Looking Ahead at St Mary (August 26 – September 1)
Beloved in Christ,
PLEASE NOTE THE DAY AND TIME CHANGE FOR THE LITURGY OF THE BEHEADING OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST. IT HAS BEEN MOVED FROM WEDNESDAY EVENING TO THURSDAY MORNING.
Below you will find this week’s schedule, as well as some important notes about upcoming events.
THIS WEEK: August 26 – September 1, 2024
This Week: Regular Wed/Fri fasting; Thursday is also a fast day for the Beheading of St John the Baptist.
Thurs, Aug 29 at 8:00 am – Divine Liturgy ~ Beheading of the Holy Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist John
Sat, Aug 31 at 4:30 pm – Confession
Sat, Aug 31 at 5:00 pm – Great Vespers
Sun, Sept 1 at 9:00 am – Matins
Sun, Sept 1 at 10:00 am – Divine Liturgy
Sun, Sept 1 – Sun, Sept 8: FAMILY PROMISE HOST WEEK (see below)
Other Notes
(1) FAMILY PROMISE HOST WEEK: St. Mary is hosting families the week of September 1st to September 8th. To volunteer, click on the link below. Opportunities for those who would prefer to sign up in person will be available after liturgy on August 18th and 25th. Sign up includes providing food for breakfast and snacks, evening meals, a hot breakfast Saturday, transportation to and from the Day House, and spending the night at the church. Thanks for your support of this important ministry. Contact Vicki Jones, 650-0658, with any questions. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A49AAAF2BAAF94-50527273-fpstmary
(2) FELLOWSHIP GROUPS: As noted in a previous email to the parish, beginning in September, our Fellowship Groups will be using an opt-in system. If you wish to continue/start participating in the Fellowship Groups, please contact me by August 29 to receive a September group assignment. Once you opt-in, you will be assigned each month unless you opt-out for that specific month (I will be sending monthly reminders to opt-out, if needed, for the next month).
(3) ARCHIEPISCOPAL VICAR VISIT: Our new Archiepiscopal Vicar, Fr Calinic Berger, will make an official visit to our parish for our festal weekend. He plans to be with us on Saturday, September 7, for Great Vespers, followed by a meeting with the Parish Council. He will then be with us on Sunday, September 8, for Matins and Divine Liturgy, followed by our festal picnic at Edgemoor Park. Please mark your calendars for this festal weekend now–more details will be coming soon.
(4) DAILY VESPERS & BIBLE STUDY: As noted in the most recent issue of The Scroll, we will begin a Wednesday evening Daily Vespers (6:00 pm) and Bible Study (6:30 pm). We will begin with the Book of Genesis. All parishioners are encouraged to attend in person. For those unable to attend in person, we will offer a link to join the Bible Study virtually.
(5) BAPTISMS & CHRISMATIONS: On Saturday, September 7, at 4:00 pm we have scheduled two baptisms and four chrismations of current catechumens. We invite all of our parishioners to attend as we welcome these catechumens as official members of our parish. May God grant them many years!
(6) PARISH PICNIC: On Sunday, September 8, our parish’s feast day in honor of the Nativity (Birth) of the Mother of God, we will have a picnic at 12:00 pm at Edgemoor Park. We have reserved the Rec Center for the picnic in case there is inclement weather. The parish will provide fried chicken and water, but we ask parishioners to bring side dishes, desserts, and other beverages for yourself if you’d like. In addition, we encourage parishioners to bring equipment to play softball. There are also nearby pickleball courts and a skateboard park, for anyone interested.
(7) METROPOLITAN SABA’S WEEKLY TEACHING: This week His Eminence shares “Your Grace Transforms the Universe (Part 2).” See the link to read it.
(8) TEACH ME THY STATUTES PODCAST: If you would like to listen to this week’s Teach Me Thy Statutes podcast (with Fr Aaron & Jason Ewertt), you can find it here: Teach Me Thy Statutes.
(9) PASTORAL VISITS: If you would like a pastoral visit for any reason, or if you know of a family member/parishioner who needs a visit, please feel free to contact me via cell phone at 204-6725.
Yours in Christ,
Fr Aaron
