs to know the total count to be able to prepare the breakfast.

The discussion will center on Good Friday and Pascha, pgs 181 to 186 of Metropolitan Anthony's book. Should be a good discussion.

Each year we place Poinsettias in the nave for the Festal Liturgy celebrating the birth of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ. If you would like to offer thanksgiving for God’s abundant love and mercy, to honor a person or event in your life, or to have the memory of loved one placed in the bulletin to go along with the festive poinsettias, please let us know by filling out the form at holycrossonline.org/poinsettia. Your loved one’s name and/or the event in your life will be placed in the bulletin.

Donations to cover the cost of the poinsettias are also welcome. Please place your gift in the offering basket during the Liturgy with “poinsettia” in the memo field.