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In This Issue
Parish Notes
The Propers
Sermon
Đại Ý Kinh Văn

Upcoming Events


 

Today, Dec. 5:

 

Hypothermia, 8:00 PM

 

Friday, Dec. 6:

 

Hypothermia, 8:00 PM  

 

Saturday, Dec. 7:

 

"Sound of the Season" concert at Episcopal High School, 7 PM 

 

Sunday, Dec. 8:

 

Bishop Visitation, 2 PM 

Potluck.   (No service in the morning) 

 

Tuesday, Dec. 10:

 

Commissions, 6:30 PM

Vestry, 7:30 PM

 

Thursday, Dec. 12

 

Hypothermia, 8:00 PM

 

Friday, Dec. 13

 

Hypothermia, 8:00 PM

 

Wednesday, Dec. 18

 

Blue Christmas Service, 7:30 PM 

 

Thursday, Dec. 19

 

Hypothermia, 8:00 PM

 

Friday, Dec. 20

 

Hypothermia, 8:00 PM  

 

Saturday, Dec. 21

 

- Feed The Homeless Volunteers' Luncheon, 12 PM

 

-  Feed The Homeless, 3:30 PM 

 

Sunday, Dec. 22

 

Greening of the Church

 

Erin Dubas' scout troup lock-in, 6 PM 

 

Tuesday, Dec. 24

 

Christmas Pageant,  

6 PM  

 

Christmas Music Program, 7:00 PM 

 

Christmas Eve Worship, 7:30 PM 

 

Saturday, Dec. 28

Katie Grosse's Memorial Service, 11 AM

Hypothermia, 8:00 PM

 

Sunday, Dec. 29

Service of Carols and Lessons, 10:30 AM

Hypothermia, 8:00 PM  

 

 

 

Altar at Easter 2013      

Birthdays

December

 

 5    Jennifer Moya (today!) 

 6    Jean Pierre Chanu

10    Winnie Lebo

11    Graham Parvinkarimi

14    Lois Cascella

15    Laurie Los

15    Moi Phan

16    Jean DuBro

18    Jackson DuBro

24    Jane Chapman  

 25    Amelia Nicholson

28    Paul Los

30    Patricia Phan

31    Trang Diep

31    Chon Kim Huynh

Our Prayer List

We remember in our prayer:

 

Dee Bailey, Kari Boeskov, Brandon, Jane Chapman, Marie Cosimano, Tim Clary, Dorothy Connelly, John Davis, Donald DeVaughn, Michael Dickinson, Loretta Dougherty, The Edsall Family, Dotty Eisenhour, Nance Finegan, Luis Garay, Carolyn Gawarecki, Louise Gibney, Anne Goodwin, Jean Graham, Nick Giuliani, Katherine Hafele, Anne & Thomas Edsall, Margaret Ellis Harris, Alek Hensley, Leslie Hogan, Cindy Hogman, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., Michael Horn, Mary Isibel, Lindsay Johns, Gray Johnson, Jamie Kaplon, Robert Kelley, Geoff Kent, Quinn Kimball, Jeffry King, Michael Knowles, Peter Kosutic, Susan Lawrence, Lois Magrogan, Colleen Mavrikas, Gregory McGinnis,  Evelyn Morgan, Danielle Morgan, Ed+ and Margaret Morgan, Que Nguyen, Chick Nixon, Christine Nolan, Olive Oliver, Jim Owens, Gary Owens, Faith Poole, William Ross, Fern Shuck, Bill Sitler, Irene Skowron, Josh Smithers, Inez Stanton, Candi Stewart, Barbara Stefl, Kara Stryker, Walter Sushko, Steven Talbert, George Thomas, Clara Torres, George Torres, Elizabeth Trigg, Tammy Vanphung, Nhon Thanh Vo, Michael Weekes, Warren Weinstein, The Crowley Family, The Westfall Family, Paula Wiech, Meredith Wiech, Bernard Williams, Donna Wolfe, Rudy Zimple.

 

 

    

____ 

 

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.  

 

 

Saint Patrick's Ministers 

The Ministers of Saint Patrick's Church are the People of this Parish

 

supported by

 

The Reverend  

Tinh Trang Huynh, Rector

 

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 

The Vision of St. Patrick's

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.

   

Previous Issues of the Epistle
Please click here if you wish to see the previous issues of The Epistle

St. Patrick's Organized for Missions and Ministry 

 

SAINT PATRICK'S ORGANIZED

FOR MISSIONS AND MINISTRY

 
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; 
Sunday Service Bulletin:  Diem Nguyen, Steve Lebo;
Offering Counters:  Bob Cascella; Diocesan Council Delegate: Bill Houston (Kathy Oliver, 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:  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   

Church

 

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December 5, 2013
Photo of Thanksgiving Day
On Thanksgiving Day our Vietnamese brothers and sisters gathered to worship and shared a delicious meal.


 Parish Notes

 

Bishop Johnston This Sunday Bishop Shannon will visit Saint Patrick's at

2 PM.  Please come to church to join us in worship with the Bishop!  Please bring food for the reception to honor the Bishop and celebrate with those baptized and confirmed.  On this occasion, our Marie Van Beek, Alex Benjamin, Rylton Thomas and Kate Burgess will be confirmed, and James Edward Ellis IV, son of Natalie and Jim Ellis, will be baptized. Please note that there will be no service in the morning of this Sunday.  

 

Many thanks to all of you who gave so generously to the FCS "Thanksgiving Basket."  Our Catherine Dubas reports that there were five teams from Saint Patrick's delivering meals on Saturday, November 23rd.  About 130 Thanksgiving "baskets" were delivered in all, among them eleven baskets were sponsored by members of our church.  There may be people who sent money directly to FCS, as well.  Let us celebrate the love and generosity in our community. 


- Our last Sunday's benefit concert raised $3733.00 to help typhoon victims in the Philippines!  Many thanks to our Music Director Mariko Hiller, who organized and performed in the event, and to the other artists for such beautiful music they offered.  The proceeds were sent to Episcopal Relief and Development, and Red Cross, according to the donors' designations. We also thank those who brought the delicious food for the reception following the concert.

Emma Resmini and Mariko Hiller

Jay Parrotta

Jisun Han

The Last Stand Quartet -- From left: Joel Fuller, Alexandra Osborne,
Rachel Young and Mahoko Eguchi

Washington Saxophone Quartet -- From left: Reg Jackson, Ricky Parrell, Rich Kleinfeldt, and Rick Parrell

Akemi Takayama and Mariko Hiller

Classical FX -- from left: Denise Gulley, soprano; Matthew Joseph Minor, bass-baritone; Terri Malone, alto; with Susan Ricci at the piano

The artists at the conclusion of the event
(Many thanks to Joe Hiller for the pictures!)

- Happy Birthday to Jennifer Moya!

- Our condolences to Claire Dubas, who has just lost her friend Fitz Samuels

-  The Stewardship Letter and pledge card have been sent to all church members.  Please prayerfully consider your giving for next year, and promptly send your pledge cards with pledged amount to the church, or put them in the alms basin on Sunday, so that the Vestry can establish our 2014 budget. Thank you. 

- On Sunday, December 1st, our Kathy Oliver, Victoria Kennedy, Amelia Nicholson, Ann Nelson and Winnie Lebo were elected to serve a three-year term on the Vestry of Saint Patrick's.   We thank the outgoing members Tom Auld, Pierre Chanu, Vivian Benjamin, Chris Nicholson and Jocelyne Miller for their commitment and service. Those continuing to be on the Vestry in 2014 are: Bill Houston, Elisabeth Nguyen and Milton Thomas.  The Vestry and the commissions will meet this Tuesday, December 10th.  Commissions, 6:30 PM;  Vestry, 7:30 PM.  

 

- Our Erin Dubas will be playing french horn in the concert "Sounds Of The Season" presented by Washington Metropolitan Concert and Youth Orchestra, at Episcopal High School in Alexandria, VA, this Saturday, December 7th, at 7:00 PM.  All are invited to attend.  

 

 
-  Many thanks to Amelia Nicholson for the Bingo night at St. Pats on Tuesday.  Those who came shared a delicious potluck meal, welcomed back Maggie and Felix Spinelli from Montana, and enjoyed the game led by John Cascella and his friend.  Pictures are posted below.

        
- You are invited to teach Sunday School at St. Patrick's! 
We need teachers for the upcoming Sundays, Dec 15 and Dec 22, and anytime in January ~ June.  We are working on an online sign-up program.  For now, please let Lois know if you can serve, especially on the above-mentioned two Sundays.  Lois' email address is loiscascella@hotmail.com, and her phone number is 703-587-4527.  Please feel free to call her, and she will send you teaching material by email.

Blue Christmas Service, Wednesday, December 19th, 7:30 PM.  If you or someone you know finds Christmas a difficult time, St. Patrick's invites you to attend this service. It is a time to join together to listen to prayers and scripture that acknowledge God's presence, even in times when we mourn and/or experience struggle. 
 
 

 -  Sign Up Online to help with the Hypothermia Shelter Program.  We need volunteers to open church door on Thursday and Friday evenings in December for the homeless who will stay overnight in the church.  The group will be supervised by Volunteers of America, and will come around 8:00 PM on scheduled nights of December.  St. Pat's volunteers will stay for about 30 minutes after they arrive.  Currently we need volunteers to fill Dec. 19, 20, 28 and 29.  A sign-up sheet has been posted in the narthex, but you can also click here to sign up online.  All you have to do is enter your email address, which will not be shared, and choose the date(s).  Please sign up to help.  Thank you. 

  

Coffee cup - On every Sunday we need volunteers to serve for our coffee hour.  Please sign up to help! The sign-up sheet is in the kitchen. Everyone is invited to stay after church for a time to visit with our friends and catch up on what has been going on in each others' lives.  

 

 - Westlawn Angels' Tree 2013.  Would you like to give gifts to the needy children of Westlawn Elementary School?  For the last four years, Saint Patrick's and the school have been partners in ministering to them, and this year we expect to deliver Christmas gifts to 14 families in our neighborhood.  Upon coming to church you will see the Angel Tree in the narthex.   

     You can either take the "angels" home and bring your wrapped gifts to church, or donate money and our Winnie Lebo and other volunteers will do the purchasing and wrapping.   

     If you are going to donate presents, please choose as many angels as you wish to buy a present for, but please remember, only one present per angel.  Please wrap the present and put a gift tag on it and then please attach the angel from the tree so that it can be removed.  We use these angels to help group presents by family.  The wrapped presents need to be returned to church by Sunday, December 15.  They will be sorted and taken to school before that last day before winter break.  

    If you choose to donate cash, please put it in an envelope with Westlawn Angels on the back.  Checks can be made out to St. Patrick's Episcopal Church with Westlawn Angels in the memo.  Envelopes or checks may be placed in the alms basin, or given to Winnie Lebo.  

Checks may also be sent to Saint Patrick's Episcopal Church, 3241 Brush Drive, Falls Church, VA 22042.   

     Thank you in advance for your generosity.    

 

Katie Grosse -  A memorial service for our Katie Grosse, 103, will be held at Saint Patrick's on Saturday, December 28th, at 11 AM.  Your prayers and presence are requested.  There will be a reception following the service.  Please bring food if you can.  

 

-  Many thanks to Loc Phan for painting the name of the church on the iron sign, which was recently refurbished by the late Mark Houston.   We also thank Charlie Pizzola for the installation of the sign.  Some of us might have noticed that the wall on left of church entrance and the brick walkway have been much cleaner, and the bushes on the driveway from Kenfig Pl. and on the church parking lot have looked much better.  They are the works of our Pierre Chanu and of Joe Hiller and his son Charles. We are grateful to them for their kindness and thoughtfulness. 

The Propers 

Sunday, December 8, 2013
This Sunday is the Second Sunday of Advent  

Texts: 

Isaiah 11:1-10, Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19, Romans 15:4-13, Matthew 3:1-12

 

Collect:   

 

Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.   

On Last Sunday's Sermon   

Advent 1 -- Year A

Text:  Matthew 3:1-12

Tinh Huynh+ 

 

On the First Sunday of Advent I gave a children's sermon.  Following the sequence Hymn, "Thy kingdom come, O God," I invited the children and the youth to come sit with me on the chancel steps.  It is always good to be with the young.  They remind me of my earlier years, when I was growing up.  Their presence always brings joy.  In some ways I think the children who sat with me on Sunday were much more fortunate than I was, when I was of their ages. In some other ways, I thought, perhaps, we were all the same.  The theme of last Sunday was "waiting."  Waiting is not an easy thing to do. With the little ones, I opted for talking about waiting for Christmas, and about praying for being more kind and more compassionate.  Yet Advent speaks to a different kind of waiting.  Waiting is painful. Those who are married to soldiers know well what waiting for the spouse to come home is like.  What about parents waiting for the time when their child is over with his or her troublesome years?  What about waiting for healing to happen?  The early Christians waited for Jesus to come back. Today's Christians are doing the same.  Advent, which begins a new liturgical year in church tradition, speaks to the faith of the believers that Christ will come again at an unexpected time.  We proclaim the mystery of faith: "Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again." We can wait because we trust in God's promise.  In this world of suffering and pain, we say that we have hope still.  Our hope is in the LORD.  And so our waiting should not be passive, should it?  As we wait, even waiting and praying for a situation to get better, for instance, we want to be active.  We may want to think about what God calls us to do right where we are at the moment.  During Advent, the color in church is purple.  It's the same color used for Lent, which reminds us of repentance.  Advent is not merely about waiting for Jesus to appear from the clouds. Advent calls for penitence and reconciliation.  As we wait for the Lord to come, we want to make sure we are in harmony with Him.  As we are keenly aware that our bodily life on earth will end some day, and how short this life is, we want to make sure we are in harmony with our brothers and sisters.  We don't have to wait until the "last day" to see Christ come back to set us free.  Repentance brings joy, and Christ's presence can be felt right at the moment.  Hymn 613 in our 1982 Hymnal speaks to the pain of waiting and yet the hope and firm belief in the hearts of Christians.(*) As we gather and pray, "Thy kingdom come, O God," we know that Christ has already been with us.
_______________
(*) We pray thee, Lord, arise,
and come in thy great might;
revive our longing eyes,
which languish for thy sight (v.4)

Đại Ý Kinh Văn  Chúa Nhật Vừa Qua    

Chúa Nhật, 1 tháng 12, 2013 

 

Kinh Văn:  Mát Thêu 3:1-12     

 

            Hôm nay là Chúa Nhật đầu tiên trong Mùa Trông Đợi.  Chúng ta trang hoàng nhà thờ màu tím, và chúng ta thắp một ngọn nến.  Ngọn nến hôm nay được đặt tên là Nến Hy Vọng.  Khi chúng ta trông đợi Đức Giêsu trở lại thì chúng ta sống trong hy vọng.  Lời Cầu Nguyện cho hôm nay là xin Chúa giúp chúng ta từ bỏ công việc của Tối Tăm mà mặc lấy Sự Sáng.  Trong Phúc Âm, Đức Giêsu bảo trước về thời kỳ cuối cùng, và nhắc rằng ta phải đề phòng.  Chúa trở lại thình lình.

            Chúng ta "tỉnh thức trông đợi" như thế nào?  Có những điều huyền bí mà chúng ta không hiểu hết được.  Chúng ta không hiểu Kinh Văn theo nghĩa đen, tiên đoán về ngày giờ nào đó Chúa đến và giải thích những hiện tượng thiên nhiên hay tai vạ như là dấu hiệu rõ ràng. 

            "Tỉnh thức trông đợi" là luôn luôn ý thức về sự hiện diện của Chúa trong đời sống hiện tại.  Chúng ta nhớ rằng Chúa luôn luôn có mặt, trong thuận cảnh hay nghịch cảnh, trong người vui hay người buồn, trong người khỏe mạnh hay người tàn tật đau yếu, trong người có đời sống bình thường an dật và trong cả những người vất vưởng đau thương.     Câu hỏi cho chúng ta là chúng ta có đáp ứng hay không?  Nhiều khi chúng ta tiếc những vật dụng hay phương tiện mình có dư đến nỗi khi thấy nhu cầu của người khác mình không dám chia xẻ.  Có khi thấy cảnh khổ bên mình mà nhất định làm ngơ, không muốn bỏ ra vài đồng để cứu giúp.    Chúa có ở đó, song ta phải cất công đi tìm mới thấy đặng -- Chúa không hề nài nỉ mình tặng cho Chúa một cái nhìn.  Khi ta bắt đầu tỉnh thức trông đợi thì Chúa đã đến vào trong lòng chúng ta rồi.  Và khi Chúa đến thì bình minh rạng rỡ xua đuổi sự tối tăm.

May God bless and keep you, and may God grant us peace. 

 

The Rev. Tinh T. Huynh

Rector of Saint Patrick's Church