Dear Parishioners,
All parishes in the Archdiocese of Washington are closed through April 1, 2020. Please, stay safe and protected, continue to pray at home, use online resources for spiritual education by the Orthodox Churches and make sure to check our cathedral’s website for updates. If you have any questions, please contact by email: office@stnicholasdc.org
Brothers and Sisters,
In this time of isolation and fear, as we are losing some of our daily human connection and seeing so many around us worry, let’s try to build something together for our community at St. Nicholas.
Some of our parishioners are – or likely will be, as this virus progresses – unable to leave their homes due to age, illness, or quarantine. Others are isolating with family members. We would like to connect people with these church members in this time of need through an over-the-phone or virtual ministry.
We are looking for members who would be willing to volunteer for things such as:
Calling the elderly or infirm, or those in the community who may be feeling afraid at this time, for a comforting chat that will help them maintain connection.
Video chatting online with children to distract them while mom or dad take care of some household tasks or work, perhaps playing games with the children or helping them with homework. (This is a great opportunity for high schoolers to help out!)
Keeping in touch with parishioners, either over the phone or online, who are feeling alone and isolated during this period.
With technology, there are so many ways for us to stay virtually connected while in our own homes – we can even share meals together or watch a movie together from miles apart. Let’s use this technology to maintain the wonderful sense of togetherness that we share at St. Nicholas.
If you would like to volunteer or if you or anyone you know would like to receive a phone call, video chat, or other form of communication or assistance, please contact Christine Kirchner at (512) 919-6810 or cee32@georgetown.edu.
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Last night a parishioner contacted the clergy to report the sudden development of flu/cold-like symptoms.
The parishioner attended the Sunday liturgy on March 8 and Mr. Tolstoy’s funeral service on March 10. The parishioner was not able to get tested but following medical advice is under self-quarantine for the next 2 weeks and would like our community to be aware.
While there is no proof of COVID-19, out of an abundance of caution and deep love and care for our parishioners, we therefore, with the blessing of His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon, have decided, effective immediately, to suspend all services and activities this weekend and go into office telework mode.
If you are experiencing symptoms, please seek medical help immediately. Otherwise, please stay home, keep social distancing, avoid travel and public gatherings, and follow the CDC guidelines. We, at St. Nicholas, will monitor the situation and keep our community informed of the next step. We ask all parishioners to inform those who are not on this mailing list of these developments.
Suspending all services and the Sunday Liturgy is one of the most difficult decisions that we have ever had to make. We never thought that we would reach the point of not having the liturgy at our beloved St. Nicholas, but Great Lent reminds us all of the sacrifices that we need to make in order to persevere and prevail and to continue to strengthen our faith regardless of the circumstances. It is our highest duty to safeguard you and your families and protect those who are weak and the most vulnerable. It is also our responsibility as community leaders to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and avoid public gatherings. We ask for your understanding and support!
The challenging times of today and tomorrow and the suspension of all services are going to be hard on every one of us, including our St. Nicholas Cathedral which relies solely on the generosity and help of our parishioners. Financial difficulties caused by today’s situation are unavoidable and will be felt. If you would like to give online to support the cathedral, please visit our website or send a check.
We continue to pray for your good health and well-being and ask all of you to join us in our prayers and seek His guidance and protection during these difficult times. Please, stay safe and protected, continue to pray at home, use online resources for spiritual education, stream/“attend” online liturgies by the Orthodox Churches on Sunday morning, and make sure to check our cathedral's website and Facebook page for updates.
Let us prevail through these challenges!
With love in Christ,
Metropolitan Tikhon
Fr. George
Fr. Valery
Claire Nobles, President
Dear Parishioners,
The service schedule for this weekend has been changed. Due to the state of emergency in the DMV area, services on Friday and Saturday are canceled. We will have a Single Divine Liturgy on Sunday, March 15 at 9:00 AM.
Coffee hour is canceled, but our volunteers will have snacks for you to take home with you after the service.
Stay home if you feel sick or you are concerned about the risk of virus exposure.
Please, call those parishioners who are not internet users to inform them of the changes.
With love in Christ,
Fr. George, Fr. Valery
Claire Nobles, President
A Prayer for Healing for These Times
Again we pray that our God, the lover of humankind and physician of souls and bodies, would heal those infected with the coronavirus, protect all who are at risk of infection, especially those with weakened immune systems, and bless all government officers, doctors, scientists, and medical professionals who care for the sick, develop vaccines, and develop guidelines for stopping the spread of the disease. O Merciful Lord, hear us and have mercy!
Currently at St. Nicholas Cathedral
SOCKS!
Thanks again to all those who contributed to our socks collection for the needy in our area. We collected nearly 400 pairs of socks! That’s a wonderful response from our parish. In a few months, we plan to announce another type of collection effort for the needy, so stay tuned! Anyone who is interested in helping to organize these kinds of missions projects, please email Candice Johnson at ceinarjohnson@gmail.com or Susan Rudy at susan-rudy@msn.com.
Stewardship and Fundraising News
Stairs Repair Fundraising Campaign
The Cathedral would like to thank the generous donors who last week contributed $10,000 to the Stairs Repair Project. The donation was made “In Honor of Past and Present Clergy, Choir and Laity.” We are blessed to have this continuing generosity for a critical need at St. Nicholas!
Choir Fundraising Campaign
Dear Parishioners,
As you know, St. Nicholas Cathedral has been working hard to improve the quality of our choir and liturgical experience. Our efforts to excel have become even more intense in light of the upcoming celebration of the 90th anniversary of St. Nicholas Parish and the 50th year of Autocephaly of the OCA (Orthodox Church in America). We would like to acknowledge and thank our music conductors and all members of the English and Slavonic choirs for their dedication and commitment!
Since February 2019, Benedict Sheehan, Orthodox composer and conductor, and music director at St. Tikhon’s Monastery and Seminary (https://www.benedictsheehanmusic.com/), along with his wife, vocalist and music educator Talia Maria Sheehan, have been coming regularly to the Cathedral to conduct a series of workshops. Their expertise and hard work have made significant improvements to our liturgies.
Given the choir's importance to the parish, Jonathan Russin, Esq., a St. Nicholas parishioner for decades, has started a fundraising campaign to improve the choir and ensure its integration into a larger DC professional music community.
To support the efforts, Mr. Russin and an anonymous donor have generously donated $10,000 each ($20,000 total) and encouraged at least 9 more people to contribute/match this donation. He urges other faithful to contribute as much as they are able.
Last Sunday, February 23, the project was presented to the Cathedral community during coffee hour and was met with great support and enthusiasm both financially and organizationally. As such, Matushka Valerie and Fr. Yaroslav Sudick pledged $1,000 each, and an anonymous parishioner wrote a check for $500. Talks are under way to identify a possibility of hosting a concert in DC in the early part of December to promote the choir and supplement our fundraising efforts.
Your continued support is much needed and appreciated! The Cathedral can accept both personal checks and donations of stock in publicly traded companies. If you would like to contribute, please write "choir projects" in the notation area. Donations via credit cards/Square are also accepted. Please make sure it goes to the Choir Donation when paying at the candle counter.
In Christ,
Fr. George, Fr. Valery
Claire Nobles, President
3500 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20007
Email us: office@stnicholasdc.org
