Saint Mark Orthodox Church
Orthodox Church in America
Diocese of Washington
7124 River Road
Bethesda, MD 20817
Church Office: 301-229-6300
/ Rector
V. Rev. Gregory Safchuk
Office: 301-229-6300
Home: 301-320-0739

/ Parish Council President:
Michael Thompson
Home: 703-204-9092

VENERATION OF THE CROSS MARCH 19, 2017

EPISTLE
Heb. 4:14 – 5:6 /
GOSPEL
Mark 8:34 – 9:1 / Tone 6
DIVINE LITURGY OF ST. BASIL THE GREAT
THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT. Veneration of the Cross. Martyrs Chrysanthus and Daria, and those with them at Rome: Claudius, Hilaria, Jason, Maurus, Diodorus the Presbyter, and Marianus the Deacon (283). St. Innocent of Komel’, disciple of St. Nilus of Sora (Vologda – 1521). Martyr Pancharius, at Nicomedia (ca. 302).
Sunday / Mar. / 19 / 9:15a / Reading of the Third Hour
9:30a / Divine Liturgy – Veneration of the Cross
11:15a / Coffee Hour Fellowship
11:30a / Choir Rehearsal
11:30a / Church School & Adult Study
Tuesday / Mar. / 21 / 10:30a / Bl. Mka. Olga Prayer Group - Akathist
Wednesday / Mar. / 22 / 6:30p / Presanctified Liturgy
8:00p / Lenten Lecture
Saturday / Mar. / 25 / 9:30a / Divine Liturgy – The Annunciation of the Theotokos
5:00p / Private Confession
5:30p / Great Vespers
Sunday / Mar. / 26 / 9:15a / Reading of the Third Hour
9:30a / Divine Liturgy – St. John Climacus
11:15a / Coffee Hour Fellowship
11:30a / Church School & Adult Study
11:30a / Women’s Book Club Meeting
Wednesday / Mar. / 29 / 6:30p / Presanctified Liturgy
8:00p / Lenten Lecture
The Sanctuary Candleisdonated by Marsha Zellemin thanksgiving to God for the safe return ofVictor Lutesand the “Real Break” team from Romania. Thanks Be to God!

Coffee Hour Fellowship

Date
/
Hosts/Hostesses
/ Donuts/Bagels
Mar.19 / S. Petro / Petro-Jenkins / K. Petro / Vance
Mar. 26 / Zellem / Looby / Tucker / Dean

Choir Directors, Readers, Preparers, Greeters, & Altar Servers

Date / Director / Reader / Preparer / Greeter / Altar
Servers
Mar. 19 / W. Tatusko / K. Lungociu / V. Lutes / Mka. G. Phelps
N. Stanton / A. Ahmadi
A. Datch
C. Datch
F. LeFors
J. Sedor
M. Sedor
Mar. 26 / M. Ahmadi / S. Sielinski / C. German / P. Masick
T. Sekellick

Classes

Date
/
Church School
/
Adult Study
(in Fr. Gregory’s Office) /
Basics of Orthodoxy
(in Church Library)
Mar. 19 /
FOLLOWING LITURGY
/
FOLLOWING LITURGY
/
TBD
Mar. 26 /
FOLLOWING LITURGY
/
FOLLOWING LITURGY
TO OUR VISITORS WITH YOUNG CHILDREN: If you are seeking a quiet place to nurse or calm a rambunctious child, there are two rooms off of the main hallway on this floor to serve you. Our library is the second door on the left as well as our teen classroom, the last door on the left at the end of the hallway. The library has rocking chairs, and both rooms offer comfortable couches and moderate privacy. Changing tables are located in the Ladies room on the upper level and in the Men’s room on the lower level.
PRAYER REQUEST– O Christ, You alone are our Defender: Visit and help Thy servants who are in need of your help, protection and healing. Among them: JohnMarti Badila; KaitlinRebekah Barber;Christina Berencz,Paul Dean; MargaretBill Dove; Julie Flick;Claire Caroline German; Marge German; Jurretta Heckscher; Evelyn Leleck; Larisa Looby; Marina McKee; Catherine Mikuluk; Susie & Baby Needham; Karen Nichols;Stacybaby Nimmer; NicholasMaura Moser; Timothy Parrish; Mark Phinney; Alexandra Sedor; KatieElowen Sheppard; Peter Sielinski;Andrea Ticich;DonPeter Truitt; and Brian Zabela.
Please pray for Margaret, Mary Carol Ashley’s mother; Tina Burpee’s mother Margaret, cousin Andrew and friend, Edward; Christine Cacic’s friend, Carmen; John & Suzette Eremin; Julie Flick’s son, James Shimer, and her stepdaughter, Jeanie Folton; MargeGerman’s brother, John, sister in-law, Cecilia, sister, Elaine, grandson, Joshua, sister Loveand friend, Gisela, who has been diagnosed with breast cancer; Jeff Jordan, friend of the Hardy family; JurrettaHeckscher’s father, Stevens; WillJanie McNamara, friends of Christina Kalavritinos;Olga, friend of Helen Kerch; Mat. Jan and Fr. Mark Koczak’s friend, Metropolitan Isaiah (Georgian Patriarchate); Mary Everhart, mother of Ted Koopersmith; MichaelLungociu’s brother-in-law, Douglas, and a friend’s mother, Gitta Finch; Marilyn Macht’s friend, Ghadha Saah and her cousins Evelyn, Helen and Linda;JoanMitchum’s son Gregory, who is recovering from hip replacement surgery. Friend of Debbie Sieff, Fr. Taras Chubenko, of St. Demetrius Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral in Carteret, NJ, who is recovering from esophageal surgery; PeterSielinski’s friends Brenda Jim Hall, Kelly, Samuel, Ron, Pat, Bailey, Jenn and Matt; Sharon Sielinski’s Mother, Marjorieand her niece Taylor; Olga & SlavinaSkenderska’s cousins, Desi Stanislav,and friends CatherineJustin; Ellen Thompson’s daughter, Sonya; Don Truitt’s parents; friends of St. Mark, Tanya & James Twyman; Friend of St. MarkLinda Weir; and Paula Zabela’s grandson Wyatt, cousin Kathleen who is afflicted with cancer, and her neighbor Harvey.
Deliver them from sickness and grievous pains. Raise them up that they may sing to Thee and praise Thee without ceasing, through the prayers of the Theotokos and all your Saints!
LENTEN LECTURE SCHEDULE: Please see the schedule of speakers for this year’s Lenten Lectures below:
March 22nd – Dr. Gerald Marti, to speak on An Orthodox Perspective on the Twelve Steps.
March 29th – Colette Kalvesmaki to speak on the differences in the eastern and western traditions of iconography.
April 5th – Fr. Timothy Perry, topic to be determined.
LENTEN LECTURE SOUP AND BREAD: Lenten Lecture Soup and Bread.The Lenten Lecture series continuesthis year, following the Wednesday PresanctifiedLiturgies. The St. Marktradition of bringing a sack"lunch"continues as well, but for thosewho are visiting, those who forget their dinner, those who are moved atthe last minute to attend thePresanctified, and those who are justplain hungry, we will have peanut butter, jelly and bread to makesandwiches, and at least one pot of hot soup. Anyone who might be ableto make a soup or bring a loaf of bread on one of the Wednesday evenings (March 29 and April 6 are still currently available) please let Matushka Sasha knoweither in person, on the phone (301-320-0739) or byemail() what date you could bring soup for.All Lenten soups and bread are gratefullyaccepted. If you would like to bring a soup, but don't have a Lenten recipe, never fear, we have a number of seasoned soup makers who would share a recipe. Thank you all.
PROPERS AVAILABLE ONLINE: Dan Golembiewski has set up a website where parishioners may access digital and mobile device friendly versions of the Propers for any upcoming service. If you have any questions, please see Dan!
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNTIES at Washington Christian Academy.Among the openings are positions for a Kindergarten teacher, a 5th grade teacher, and Middle School Math. Employment qualifications and an application are on the page as well, although interested parties are encouraged to send a resume to employment@ washingtonchristian.org. They also have an opening for a K-8 Principal--preferably someone with a Master's Degree in school administration, and familiarity with Reformed theological distinctives. For more information please visit:
NEW BABY: Congratulations to Jonathan (Moses) and Wynne Allen on the birth of their son, Cormac Channell Allen. Please keep them in your prayers!
CHOIR REHEARSAL: The next choir rehearsal will take place TODAY, immediately following Liturgy! Choir members grab your coffee and come back up!
RUMMAGE SALE: A date has been selected for our annual Rummage Sale at St. Mark! June 10th! Mark your calendars and stay tuned for additional details!
SPRING CLEAN UP DAY will take place Saturday, April 1st, starting at 8am. There will be coffee and bagels for breakfast and soup for lunch. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend!
COFFEE HOUR VOLUNTEERS: Our list of volunteers for coffee hour is always in need of a few more families as life and schedules get busy and people rotate off.If you are not already on the coffee hour rotation, please consider helping with this valuable ministry.We will place you on the schedule as part of a three person/family team.Please talk with Daniela Mihailov or Debbi Dillon as soon as possible for more information.Or email hanks!
FOCA COLONIAL STOCK AWARD tickets are available now from George Freimann. Booklets of 5 are $10. Stock Award Share Prizes are $200, $100, and $50. The drawing will be held at the FOCA National Bowling Tournament on May 5, 2017 in Baltimore. Proceeds go toward charities and scholarships.
ICON COMMITTEE: On May 21, 2017 at the Semi-Annual Meeting, the Icon Committee will present specific icons for the newly prepared Sanctuary walls. As mentioned at the Annual Meeting, although we currently have $57,000 available for iconography, we still anticipate needing an additional $100,000 to complete Phase III of the project. Please note the "Thermometer" installed in the stairwell to track the additional funds from donations. Our Iconographer, Dmitri Shkolnik, is currently working on sketches and determining costs for specific icons. Mark your calendar for May 21 for the "Big Reveal," when opportunities to donate toward specific icons will become available.
ST. MARK WOMEN’S BOOK CLUB: If you enjoy a good read followed by a worthy discussion, please consider attending the St. Mark Woman's Book Club. We choose books well in advance and then meet on the last Sunday of every month to discuss the merits of our choices. March 26th –A Life Everlastingby Sarah Gray. Sarah Gray will be joining us on March 26th to talk about her book. Please join us in the library and bring a snack to share! April 30th - Spirituality: Volume 4 of The Orthodox Faith by Fr. Thomas Hopko; May 28th - A Man Called Ove by Fredrik BackmanBook suggestions are always welcome. See Mat. Sasha for more details.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
MAY GOD GRANT YOU MANY YEARS!
19 / Catherine Corbin
20 / Vera Bumbak
21 / Sarah Arnold
Kieran Perdue
22 / Dr. Dumitru Carstea
23 / Daria Victorov
25 / Michael Mihailov
ANNUNCIATION RETREAT: THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF FR. GEORGE CALCIU A film screening of"Seven Words,” Testimonials and Spiritual Treasures In the Tenth Year of Fr. George's Falling Asleep will take place at Holy Archangels Orthodox Mission and Bookstore
47 Spa Rd., Annapolis, MD 21409, on Holy Annunciation, Saturday, March 25, 2-6:30pm. We will view and Discuss the Film, “Seven Words” —the Life and Legacy of Confessor Fr. George Calciu. Testimonials from his spiritual children and others and New Spiritual Treasurers from Romania—Hand-Painted Icons, Linden-wood crosses, unique Orthodox gifts for Pascha. Your ticket gives admission to the retreat as well as a lenten meal. Student and Child tickets available. For more information, register, and purchase tickets
2017 PLEDGING REMINDER: Pledge packets are now available in the hallway outside of the church nave. All are encouraged to bring their pledge commitments for this year up to date. Good stewardship is an essential expression of our faith and spiritual life. Together, we can continue to support this wonderful church of Saint Mark and ensure that it will be here for all who seek communion with the Lord and His Heavenly Kingdom! Thank you!
BAZAAR PURCHASEWe are investigating, online and elsewhere, the purchase of two floor model, glass-fronted bakery cases for our desserts - one refrigerated (for cheesecake, etc.). The cost of new ones is prohibitive, but used cases may be possible. If you should know of a bakery, grocery store, restaurant, cafe, coffee shop that is going out of business and may have a bakery case for sale, please inform Tina Burpee, Nancy Stanton, or Paulina Masick.