Christ is in our midst! Blessings of the Feast of Theophany (And for our Old Calendar brothers and sisters, Christ is born!)! Fifteen people braved the snow and difficult travel conditions in Annapolis to participate in the Divine Liturgy and partake of the Great Feast of Theophany Tuesday at Holy Archangels Orthodox Mission, including the Great Blessing of the Waters at the City Dock at the Mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. We were even joined by some non-Orthodox passers by who saw us praying and singing and joined in.

On Sunday, March 8th, clergy and faithful from the Archdiocese of Washington joined His Grace Bishop Anthony of Toledo for a Pan-Orthodox celebration of the Triumph of Orthodoxy at Ss. Peter & Paul Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church in Patomac, Maryland.

This year’s Lenten Retreat at Holy Archangels will be led by His Beatitude Metropolitan TIKHON and is entitled, “The Ascetic Disciplines of the Orthodox Life: Baptizing the Culture in an Age of Disbelief.”  This retreat with His Beatitude promises to be a tremendous opportunity for edifying growth.  Please Register Now through the Evenbrite service so we can plan the numbers accordingly.  Cost is $25 per person, $15 each additional.  Student price is $10. Clergy and wives, Children under 10 are free. Your ticket price includes admission to the retreat as well as a crab cake luncheon. Please see the detail below as well as a flyer for distribution.

Metropolitan Tikhon made an archpastoral visit to the Holy Trinity Church at their new location in Ashburn, Virginia on their patronal feast day. His Beatitude was warmly welcomed by Fr. Paul Harrilchak and parishioners of the Holy Trinity. After the Divine liturgy a festal meal was served kindly prepared by the members of the parish.

From April 29-May 6 2015 Fr. Robert Miclean, Rector of Holy Archangels Orthodox Mission (OCA) in Annapolis, Maryland, served as the first OCMC Orthodox priest in the Republic of Moldova, teaching on the subjects of the Sacrament of Marriage and educating children in the Orthodox Faith, as well as speaking to youth at three high schools across Moldova.

Five young adults representing the Orthodox Church in America were among the forty-plus participants from around the world who attended the international Orthodox youth festival, “Attaining Conciliarity,” at the Monastery of the Annunciation’s Academy, Suprasl, Poland, during the last week of August 2015.  They also attended services for the Great Feast of the Dormition at the Monastery of the Nativity of the Mother of God in Zweirki and celebrations marking the 35th anniversary of the Orthodox Youth Fellowship of Poland, presided over by His Beatitude, Metropolitan Sawa of Warsaw and His Eminence, Archbishop Jacob of Bialystok.

On Saturday, September 19th, a presentation on the subject of missions was offered by Archpriest Mark Koczak and Popadija Katherine Vitko from the Archdiocese of Washington's Mission Board at Christ the Savior Orthodox Church in Berlin, MD. Sincere appreciation is extended to the presenters both for making the long trip out to Christ the Savior as well as the informative and inspiring material they shared.

Two new resources that will aid in the study of the lives of North America’s saints are now available—a series of “life icons” and a video-lecture on the martyred Saint Juvenaly of Alaska.

On Saturday, October 24, 2015, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon and His Eminence, Archbishop Michael of New York and New Jersey joined Archpriest Theodore Boback and the faithful of Saint Andrew Church, Baltimore, MD for the celebration of the parish’s 75th Anniversary.

On Friday, November 13th, a clergy retreat was held at St. Nicholas Cathedral by Fr. Robert Holet on "The First and Finest: Orthodox Christian Stewardship as Sacred Offering".

St. Matthew Orthodox Church in Columbia, MD held a retreat with Archimandrite Sergius, Abbot of St. Tikhon’s Monastery on Saturday, November 14th.

On Saturday, November 14, 2015, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon presided at the annual Assembly of the Archdiocese of Washington, DC.  The Assembly was held at Saint Nicholas Cathedral.  The day opened with the celebration of the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy, after which plenary sessions were held in the cathedral.  In addition to Metropolitan Tikhon’s opening address, reports were heard from Priest John Vitko, Archdiocesan Chancellor, and Treasurer Michael Hydock.  The day closed with the celebration of Vigil.

On Saturday, November 14, 2015, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon visited the French Embassy, Washington, DC to pay respect to those who lost their lives in the multiple terrorist attacks on Paris, France one day earlier.

On the weekend of December 19-20, 2015, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon visited Saint Catherine Church, Hagerstown, MD, a parish of the Orthodox Church in America’s Diocese of Washington. Metropolitan Tikhon was welcomed by Archpriest Dennis Buck, Rector.  During his visit, Metropolitan Tikhon placed a new antimension on the altar table and blessed recent renovations made to the altar walls.

Approximately four years of planning and finally after two phases of execution, our proposed iconography project is now complete here at St. Mark. The team of Dmitry Shkolnik, Alexey Vronsky, Alexander Chernyy and Aleksandre Mchedlishvili did a masterful job of weaving influences from the 8th and 12th centuries together and bringing them to life on our walls. The goal was to tell the story of salvation in line and color. Our new icons include: The Communion of the Apostles, the Liturgical Fathers, the Theotokos and Christ in the apse, Annunciation, Nativity of our Lord, Theophany, Transfiguration, Pentecost, Crucifixion, Resurrection and Ascension. We invite you all to come and see!

On January 7, 2016, His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon celebrated the Nativity of the Lord at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Washington DC.