Holy Cross Orthodox Church

The 61st Annual Parish Life Confernce for the Dioceses of Charleston & New York will be held hosted by St. Anthony Orthodox Church in Bergenfield, NJ, 4-8 July. Included will be: Grand Banquet and Hafli • Mazza and Music • Stage and Screen Talent Show • Bible Bowl • Oratorical Presentations • Workshops • Children's Workshops • Teen Dance • Teen Humanitarian Project • 20/40 Events • Order of St. Ignatius Luncheon • Antiochian Women's Luncheon • Hierarchical Divine Liturgy.

For ticket pricing, registration and advertisement forms, schedules and more, please visit easterndioceseplc.weebly.com.

The "Parents' Workshop: Building an Orthodox Home", held at Holy Cross this past Saturday, was both enjoyable and a great sharing and learning experience, according to much of the feedback. Fr Noah and Elizabeth Bushelli gave 2 "keynote" talks that very helpfully addressed the questions of "why should we do this" and "how might we do this". The day started and ended with their talks, which included discussions and Q/A. We also heard Terry's challenging talk on media (TV, the net, smart phones, video games, etc), children and parents. After the terrific lunch, several HC parents formed a panel designed to share, in a conversational way, several practical items that were working for them and their families (children in church/Rox, family prayers/Shermocks, ideas for observing Saints' Names Days/Trevor, and the notion of teaching children to be faithful in "the little things"/Barkleys) btw, the Names Days ideas went well beyond the expected "sing the troparion and light a candle" pattern into some very creative territory. (You'll have to ask Trevor.)

So, lots of discussion, education, and connecting went on, all, we pray, to the further upbuilding of our families into "domestic churches." Many thanks to all who participated in the presentations and to Deborah, her committee, and others who helped make the day such a success.

Here are downloads for the various handouts from the Bushellis and from Terry.

Additionally, we'll let you know when the entire day's recording will be available.

Parents: Don't forget to register for our 2012 Parenting Workshop — Building an Orthodox Home — with Fr. Joseph Bushelli, to be held on 12 May.
As you know, the times make it hard to build an Orthodox home, and yet the times make it even more necessary to ensure that our homes and families are places where Christ is honored, Orthodox Christian values are taught, prayer is natural and daily, and holiness is loved by our children. We try to re-enforce all this at Holy Cross through the Sunday School, Youth Groups, and other activities, but there is no question that the home is the primary learning environment for children as we all struggle against the evangelizing of our children by the world. Come and be strengthened and better equipped to increasingly make your home an outpost for the Kingdom of God! Register with Deborah Tomas at church, online at evite.com or by email at kdakthomas@verizon.net. See you there!

The service time for this year's Bright Monday Liturgy (16 April) has been changed to 9:30 a.m.

We really need help with weeding for the beautification of the two of the gardens that we have been blessed with: the Theotokos Garden and the Fruits of the Spirit Garden. Once weeding is complete, mulching will happen to control weeds. The weeds have to come out first though! We will have someone at the church on the following dates and times who show you what to do. We have garden tools at the church. RSVP to Roxann at roxann@cablespeed.com if you can help. Thank you for your willingness to help!

Weeding days/times:

• Monday, April 2 from 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, April 3 from 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
• Friday, April 6 from 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.
• Saturday, April 7 from after Coffee Hour - 3 p.m. (Lazarus Saturday)

"It is the Holy Spirit who makes us find joy in each flower, the exquisite scent, the delicate color, the beauty of the Most High in the tiniest of things. Glory and honor to the Spirit, the Giver of Life, who covers the fields with their carpet of flowers, crowns the harvest with gold, and gives to us the joy of gazing at it with our eyes. O be joyful and sing to Him: Alleluia!" (Kontakion 3, Akathist Hymn "Glory to God for All Things!")

"Those Who Have Ears, Let Them Hear! Preaching Where the Word Has Not Been Heard" with Fr. Martin Ritsi, OCMC Executive Director.

• When: Saturday, April 28th beginning with Vespers (5:00pm), followed by Hors d'oeuvres (6:00pm) and dinner (7:00pm).
• Where: St. Katherine Greek Orthodox Church's (3149 Glen Carlyn Rd. Falls Church, VA)
• Tickets: $50.00 per person before April 10th; $60.00 after. Youth 18 and under: $30; under 6: Free. Send checks to: St. Katherine Greek Orthodox Church, 3149 Glen Carlyn Rd, Falls Church, VA 22041 payable to "St. Katherine Greek Orthodox", note: "Mission Banquet".
• Deadline: Reservation accepted through April 25th.

For more information, contact Gregory McKinney at dintym@hotmail.com or Skip Mersereau at (301) 229-0878, jwmster@gmail.com

From Fr. Gregory: It's not often that we see our beloved Bishop THOMAS, but we've recently been priviledge to have him in the Baltimore area — and at our parish — for several days! Tonight he'll be joining us for Vespers as well. I know that everyone's 'normal' schedule is harried, not to mention the extra effort a prosperous Lenten struggle requires, but I encourage to come be with your Bishop tonight at Vespers. He takes much joy in the loving atmosphere at our parish, an atmosphere to which each of you contribute abundantly. Let's "make his joy full" by being with him tonight before he travels to other parts of his diocese. If you *can* be there, please be there! The service usually lasts about 45 minutes.

A talk by Constantine Zalalas & a light lenten meal
Sunday, 1 April 2012, 6:00 PM
Holy Apostles Orthodox Church (10760 Baltimore Avenue, Beltsville, 20705)

Mr. Zalalas will speak about:

• A deeper understanding of the journey to Pascha.
• A journey to re-enter lost Paradise
• Incarnation
• Illumination-theosis
• The meaning of the cross
• The way of our transfiguration
• The power of repentance
• Lord remember me in your Kingdom.

More information

A light Lenten meal will be provided. Though RSVP's are not necessary, we would be grateful for them. Please RSVP to Matushka Deborah Johnson, at apostlebird@aol.com or 301-572-5738.

About Constantine Zalalas

Constantine Zalalas served recently as one of the guest speakers at the ROCOR clergy conference in San Francisco, at the Cathedral of the Mother of God, Joy of all who Sorrow (built by St. John Maximovitch.)

Mr. Zalalas immigrated to the United States at the age of 14 from Cos, Greece.

He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Millersville of Lancaster County, Pa. For the last 20 years he has been researching, translating, publishing and expounding the wealth of the Greek Orthodox Church Fathers under the blessing of Metropolitan Maximos. Many of his translations, lectures and retreats can be downloaded from his publication site: www.saintnicodemos.org. Mr. Zalalas completed his graduate studies in Dogmatic Theology at the Univ. of Thessaloniki under Dr. Demetrios Tsellengides. His most recent publications are: Homilies on the book of the Revelation of St. John, In Search of the Truth, and My Exodus from Roman Catholicism.

Fr. John Behr from St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary will be giving a public lecture at The Catholic University of America on Thursday, 15 March at 5:15pm in the Happel Room, Caldwell Hall. His lecture is titled: Earth that Suffers (Letter of Barnabas 6.9): The Struggle to Become Human in the Early Church. A light reception will follow. This event is sponsored by the Center for the Study of Early Christianity. For more information, contact our Administrative Coordinator, Lola Lastrapes, at (202) 319-5795 or visit the website at earlychristianity.cua.edu.