On Monday, October 7, the feast of Holy Protomartyr & Equal-of-the-Apostles Thecla of Iconium, Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America & New York paid an archpastoral visit to the eponymous church in Wheaton, MD, and officiated the divine services there on the occasion of the parish’s patronal feast day.

His Eminence celebrated Divine Liturgy, co-served by parish clerics: rector Archpriest John Johnson and Deacon Peter Gardner.

The service was sung under the direction of parish choir director Sarah Petro. As has become the custom, the parishioners were joined by many from the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Washington, DC in what has become a joyous annual event. Despite the feast falling on a Monday, the service was well attended, as it was the parish's first visit from the First Hierarch, and many of the faithful received the Holy Mysteries.

Metropolitan Nicholas delivered a sermon highlighting the faithful witness of St. Thecla and her unwavering dedication to Christ, and he reminded those gathered that such faithful and sacrificial remembrance of Christ and His saints always bears spiritual fruit.

Following Liturgy, His Eminence gifted the parish an icon of the Hospitality of Abraham (the Holy Trinity) which was blessed in the Holy Land, and those remaining after the service were treated to a festal meal courtesy of the parish sisterhood, for which they were joined by Archpriest Victor Potapov (dean of the Capital Region and rector of St. John the Baptist Cathedral) and his matushka Maria. Many remained into the afternoon, partaking of an especially joyous feast.

We would be honored for you to celebrate our Parish Feast Day with us. Please RSVP.

On Sunday, February 18, 2024 (February 5th O.S.) following a brief moleben to Great Martyr George, handmaiden of God, Susan Gardner was awarded the medal of St. George for being a distinguished member of the Boy Scouts of America, fulfilling the requirements of the Eastern Orthodox Commission on Scouting, becoming more aware of God’s presence in her daily life both in the church and in the home. The emblem signifies the name of Christ and bears witness that Susan is a faithful Orthodox Christian steward. With the prayers of the entire parish, Rev. Father John Johnson, ceremoniously pinned the medal on Susan’s uniform before her onlooking family and friends. Susan is a cub scout of the National Capital Area Council. Her older sister is also a scout (BSA) of the Baltimore Area.

In the past couple of months our parish has enjoyed two baptisms. The first one took place during  the last weekend in December, and most recently, following the Feast of the Meeting of the Lord, an entire family was baptized into the Holy Orthodox Faith. Glory to God for all things!

As of this week, we're no longer in the Kensington space where we worshipped for almost four years, from April 2019 through March 2023. After signing our new lease in early March, followed by a few weeks of initial build-out, we celebrated our first service on Wednesday, March 29, with Matins and the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete. We'll be in our new location for a minimum of three years, and we still have a fair amount of work today, but the space is already feeling church-like!

Our new website is live! After a much-needed refresh, our new site is up and running. We're still working out the kinks, so please take a few minutes to look around, and let us know if something isn't working right or is missing.