Saint Thomas the Apostle Orthodox Church

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Dear Fellow Parishioners,

Once again we are reminded how great our God is! And of our own limitations.

Father Joseph has asked us to get the word out that the St. Thomas driveway and parking lot will not be plowed in time for services tomorrow, Sunday, February 7th, so services are canceled.

If you are able to get out and participate in the Divine Liturgy elsewhere, please do so.

If that isn't possible, then you can watch the Liturgy live from our diocesan cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Johnstown, PA. The Liturgy begins at 9:00 AM. Until then, you will see only a blank screen. Here's the link:

http://realserver.goarch.org/en/scoba/acrod/live/

If neither of the above options will work for you, then please spend some extra time in prayer and reading the Scriptures and spiritual writings at home. Maybe call some shut-ins, help a neighbor shovel a walk or driveway. Love one another!

Announcements that we would have heard tomorrow if we were at St. Thomas:

1. Sunday, 2/7, is Meatfare Sunday, the last day before we begin our fast from meat and meat products. Enjoy your last hot dog or burger as you watch the Super Bowl.

2. A full description of the Lenten fasting requirements will appear in next Sunday's bulletin.

3. Following Social next Sunday, 2/14, we will begin Great Lent with the service of Forgiveness Vespers. Come and use this beautiful opportunity the Church offers us to ask, offer, and receive forgiveness among our fellow parishioners.

4. Part Two of our 2009-2010 Annual Parish Meeting (adoption of the budget and election of officers) has been rescheduled from February 7 to February 21 during Social. Please bring the materials that were given to you last month, along with your nominations for 2010 parish officers.

Yours in Christ,

Dn. Steve

Click picture to enlarge.

St. Thomas serves the faithful of southern Maryland (Calvert, Charles, St. Mary's and southern Prince George's counties), and the parish welcomes visitors to all of our services.

This is an Orthodox Christian Church: the ancient, historic, and original Church of the New Testament, which has neither added to or taken away from the faith experience of the apostles who witnessed the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazerath, the Christ of God.

"Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe!" (John 20:29)

In wisdom, let us attend....

ABOUT ST. THOMAS CHURCH....

St. Thomas the Apostle Orthodox Church is a small but growing parish of the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese (Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople), under the spiritual protection of His Eminence, Metropolitan Nicholas.

To read about orthodoxy, follow the link on the left "About Orthodoxy", and also visit www.acrod.org.

St. Thomas is the only presence of Orthodoxy in Southern Maryland. The parish recently celebrated the tenth anniversary of its canonical establishment. The parish is now experiencing a period of sustained growth in numbers, and finds itself in urgent need of a larger worship space.

In late 1998, the parish purchased a house in the Forest Park section of Waldorf, and converted the enclosed garage into a modest place of worship. Having now outgrown this space, a building committee has been formed and authorized to develop concept plans for a new building at the site.

All of our services are conducted in English.

On the Sobornost page, check out the new section entitled "From the Sobornost...". It will highlight announcements and special news.
2010 Ski Trip information is located on the Jr. ACRY page. Follow the link on the left.
The calendar page now has easier information for readers and a link to the social schedule.
The "new church" page has pictures of St. Thomas Church in PA, which is representative of the design of church we are desiring to build. It is beautiful to behold.

Daily Scripture Readings, Orthodox-related resources

Click on this link to get the daily scripture reading from the Diocese website!

A salute to our armed forces...

St. Thomas has many members who are currently serving or are veterans. Join us and pray for their safety, long life, and many blessed years.

Suggestions or improvements for our website? Contact webmaster@apostlethomas.org.