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Dear brothers and sisters in Christ! This year, in August and September, during the Divine Liturgy (English & Slavonic), St Nicholas Cathedral will observe Giving Sundays. This is a part of our fundraising efforts for the 54th Fall Bazaar, the annual effort to collect money for the restoration and maintenance of our church. You will see a basket labeled Bazaar Gifts during the Liturgy and at the Ambon.  

If you donate at least $100 (in a lump sum or in small increments) between now and September 25 your name, or that of a living (or departed) loved one, will be commemorated in the Bazaar Program Brochure AND in a special plaque to be displayed in the parish hall.  When you make your contribution, please fill out the form located at the candle counter so that we could properly record it.  Donations offered between September 25th and October 8 will be accepted but commemorated anonymously.

We encourage everyone, no matter the size of their donation, to use these Giving Sundays as an opportunity to contribute to the growth of our community and the building up of Christ's Church!

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Christ House Ministry: “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in…" Matthew 25:34-36    
       Many thanks to our Christ House donors and volunteers, through whose efforts more than 11,000 people have been served delicious and healthy homemade meals over St. Nicholas Cathedral’s 17 years of service! 
We need more volunteers! All it takes are a few hours twice or three times per year on the second Sunday of the month. Each team buys and brings healthy ingredients—fish or meat, vegetables, salad, and fruit for dessert—and carpools to Christ House to spend about an hour and a half after liturgy preparing the meal and serving an average of 45-55 individuals.
         Volunteering is a “win” for St. Nicholas and a “win” for Christ House! Volunteers enjoy getting better acquainted with their St. Nicholas teammates, serving their community in DC, and sharing the feeling of fulfillment that results from serving those who are less fortunate. Christ House is grateful for our service because our volunteers always prepare delicious and healthy lunches.   
         Christ House (www.christhouse.org), in the Adams-Morgan neighborhood of DC, is the only facility in the District of Columbia that offers comprehensive and compassionate health care to homeless men and women.   

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         Parish Visitation Ministry:“ :“I [Lord Jesus] was sick and you visited me…” Matthew 25:36 
Our parish has a number of elderly, homebound, and ailing parishioners who could benefit from visitation and assistance. For decades, clergy and individual parishioners have reached out to parishioners, who could not participate in the liturgical life and fellowship of the parish. The Cathedral is consolidating all visits of ill and homebound parishioners under a single Parish Visitation Ministry coordinated by Father Deacon Igor Panyutin. He is compiling a list of the parishioners who require assistance to better match them with volunteers who can visit them. The new Parish Visitation Ministry will track the existing efforts and enhance them, when necessary, to provide comprehensive coverage. If you would like to be a visitor or want to add the name of a homebound parishioner to the list, please contact Father Igor at panyutin@comcast.net or 301-367-3851.

With love in Christ,

Fr. George and Fr. Valery

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Thank you to all St. Nicholas parishioners for the great response to the donation canisters for our "Pennies for Alaska" ministry. Please look for clergy announcements on when to bring the canisters in. If yours do get full before an announcement, please bring them to the candle counter where we can take either the coins or the canister with the coins. Write your name on the bottom of your canister so you can pick it up later at the candle counter for take-home and refill.

Thanks to your great response, we have run out of the initial run of canisters. If you would like one for home, please email Andrea Lutov. We need to have a minimum amount before we can order more.

In the meantime, you can always bring your spare change and put it into the large "Pennies for Alaska" canisters in the Social Hall and the Annex. Thank you again for your participation in this Orthodox ministry.

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Gift Corner: Please come and easily find something for everyone on your gift list.  There are books for children as well as adults, a new collection of amber, honey and beautiful new icons painted by our very own master iconographer Alexander Moskalionov. Our book room in the annex has hundreds of new volumes that are $1 each unless marked otherwise.