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Upcoming Events
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Friday, March 15:
Hypothermia, 8:00 PM
Saturday, March 16:
Food for the Homeless,
Time TBA
Hypothermia, 8:00 PM
Sunday, March 17
"Dakota 38" Film, forum after church
Youth activity, 4:30 PM
Hypothermia, 8:00 PM
Friday, March 22:
Hypothermia, 8:00 PM
Saturday, March 23
PYM Spring Day of Service (not at St. Pat's -- Contact: Bobby Dubas)
Hypothermia, 8:00 PM
PALM SUNDAY, Mar 24:
Hypothermia, 8:00 PM
Thursday, March 28
Maundy Thursday Service at 7:30 PM
Good Friday, March 29:
Service at 10:30 AM and 7:30 PM
Hypothermia, 8:00 PM
Holy Saturday, Mar. 30:
Hypothermia, 8:00 PM
Easter Day, Mar 31:
Easter Egg Hunt, 9:30 AM
Worship, 10:30 AM
Hypothermia, 8:00 PM
Friday, April 5:
PYM Senior High Weekend at Shrine Mont
(April 5-7)
Sunday, April 7
Guest Preacher and Celebrant: The Rev. Frederick Huntington
Odeon Concert, 4 PM
Youth Forum, 4:30 PM
Tuesday, April 9:
Commissions, 6:30 PM
Vestry, 7:30 PM
Saturday, April 13:
Wedding of Garway Thomas and Leachien Ricks, Ft. Belvoir, 4:00 PM
Sunday, April 14:
UTO envelopes distributed
Youth Forum, 4:30 PM
Saturday, April 20:
Feed the Homeless, time TBA
Storage Clean-up, 9 AM
Sunday, April 21:
No 8AM service.
Guest preacher and celebrant: The Rev. Fred Huntington.
Saturday April 27:
Parish Clean-up Day
Sunday, April 28:
Preacher: Toua Vang
Saturday, May 4:
Parish Clean-up (Rain date)
Trinity School Music Program, 6 PM - 9:30 PM
Sunday, May 5
Youth Forum, 4:30 PM
Saturday, May 11:
Cookout with Westlawn Elementary School (tentative)
Sunday, May 12:
(Mother's Day)
UTO Sunday
Odeon Concert, 4 PM
Youth Forum: 4:30 PM
Tuesday, May 14:
Commissions, 6:30 PM
Vestry, 7:30 PM
Saturday, May 18
Feed the Homeless, time TBA
Sunday, May 19
(Day of Pentecost)
Preacher: Toua Vang
Thursday, May 23:
Toua Vang's Graduation from VTS -- 9:15 AM in the Callaway Chapel of Episcopal High School.
Region 8 Council meeting, 7:00 PM
Saturday, June 1:
Yard Sale, 9 AM - 2 PM
Sunday, June 9:
Celebration of Sunday School.
Pool Party at the Aulds after church (potluck)
Tuesday, June 11:
Commissions, 6:30 PM
Vestry: 7:30 PM
Saturday, June 15:
Feed the Homeless, time TBA
Sunday, June 16
Farewell to the Vang family (Potluck). Preacher: Toua Vang
Tuesday, June 18:
Last day of public schools
Thursday, June 20:
The Vang family leaves Virginia for Minnesota
Sunday, June 30:
Supply Clergy.
Pool Party (rain date)
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Birthdays
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March
15 Jane Patterson
Auld
22 Victoria Parrotta
26 Donna Herbert
27 Bob Cascella
28 Keith Gardner
31 Jennifer Phan
31 Gisela Johnson-
Harbers
April
5 Douglas Payne, Jr.
8 Philip Nicholson
10 Joseph Dubas
11 Anna Chanu
17 Hong Nguyen
17 Audette Frazer
19 Savannah Frizzell
21 Cheryl Gardner
22 Amy Phan
24 Lindsay Gardner
27 Pat Gardner
28 Carolyn Auld
30 Cate Johnson
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Our Prayer List
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We remember in our prayer:
Maria Ash, Dee Bailey, Harry Benson, Kari Boeskov, Mary Anne Bogie, Hoang Thi Ngoc Bich, Brandon, Thomas Cascella, Marie Cosimano, Debbie Clark, Tim Clary, Dorothy Connelly, John Davis, Donald DeVaughn, Michael Dickinson, Loretta Dougherty, The Edsall Family, Nance Finegan, Luis Garay, Anne Goodwin, Jean Graham, Katie Grosse, Nick Giuliani, Katherine Hafele, Anne & Thomas Edsall, Margaret Ellis Harris, Eldon Paul Henry, Alek Hensley, Leslie Hogan, Cindy Hogman, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., Michael Horn, Mary Isibel, Lindsay Johns, Gray Johnson, Jamie Kaplon, Robert Kelley, Quinn Kimball, Jeffry King, Peter Kosutic, Susan Lawrence, Joe Magrogan, Colleen Mavrikas, Gregory McGinnis, Kylee Mei and her families, Margaret Mills, Evelyn Morgan, Danielle Morgan, Que Nguyen, Chick Nixon, Christine Nolan, Olive Oliver, Jim Owens, Gary Owens, Moi Phan, Faith Poole, William Ross, Bill Sitler, Ron Sipes, Irene Skowron, Josh Smithers, Candi Stewart, Barbara Stefl, Kara Stryker, Walter Sushko, Steven Talbert, George Thomas, Clara Torres, George Torres, Tammy Vanphung, Nhon Thanh Vo, Michael Weekes, Warren Weinstein, The Westfall Family, Paula Wiech, Meredith Wiech, Bernard Williams, Donna Wolfe.
We pray especially for Mary Isibel, Debbie Clark, Greg McGinnis, Danielle Morgan, Pao Yang, Christine Nolan, Mồi Phan, Christian Benjamin and Vơ Thành Nhơn.
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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, Rector
The Reverend
Toua Vang,
Seminarian Deacon
Ms. Kerry Hual
Director of Youth and Children's Ministry
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. Susan Goff
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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| Previous Issues of the Epistle | Please click here if you wish to see the previous 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: Bill Houston; Registrar: Winnie Lebo; Treasurer: Kathy Oliver; Other members of the Vestry: Elisabeth Nguyen, Milton Thomas, Jocelyne Miller, Pierre Chanu, Chris Nicholson.
GROUPS AND ACTIVITIES
Altar Guild: Lois Cascella;
Bell Choir: Mariko Hiller; Church Office: Lois Cascella; Offering Counters: Bob Cascella; Youth Ministry: Kerry Hual; Region VIII Representative: Felix Spinelli; Diocesan Council Delegate: Kathy Oliver (Amelia Nicholson, alternate delegate); St. Margaret's Circle: Ann Nelson; Telephone Chain: Alice King; Feed the Homeless: Elisabeth Nguyen; Odeon Chamber Music Series: Mariko Hiller; Westlawn Elementary School: Winnie Lebo; Falls Church Community Services: Catherine Dubas; Hypothermia Shelter Program: Felix Spinelli and Hao Nguyen; The Epistle Newsletter Editors: Winnie Lebo and Cindy Rhoad; Flea Market: Chris Nicholson; Prison Ministry: Nancy Burch; Meals-on-Wheels: Amelia Nicholson; Sunrise/Bluemont: Michael Knowles
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Parish Notes
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-  Feeding The Homeless. This Saturday, March 16th, volunteers from Saint Patrick's will meet at 3:00 PM, at the kitchen of
Bailey's Crossroads Community Shelter
3525 Moncure Avenue, Falls Church, Virginia 22041 (Phone: 703.820.7623).
We will cook food and serve 125 people. We will serve two groups of diners, at 5:15 PM and at 6:00 PM.
If you can, please make deserts and take them to the shelter. If you plan to take the deserts to the church, please contact Elisabeth Nguyen at
elisabethnguyen@gmail.com .
Please note that the cooking will not be at the church. It will be at the homeless shelter.
- Our condolences to Virginia Brown and her family on the death of her father, Mr. Robert Brown, on Thursday, March 7th, in Arizona.
- Dakota 38. This Sunday, March 17, after church, we will show the film "Dakota 38" at our adult forum. Our Jay Parrotta, organist, offers the following:
"In the summer of 2010 I participated in writing and arranging the music for the trailer and final scenes of the film, Dakota 38. I based the music on Hymn #385, 'Many and great, O God are thy works,' from the translation and melody found in The Hymnal 1982. I never forgot hearing this chant as a child at St. Patrick's Church.
 Like most of the hymns we sung, it possessed historic significance. At the time I surmised that it originated from the Dakota people and I had no idea of the events that took place surrounding the hymn's past; until I was invited into this large collaborative project of forgiveness and reconciliation.
Jim Miller, featured in the Dakota 38 film, is a Native spiritual leader and Vietnam veteran. In 2005 he received a dream where he rode on horseback across the Great Plains of South Dakota. This film documents his efforts to retrace the 330 mile path of his dream with those who join him on his journey. All of us that contributed to
the making of Dakota 38 agreed to offer our efforts as a gift and as a tool for healing.
The film was finally released last year, and since then it has been screened in Afghanistan, Antarctica, Australia, in Episcopal churches in Minnesota, on college campuses throughout the United States, and has won two film festival awards. " 
- On Saturday, March 23rd, from 9:30 AM to noon, Tom and Jean Wetrich will be making the palm crosses for Palm Sunday, and they will need help. Work will be done in the Lounge. Please help if you can.
 - Easter Flowers. If you would like to offer flowers in "Memory of a loved one" or as an "Offering of Thanksgiving" at Easter, please send $10 to the Altar Guild. Contact the church to indicate how you would like your donation to appear in the Easter service bulletin. You may fill out the form that comes in the Sunday service bulletin, call and leave a message at 703-532-5656, or send an email to stpats3241@gmail.com. Checks should be made payable to the "Altar Guild of Saint Patrick's," earmarked "Easter Flowers," and mailed to Saint Patrick's Church, 3241 Brush Dr., Falls Church, Virginia, 22042, or dropped in the alms basin during worship.
 - UTO Sundays 2013 -- May 12 and October 13. The United Thank Offering (UTO) is a personal devotional program of the Episcopal Church in which we acknowledge and give thanks for the many blessings we receive each day.
Twice a year, in the spring and in the fall, offerings are placed in the collection plate on the Sunday designated for the "Ingathering." All gifts are sent to the Diocese of Virginia, and then to the United Thank Offering Committee of the Episcopal Church, USA. All monies received will be given in the form of grants to support programs within Anglican provinces and dioceses.
- An adult Sunday School class is  being held every Sunday, from 9:30 AM to 10:15 AM. Our Tom Auld is leading us in the study of the Book of Acts. Please come join us.
- Watercolor artist Carolyn Grossé and photographer Steve Gawarecki will be exhibiting their arts at Green Spring Horticultural Center Gallery, from February 26 through April 28, noon-4:30. All are invited to the reception at the Center on April 7, 1:00-3:30. Paintings range from realistic to abstract; photographs include Steve's window series and moody landscapes. Free admission. 4603 Green Spring Rd., Alexandria 22312. 703-642-5173. www.greenspring.org.  A Spray of Calla Lilies  Dusk at Antietam
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Diocesan News
| - The Tallis Scholar -- Live in Concert. The Diocese of Virginia will host a performance by the Tallis Scholars, the world-renowned Renaissance vocal music choir, on Tuesday, March 19, 7:30 PM at the Falls Church, Falls Church, VA. Event Fee: $30.00. Learn more and buy ticket online
- The Parish Youth Ministries Senior High Weekend will take place April 5-7 at Shrine Mont. Registration is now open.
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The Propers
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For Sunday, March 17, 2013
This Sunday is the Fifth Sunday in Lent
Text: Isaiah 43:16-21
Ps 126
Philippians 3:8-14
Luke 20:9-19
Collect: Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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Last Sunday's Sermon
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Fourth Sunday in Lent, March 10, 2013Text: Joshua 5:9-12; Psalm 32; 2 Corinthians 5:16-21; Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32. The Rev. Michael Sie
------------------ There is welcome for the sinner,
And more graces for the good;
There is mercy with the Savior;There is healing in His blood.
In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.... Amen
To Fr. Tinh and members of St. Patrick's Episcopal Church, grace and peace to you from God our Father. I bring you greetings from my family in Liberia and I pray that our time of fellowship spent here today will be a joyful one. As you are aware there are many Liberians living in the US, and when the news spreads from home that you are traveling, many persons will want to save the headache and expenses of posting by sending packages through you. I arrived in the US on July 29, 2011, and tried to ensure that I relived myself of all the packages I brought. However, there was one person in particular I really wanted to see, and she lived in Silver Spring, Maryland, closed to me. So on the 30th of July, 2011 I decided to venture out and deliver the package in person. This was my first time on the Metro, and I had with me the package and my back pack. I was carried away by looking through the window at the beautiful buildings and the scenery of Washington, DC, and parts of Maryland. I disembarked from the train and unintentionally left my back pack, which contained my passport and traveling documents. I transferred on a bus to my final destination; immediately when I got out of the bus I remembered I had a back pack and the package, but only the package was with me. You can imagine how I felt, I had not even started seminary and already I had misplaced my passport and the school documents. I immediately contacted the Dash bus office to reach the driver. According to them his radio was not working. God is always making way out of no way when for one it seems to be no way. He is always saving people, leading them into new places and new possibilities. In our Old Testament reading Joshua details how the forty years of wilderness wandering for the Israelites are coming to an end. Moses has led the people this far, but in this new place they have a new leader named Joshua. They have yet to enter into the land of promise. Although the Israelites have not been always good, God has been good to them. They wandered for years in utter dependence upon God. Now the land of promise lies before them, a land of opportunities. Yet Joshua is aware of the dangers of new opportunities: that these children will forget the Passover celebrated by their parents and turn to the gods of the Canaanites. Despite past disgraces, God forgives and presents us with new opportunities for service and faithfulness. The future lies before us, yet we are still far from where we should be. We must examine ourselves and do a spiritual and moral inventory. In the Epistle God is reconciling us through Christ. Reconciliation is a gift from God. He starts through the victim to the wrongdoer. When we are in Christ, we are made new and old things are passed our way. We no longer carry with us our old identities; instead we do and see things very differently from the unbeliever. We are now emissaries or ambassadors of Christ; therefore, what we do or say must reflect the ways of our father in heaven. To reconcile is to make otherwise or to alter. God is the initiator and author of reconciliation, the remover of that which estranges us from God. Those in Christ no longer regard or evaluate people on the basis of their resume, their influence. If the love of Christ controls us, then we are free to be open and accepting of others on the basis of seeing them through the eyes of Christ, the one who gave himself for everyone. Lent asks each of us to become its ambassador with the invitation: "Be reconciled to God!" That brings us to our gospel lesson, one of the most popular parables in the bible, the prodigal son and the merciful father. This parable points to God's deepest desire, greatest yearning, and passionate dream for all of God's children and the whole of God's creation. In this parable, a father had two sons. The younger son asks for his share of his father's wealth and turns his back on his family, religion and homeland. He goes out to have fun and soon blows it all and forfeits everything. The younger son finds himself in a place he should not be, dying from hunger. He longed to sustain himself by eating pigs' food, the bitter tasting pods of the carob tree. But this was denied him. Upon realizing this, he returns home to ask forgiveness. He rehearses a lame little speech, soliloquizing along the way. Realizing that he is no longer worthy to be called a son, he is willing to be a servant. That will be one plea. Only the prodigal never gets the chance to finish his rehearsed speech because his father envelopes him with hugs and kisses and gifts, breathlessly dragging him off to a party given in his honor. We too at times can be like the younger brother, ashamed and guilty of our selves. We find it hard to seek forgiveness from God. Meanwhile, as the celebration gets under way, the festive music and dancing, the elder son wonders what is happening. He was returning from the field where he had been dutifully working. After he questioned a servant to get the story, he expressed anger toward his father in every gesture. He refused to enter the house, choosing to stand outside, placing himself in the same situation as those whose behavior kept them locked outside the heavenly banquet. Further, the elder son did not address his father with a title of respect, rather sarcastically referred to himself as a slave; he accused his father of favoritism. His reckless brother was given a calf, but he charged that his father never so much gave him a goat for a smaller party with his friends. He also denies having any relationship with him, referring to him as the father's son, and not his brother. All of this convinces us that the older brother himself has been lost, and out of relationship with his father for some time. Though insulted and rebuffed, the father responds in terms of endearment calling that all he has is his. The father is determined to hold together the family, and goes to great lengths to make that happen. When we read this story, we immediately focus on the younger brother, but I want to take a different angle by looking at the role of the elder brother in the parable. In this story Jesus was actually referring to the Pharisees and some of us seated in the congregation like the elder son. We remained dedicated and committed in the Church but refuse to carry on the ministry Christ has called to do. We are all selfish; if it is not one of us, then I cannot help. We want to cater to family members, members of the same class and sometimes members of our congregation or denomination. Friends, Christ came to proclaim the year of the Lord "to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed." You do not have to help someone because you are of the same class, religion, reed and race. The lessons from our readings today are about two things: reconciliation and continuing the Ministry of Christ. In the event one of us goes missing, God does not give up on us easily. Some us think that because we have messed up an opportunity God had given us, he would not take us back. No, that is not true; ultimate forgiveness is not a thing - it is God. His arms are stretched out like the Mother hen and willing to take us back from our behavior which has distanced and estranged us from God because only he can restore the closeness. There is still a second chance, there is wideness in his mercy and there is welcome for the sinner as in the case of the younger son is the gospel passage for today. This maternal image is rich in caring, full of compassion. So should we if we have been wronged in some way by another and are still holding on to injury with undiminished determination, it may be the merciful father who breaks into our hearts and inclines us toward forgiveness and compassion. If we have wandered away from our family, our faith community, even from our real self, the change of heart by the younger son may inspire us to come back to our true home, and there to seek reconciliation with our God and one another. If we, like the older son, have labored faithfully in the vineyard of our vocation, doing our duty day by day, it may be helpful to look into the garden of our soul to see if any seeds self-righteousness have taken root. We need to move beyond religion or ourselves and see through the eyes of our sacrificial Messiah, who gave his life for all and who was willing to sit with the outcast to share a meal. We as ambassadors of Christ should emulate these good examples by helping those whom we may encounter in our reach, be it the same religion, race, color or creed. If we can help, somebody in this world as we pass along then our living shall not be in vain. The Church must continually examine the significance of this parable. Will we be the Church of the elder brother or the church of the loving father? Paraphrased In God has a dream, Bishop Desmond Tutu writes: That the world will be a place of more laughter, joy, and peace, where there will be justice, goodness, compassion, love, and sharing. When all attempts made to find the bag failed, I went home and filled out the lost and found form on the Metro website. After three months, one evening I got a call; it was the metro office that within three days my bag will be dumped. So I asked for the address and the seminary immediately arranged transportation to Hyattsville, Maryland, where the office is located. I found my bag that I lost with everything I had in it. And you know what? It even had a $120.00. "Then the father said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found." Amen Tinh+, Michael Sie+ and Deacon Toua Vang -- 03.10.2013
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Đại Ư Kinh Văn Chúa Nhật Vừa Qua
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Chúa Nhật Thứ Tư của Mùa Thống Hối
10 tháng 3, 2013
Kinh Văn: Giôsue 5:9-12; Thi Thiên 32;
2 Cô Rin 5:16-21; Luca 15:1-3, 11b-32
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Chuyện Đức Giêsu kể về người con trai hoang đàng là một truyện nhiều người đă nghe đến. Một ông kia có hai con trai: đứa lớn th́ chăm chỉ cần cù, c̣n đứa nhỏ th́ chỉ thích đi chơi. Một hôm cậu em đ̣i cha chia gia tài. Theo phong tục Do Thái thuở xưa, con trai được phép xin cha chia gia tài trước khi cha qua đời. Trong truyện, cha bằng ḷng. Nhận lấy của, người con nầy bỏ nhà đi xa, tiêu xài thỏa chí. Không lâu, cậu hết tiền, phải đi chăn heo cho người ta và bị đày đọa, cho đến nỗi thèm cả vỏ đậu heo ăn. Một hôm, người con rách bươm ấy chợt nghĩ việc trở về xin tạ tội với cha, và cậu đă đứng dậy, bỏ mấy con heo và thất thểu t́m về. Chúa kể rằng khi thấy bóng con ḿnh từ đàng xa th́ người cha tưởng như trong mộng, vội chạy đến ôm lấy con, không kịp cho con xin lỗi, rồi sai đầy tớ lấy quần áo tốt, giày tốt, mặc cho con, rồi bày tiệc ăn mừng. Ông nói: "Con tôi tưởng đă mất mà c̣n."
Trong khi đó, người anh đi làm về trông thấy cách cha đăi đằng thằng em phóng đăng th́ tức giận, phàn nàn rằng ḿnh ở với cha bấy lâu mà không hề được tiếp đăi như thế. Song cha ôn tồn đáp: "Con ơi, đừng như thế, v́ em con đă mất mà t́m lại được, đă chết mà nay được sống."
Mới đọc chúng ta có thể nghĩ rằng cốt truyện là về người con hoang đàng được cha tha thứ -- đúng, song không có ǵ để thách thức chúng ta ngoài chuyện nhờ ăn năn mà được ḥa thuận với Thiên Chúa.
Cốt truyện thực sự là về người anh, là người nghĩ rằng ḿnh tốt hơn và xứng đáng hơn -- y như cách những người Pharisi tức giận v́ thấy Giêsu liên hệ với những người xă hội Do Thái lúc đó ruồng bỏ. Đây là thách thức cho chúng ta: ḿnh nghĩ ǵ mỗi khi thấy những người phạm pháp. Có thông cảm được cho họ hay không? Nhiều khi chúng ta vướng vào chuyện chỉ trích, nói hành người khác. Rất dễ cho chúng ta đoán xét người, hoặc phân b́. Thách thức là ở chỗ kêu gọi chính chúng ta ăn năn mỗi khi thấy ḿnh đoán xét hoặc cay cú đối với ai. Chúa kể dụ ngôn nầy chính v́ mấy người Pharisi nói trên. Bên ngoài họ giữ đạo, song bên trong họ vẫn c̣n bị điều ác vấn vương.
Tuy nhiên, thách thức cao nhất của truyện nầy là dạy chúng ta trở nên giống như người cha. Chúng ta có thể tha thứ và yêu thương như cách Chúa tha thứ và yêu chúng ta hay không? Chúng ta có thể đối với người phối ngẫu, con cái, bạn hữu, và ngay cả người ngoài đường, theo cách Chúa đối xử với họ hay không?
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Tin Tức Sinh Hoạt
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- Làm thức ăn cho người homeless. Thứ bảy tuần nầy, ngày 16 tháng 3, cô Elisabeth Nguyễn sẽ tổ chức nấu ăn cho 125 người homeless tại Bailey's Crossroads Homeless Shelter, 3525 Moncure Avenue, Falls Church, Virginia 22041 (Phone: 703.820.7623). Các quư vị t́nh nguyện có mặt lúc 3 giờ chiều tại địa điểm nói trên. Họ sẽ ăn hai đợt, vào lúc 5 giờ 15 và 6 giờ chiều. Nếu có thể, xin quư vị làm món tráng miệng và mang đến Trung Tâm vào ngày giờ nói trên, hoặc nếu mang đến để trong bếp của nhà thờ vào tối thứ sáu th́ xin liên lạc với Elisabeth: elisabethnguyen@gmail.com. - Trong tháng 3, chúng ta đă bắt đầu cho phụ nữ homeless trú lạnh qua đêm trong nhà thờ vào các ngày thứ sáu, thứ bảy và Chúa Nhật. Đây là dịp cho quư vị nh́n thấy cảnh khổ và công bố Phúc Âm của Chúa. Quư vị có thể tham gia bằng cách có mặt vào khoảng 7:30 PM ~ 8:00 PM để mở cửa cho họ vào. Đă có các quư vị ghi danh cho những buổi tối nói trên, song vẫn c̣n khoảng trống để quư vị điền tên tham dự. - Dakota 38. Chúa Nhật tuần nầy, 17 tháng 3, tại nhà thờ chúng ta sẽ có chiếu phim "Dakota 38," sau lễ thờ phượng. Vụ án Dakota 38, đương thời Tổng Thống Abraham Lincoln là một vết thương lớn của lịch sử Hoa Kỳ, trong đó 38 người da đỏ bị xử treo cổ v́ nổi lên chống người da trắng đă thất hứa sau khi mua rẻ đất đai của họ. Ông Jim Miller, nhân vật chính trong phim, một người lănh đạo tinh thần của người da đỏ hiện nay, cùng một số bạn thực hiện chuyến cỡi ngựa 330 dặm, xuyên qua Cánh Đồng Dakota tuyết giá để đến địa điểm tử h́nh của các tiền nhân. Chuyến đi là điều ông đă thấy trong một giấc mơ. Cuộc hành tŕnh qua các làng phố Hoa Kỳ, trong đó họ được người bên đường tiếp đăi, giúp họ t́m được sự chữa lành. Ông Miller nói: "Chúng tôi không thể tiếp tục đổ tội cho người Wasichu (tức là người da trắng, và tất cả những ai không phải là da đỏ). Chúng tôi đă tự làm hại ḿnh. Chúng tôi bán ma túy. Chúng tôi tự giết ḿnh. Đây chính là ư nghĩa của chuyến đi nầy, đó là sự chữa lành." Cuộn phim là câu chuyện của sự chịu đựng cơn băo tuyết, và của t́nh thương giúp họ bắt đầu xóa đi cái đau thương của một thời lịch sử đen tối. Phần nhạc trong phim được biên soạn và thực hiện do anh Jay Parrotta, nhạc sĩ phong cầm sinh trưởng tại Saint Patrick's.  - Vào ngày thứ bảy, 23 tháng 3, Ông Bà Tom Wetrich sẽ làm các thập tự bằng lá dứa để chuẩn bị cho Lễ Lá. Nếu quư vị có thể phụ giúp, xin đến nhà thờ vào lúc 9 giờ 30 sáng. Công tác sẽ hoàn tất khoảng 11 giờ sáng.
 - Easter Flowers. Nếu quư vị muốn dâng hoa vào lễ Phục Sinh, xin điền vào phiếu in trong chương tŕnh lễ thờ phượng sáng Chúa Nhật, hoặc quư vị có thể gởi email về nhà thờ, địa chỉ là stpats3241@gmail.com, và cho biết dâng để tưởng nhớ người thân hoặc để tạ ơn Chúa. Xin đóng $10.00 cho Altar Guild. Chi phiếu xin đề trả cho "Altar Guild of Saint Patrick's," và xin đề thêm ở hàng memo: Easter Flowers. Quư vị có thể gởi về nhà thờ theo địa chỉ sau đây: Saint Patrick's Church, 3241 Brush Drive, Falls Church, VA 22042, hoặc đặt vào dĩa tiền dâng trong giờ thờ phượng.
- UTO Sundays 2013 -- May 12 và October 13. UTO là chữ tắt của chương tŕnh United Thank Offering của nhà thờ Episcopal. Mỗi năm hai lần, tất cả các nhà thờ Episcopal tại Hoa Kỳ tổ chức cổ động dâng hiến để hỗ trợ cho các chương tŕnh phục vụ của Hội Thánh trên toàn thế giới. Tại Saint Patrick's, các em nhi đồng sẽ giúp làm các hộp tiền dâng UTO để phân phối cho các gia đ́nh trước ngày 12 tháng 5 và ngày 13 tháng 10. Số tiền thâu được sẽ được gởi lên Giáo Hội Trung Ương qua ngơ Giáo Phận Virginia. |
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