Upcoming Events
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Saturday, Oct. 22nd - Combined Choir Practice, 10 AM-12:30PM - Cookies for Coeds Packing Party, 10:00-noon (at the Spinellis') - Funeral of Phan Kim Le, 3 PM Sunday, Oct. 23 Odeon Concert, 4 PM Matt Tucker+'s installation as Rector of Christ Church, Bordentown, NJ, 4 PM Tuesday, Oct 25 Orchestra for Combined Choir Rehearsal, 7 PM - 9:30 PM Wednesday, Oct 26 Boy Scouts meet in the Lounge, 7:30 PM ~ 9:30 PM (Bobby Dubas) Saturday, Oct 29: - Combined Choir
Dress Rehearsal, 10 AM-12:30PM
Small Church Day at Christ Church, Spotsylvania, VA, 9 AM ~ 2 PM Sunday, Oct. 30 - Seminarian Committee Meeting, 12:00 PM - Inquirer's Class, after church - Haydn's Theresa Mass, combined choir, at St. Patrick's, 4:00 PM Sunday, Nov. 6 (Daylight Saving Time ends) Inquirer's Class, after church Tuesday, Nov 8 Commissions, 6:30 PM' Vestry, 7:30 PM Nov. 11-13 6th & 7th Grade Weekend at Shrine Mont Sunday, Nov 13 Inquirer's Class, after church Odeon Concert, 4 PM Saturday, Nov 19 Food for the Homeless, 12 Noon Sunday, Nov 27 (1 Advent) Stewardship Sunday Inquirer's Class, after church (last session) Sunday, Dec 4, Bishop Visitation, 3 PM Saturday, Dec 10 Vietnamese Christmas Star making, 10 AM Sunday, Dec. 11 Annual Meeting after church Wednesday, Dec 14 Blue Christmas Service, 7:30 PM Sunday, Dec 18 Greening the church Saturday, Dec 24 Christmas Eve Children's service, 6:30 PM Music, 7:00 PM Holy Eucharist, 7:30 PM Sunday, Dec 25 Christmas Day Service, 10:30 AM Sunday, Jan 1 New Year's Day Celebration after church, potluck. Saturday, Jan 14 Vestry Retreat (snow day: Jan 21) Sunday, Jan 22 Tết Celebration, after church, potluck! |
Birthdays
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October
22 Emmeline Pizzola 22 Matthew Pizzola
22 Tess Miller
23 Paul Los, Jr.
27 Victoria
Coker-Gunter
28 Harriette Benjamin
30 Carolyn Gawarecki
31 Margaret Mills
November
1 Bennett Miller
4 Brian Dubas
7 William Herbert
8 Katie Wright
9 Colby Leonard
10 Tom Auld
12 Nhung Dang
18 Nam-Tran Mai
24 Thomas H. Wetrich
25 Kiet Samuel Tran
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Our Prayer List
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We remember in our prayer:
Margaret Mills, Jim Owens, William Yale, Laura Đoàn, Bob Aronstein, Kari Boeskov, Mary Anne Bogie, Mary Carper, Thomas Cascella, Marie Cosimano, Hai Dang Do, Jane Chapman, Tim Clary, Dorothy Connelly, John Davis, Donald DeVaughn, Michael Dickinson, Loretta Dougherty, Ingrid Eckstrand, The Edsall Family, Archie Ellis, Mary Farmer, The Faubion Family, Nance Finegan, Luis Garay, Thomas Garner, Anne Goodwin, Jean Graham, Nick Giuliani, Canedo Guillermo, Katherine Hafele, Anne & Thomas Edsall, Margaret Ellis Harris, Bill and Betty Henderson, Sheila Henderson, Eldon Paul Henry, Alek Hensley, Leslie Hogan, Cindy Hogman, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., Michael Horn, Virginia Hughes, Angelina Jansen, Lindsay Johns, Gray and Bob Johnson, Jamie Kaplon, Robert Kelley, Quinn Kimball, Jeffry King, The Kontess Family, Susan Lawrence, Bau Le, Timothy Livingood, Joe Magrogan, Colleen Mavrikas, Michael Mills, Evelyn Morgan, Que Nguyen, Chick Nixon, Keslie Nolan, Olive Oliver, Gary Owens, Irene Pierce, Joann Piper, Faith Poole, William Ross, Molly Saviola, Nora Searle, Bill Sitler, Irene Skowron, Karine Simpkin, Brian Smith, Josh Smithers, Candi Stewart, Barbara Stefl, Kara Stryker, The Strysko Family, Walter Sushko, Steven Talbert, George Thomas, Clara Torres, George Torres, Michael Weekes, The Westfall Family, Paula Wiech, Meredith Wiech, Donna Wolfe, Peter Kosutic, Chris, Tasha, Mark Zimpel
We pray for all US personnel serving overseas, especially Garway Thomas and Cate Johnson.
Note: If you have a loved one or friend who needs prayer please call the church and leave a message at 703-532-5656, or write to Tinh+ at
stpats3241@gmail.com or call him at 703-405-9571. Also, should a name need be removed from the list, please let Tinh+ know promptly, and give the reason.
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Saint Patrick's Ministers
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The Ministers of Saint Patrick's Church are the People of this Parish
supported by
The Reverend
Tinh Trang Huynh, Vicar
Mr. Toua Vang,
Seminarian Assistant
Ms. Mariko Hiller,
Music Director
Ms. Rachel Burgess,
Nursery Care
We serve our Lord as part of the Diocese of Virginia
led by
our chief pastors
The Rt. Rev. Shannon Sherwood Johnston, Bishop
The Rt. Rev.
David Colin Jones,
Bishop Suffragan
and
The Rt. Rev. Ted Gulick,
Assistant Bishop
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The Vision of St. Patrick's
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Saint Patrick's Episcopal Church is a community of care, called to be Christ-centered and multicultural in worship, Christian education and action to proclaim Christ's love to the world.
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About St. Patrick's Church
| Saint Patrick's was founded in 1953 as a mission church from the Falls Church. The congregation met for the first time on January 3, 1954 in the cafeteria of the Graham Road School. The building was completed in 1956. Members of St. Pat's have been known for their involvement in outreach ministries since the very early days of the parish. In 1995, Saint Patrick's became an Anglo-Vietnamese church, and has become more and more multicultural. Some of us say that St. Pat's is like a window through which we can see God's love. Other parishioners suggest St. Pat's is a "safe haven" for all who seek peace, a quiet place for those who want to find rest. Many in the congregation mention caring is what makes St. Patrick's special to them. Our vision statement reflects what we are in our hearts: St. Patrick's Episcopal Church is a community of care called to be Christ-centered and multicultural in worship, Christian education and action to proclaim Christ's love to the world."
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Saint Patrick's
Website
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You are invited to visit our website. Please click here .
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Previous Issues of the Epistle | Please click here to read the archived issues of the Epistle.
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St. Patrick's Organized for Missions and Ministry
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Vestry Committee: Senior Warden: Tom Auld; Junior Warden: Vivian Benjamin; Registrar: Winnie Lebo; Treasurer: Kathy Oliver; Other members of the Vestry: Victoria Kennedy, Jocelyne Miller, Pierre Chanu, Chris Nicholson.
GROUPS AND ACTIVITIES
Altar Guild: Lucille Selby; Bell Choir: Mariko Hiller; Church Office: Lois Cascella; Offering Counters: Bob Cascella; Youth Ministry: Maggie Spinelli; Region VIII Representative: Felix Spinelli; Diocesan Council Delegate: Amelia Nicholson; St. Margaret's Circle: Ann Nelson; Telephone Chain: Alice King; Ushers: Bill Houston; Odeon Chamber Music Series: Mariko Hiller; Westlawn Elementary School: Winnie Lebo; Falls Church Community Services: Catherine Dubas; Hypothermia Shelter Program: Felix Spinelli; Church Women United: Amelia Nicholson. The Epistle Newsletter Editors: Winnie Lebo and Cindy Rhoad.
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Join Our List | |
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Parish Notes
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- Mrs. Martha Williams, resident of Sunrise/Bluemont, who for many years faithfully attended the Sunday services led by our lay eucharistic ministers, passed away on Wednesday, October 12th. Martha was formerly a member of St. George's Church/Arlington and was a friend of our Mark Waldo+. Beside our lay eucharistic ministers -- Nancy Burch, Catherine Dubas and Michael Knowles -- she is also known and loved by our Doan Huynh Tucker and the members of our youth group who took part in worship at the home. The service for Martha will be held at Sunrise on Saturday, October 29th, at 1:30 PM.
- Many thanks to Amelia Nicholson, Elisabeth Nguyen and those who assisted them for making food for the homeless last week. Below is a report from Elisabeth:
"On Saturday, October 15, 2011, St. Patrick's Episcopal Church volunteered to feed the homeless at Bailey's Crossroads Community Center. We had 15 volunteers, consisting of parishoners and their friends and family, who helped with preparing the food at St. Patrick's. Additionally, various church members stopped by to drop off cupcakes and a variety of desserts. Once the food was prepared, we headed to the shelter. There were 2 parishioners and 4 additional volunteers who came out to help serve at the shelter. Maggie Spinelli's sausage and potato casserole was a hit! We served 60 homeless people and had a great time talking and getting to know many of them. We met so many people from all walks of life. Surprisingly, a majority of the people are in their early to mid-20's. Everyone was gracious and thanked St. Patrick's for a wonderul dinner. Needless to say, there wasn't an ounce of food left!
Thanks to St. Patrick's for giving me, my friends, and family the opportunity to invest in our cummunity by taking initiative in projects where there is a need, such as feeding the homeless. It has become such an integral part of my life that I have committed to volunteering my time on at least one project a month. This experience as well as past experiences has opened my eyes and allowed me to reach out, show love and compassion to those who are having hardships. It has made me more open to live without judgement, to seek hope, and to enjoy the rewards of kindness. Thank you, Elisabeth Nguyen"
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Reminders
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- Funeral service of Phan Kim Le this Saturday, October 22 at 3:00 PM. All are invited to join us for the reception following the service -- potluck. Please bring food if you can. - Cookies for Coeds Packing Party at the home of the Spinellis this Saturday, October 22nd, 10:00 a.m. until noon. Drop off cookies at the church prior to Fri. night, Oct. 21st. (Call Catherine, 703-207-0424), or at the Spinellis' house no later than 9:30 a.m.
- Odeon Concert this Sunday, October 23rd, at 4:00 PM. Naomi Kudo, pianist - You are invited to attend the Small Church Day on October 29, at Christ Church, Spotsylvania, VA. For information about car pooling please speak with Tinh+
- The seminarian committee will meet after church on Sunday, October 30th. |
On Last Sunday's Sermon
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(Matthew 22:15-22) This last Sunday, the familiar phrase "Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's" was heard in Jesus' conversation with the Pharisees and the Herodeans. In Jesus' time, there were two groups of Jews that were in conflict: the Pharisees who practiced strict religious rules, and the Herodeans who supported Herod Antipas, vassal of Caesar who ruled over Judea. The Pharisees ahborred the use of the Roman coin, for it bore the image of Caesar and the inscription depicting him as divine -- a blasphemy against God and violation of the first two commandments. Meanwhile, the Herodeans supported tax collection and enjoyed Herod's favors. Despite their animosity, the two groups got together to plot Jesus' arrest, for they shared the hatred toward him. They asked Jesus whether the law of Moses allowed paying taxes to the emperor. If the reply were, "It's awful," Jesus would lose the support of the people, for which the Roman authorities were reluctant to lay hands on him. If the reply was, "It's not lawful," Jesus would be accused of sedition. Jesus asked them to show him the coin. He then asked whose image and inscription were on the coin. They said those things belonged to Caesar. Jesus then said, "Give to Ceasar the things that are Caesar's, and give to God the things that are God's." The wisdom of our Lord amazes us. How we wish to have such wisdom in dealing with the challenges of our lives. The story is an illustration of how evil could not overcome good. How do we Christians practice discipleship in a world of evil? There are Christians in the world today who have to face their persecutors daily. In order to survive, they depend on the guidance of the Holy Spirit, moment by moment. We Christians in America also need the wisdom of Jesus, for the "survival" of our souls in various situations. Where can we find such wisdom? Perhaps the wisdom is hidden in Jesus' saying, "Give to God the things that are God's." Aren't we the coins that bear the image of God? Perhaps the awareness of the image of God in us and in the people around us can make us wiser in thoughts, words and actions. In the Book of Psalms, there is a verse that reads, "The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom." Longing hearts that offer themselves to the Creator will find the daily guidance and comfort of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus' words we find the call to surrender ourselves to God, and an invitation to enter the Kingdom.
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Tóm tắt Tin Tức Đã Đăng trong Số Báo Trước
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- Tang Lễ Chị Lê Kim Phấn sẽ được cử hành tại nhà thờ Saint Patrick's lúc 3 giờ, chiều thứ bảy, ngày 22 tháng 10, 2011. Xin mang theo thức ăn để chúng ta cùng dự sau lễ và an ủi cháu Willy. - Sáng thứ bảy, 22 tháng 10, gói cookies để gởi cho các sinh viên đại học và các quân nhân ở xa thuộc Nhà Thờ Thánh Patrick ở nhà ông bà Felix Spinelli, 10 AM. - Ủy Ban Chủng Sinh sẽ họp với Ông Toua Vang vào ngày Chúa Nhật, 30 tháng 10, sau lễ. |
Đại Ý Bài Giảng Chúa Nhật Vừa Qua
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(Ma Thi Ơ 22:15-22)
Hôm Chúa Nhật vừa qua, chúng ta nghe câu "Trả lại cho Xê-Da vật gì của Xê-Da" trong Phúc Âm.
Vào thời của Đức Giêsu, người Do Thái có hai phe kình chống nhau - người Pha Ri Si tuân hành kỹ lưỡng kinh luật Do Thái, và phe Hê Rốt ủng hộ vua chư hầu Hê Rốt đại diện cho hoàng đế Xê Da cai trị vùng Giu Đê. Người Pha Ri Si ghét đồng bạc La Mã dùng để trả thuế, vì hình của Xê Da và dòng chữ tôn ông ta là thần - một sự trịch thượng phạm đến điều răn thứ nhất và thứ hai, vì ông ta không nhường sự vinh hiển tuyệt đối cho Chúa Trời. Trong khi đó, phe Hê Rốt ủng hộ việc thâu thuế và vui hưởng ơn mưa móc của vị vua chư hầu. Mặc dù họ đố kỵ nhau, hai nhóm trên lại họp nhau bàn mưu gài bẫy để Đức Giêsu bị bắt. Họ hỏi Chúa: việc nộp thuế cho Xê-Da có hợp với kinh luật Môi Se chăng? Nếu câu trả lời là "có," dân Do Thái sẽ không còn ủng hộ Đức Giêsu nữa, và như thế mở đường cho La Mã bắt Chúa. Nếu câu trả lời là "không," quân La Mã vẫn bắt Đức Giêsu với tội phản động. Để trả lời, Đức Giêsu bảo họ cho Ngài xem đồng tiền trả thuế. Họ mang tới một đồng "đơ-ni-ê." Ngài hỏi hình nầy của ai, và dòng chữ nói về ai? Họ trả lời là của Xê-Da. Chúa bảo: "Hãy trả lại cho Xê-Da vật chi của Xê-Da, và trả lại cho Đức Chúa Trời vật chi thuộc về Đức Chúa Trời." Họ không làm gì hại Chúa được hết.
Lời khôn ngoan của Chúa chúng ta thật lạ lùng. Chúng ta mong sao được sự khôn ngoan ấy để đương đầu với những thách thức trên đời. Truyện tích nầy cho thấy điều ác không thể nào lấn lướt điều thiện. Trong cõi đời gian ác, người môn đệ Đức Giêsu phải sống thế nào? Trên thế giới hiện nay có rất nhiều tín hữu Kitô-giáo phải chịu bắt bớ, và hàng ngày họ phải lựa chọn, hoặc theo sự dạy dỗ của Chúa hay là buông theo điều nhà cầm quyền bắt phải làm. Ngay cả chúng ta là tín đồ của Chúa ở xứ Hoa Kỳ cu~ng cần sự khôn ngoan của Đức Giêsu để có thể "sống còn" trong nhiều trường hợp.
Làm sao chúng ta có thể tìm được sự khôn ngoan ấy? Có lẽ nó ẩn đàng sau câu nói của Đức Giêsu, "Hãy dâng trả cho Đức Chúa Trời vật gì của Đức Chúa Trời." Chúng ta có thấy mình là "đồng xu" mang hình ảnh Thiên Chúa chăng? Ý niệm về con người được dựng nên theo hình ảnh của Thiên Chúa mang đến cho chúng ta nhiều điều để suy nghĩ. Trong sách Thi Thiên có một câu nói rằng: "Sự kính sợ Thiên Chúa là khởi đầu của sự khôn ngoan." Khi chúng ta hiến mình cho Đấng Tạo Hóa thì sẽ kinh nghiệm sự dẫn dắt và an ủi của Đức Thánh Linh. Lời dạy của Đức Giêsu là tiếng gọi chúng ta hiến mình cho Thiên Chúa.
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