www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Need Help Leaving Soon To DC

I may have to leave real soon for 3 months to Washington D.C. for work. What is the nearest BCC?

In Washington, DC itself there is the Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of the Holy Family. I have not been there in several years (except for food festivals!) so don�t know how much English they use in the Divine Services. There is also a Byzantine priest who has an assignment in DC who celebrates regularly in the Ruthenian Chapel at the Basilica of the National Shrine.

Close by in northern Virginia there is Epiphany in Annandale (Ruthenian) and Holy Transfiguration in McLean (Melkite).

Close by in surbaban Maryland there is St. Gregory of Nyssa in Beltsville (Ruthenian), a Ruthenian mission parish in Germantown and Holy Trinity in Silver Spring (Ukrainian).

All are good parishes. Seek the �Directory� page for links and addresses.

You might also take time to visit the Orthodox parishes in DC. The Saturday or feast day Vigil at St. John the Baptist Cathedral (ROCOR) is not to be missed. St. Nicholas Cathedral is also a treat (but they abbreviate the Vigil a bit too much for my taste!). Hagia Sophia is also worth a visit.

Thanks!

I am trying to work out right if I am going or not. If I leave it will be the first part of next week. I will miss Pascha at my home Church! So, I really need another Church that will make me feel at home. I can't image Pascha in the chapel of the Cathedral.

Google Earth shows Epiphany of Our Lord Byzantine Catholic Church near the Capital (which is near where I am going to be working).

Holy Transfiguration Melkite Church is also
nearby, in McClean, Virginia.

www.holytransfiguration.org [holytransfiguration.org]

Manoli

If I may do a bit of shameless plugging, Holy Transfiguration Church in McLean (which has already been mentioned here) is, at least in my experience, one of the most authentically Orthodox Eastern Catholic churches around. Its priest, Father Joseph, is also one of the most loving and holy men I have ever met. But take that for what it's worth; it is a bit outside of D.C. (although not terribly far).

God bless,
Maximos

Holy Transfiguration is worth a drive, if you are in the D.C. area.

Good luck in D.C. Where you attend Liturgy might really depend on where you are staying, although Sundays are pretty easy for getting around.

Ray,
Glory to Jesus Christ!
For 3 months in DC, you will have an opportunity to visit different parishes. What a great opportunity!
Please look me up at Epiphany of Our Lord in Annandale.
Deacon El

Ukrainian Catholic Shrine of the Holy Family - Washington, D.C. is just up the hill a bit from the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception

http://www.ucns-holyfamily.org/

The Ukrainian Catholic Seminary - St. Josaphat - is in the neighborhood.

Unfortunately, the only Epiphany I know around here is in Annandale. If you're working at the capitol, both it and Holy Transfiguration are about 1 hour or so west. If you're on Capitol Hill your nearest Church would be the Ukranian Shrine, about 20 minutes north.

Please do however come out to Holy Transfiguration at least once. We have a liturgy of some sort every day during Lent.
http://www.holytransfiguration.org/bulletin.htm

I'd also second the Administrator's suggestions to visit St. Nicholas and St. John the Baptist.

Sorry, double post.

Not sure aboot the other jurisdictions, but you've got the ROCOR and the OCA cathedrals in Washington D.C. you might want to check out. I'm due for an extended weekend in the Metro area and I look foward to attending one of the two for Matins and Liturgy on a Sunday (yes, and probably make my cousin come to Vespers Sat. night as well).

Vigil at St. John's is wonderful indeed. They have a website at http://www.stjohndc.org/

If you are looking for a liturgical "and now for something completely different..." there is a really neat Ethiopian community there as well at Debre Selam Kidest Mariam. They now have a very nice website at www.dskmariam.org [dskmariam.org]

I haven't heard about the Holy Cross Monastery (Ukrainian Catholic, over by CUA) lately. Last I heard it was just Abbot Joseph and one other monk. Icon and Book Service is across the street from the monastery (both are in residential houses near the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration).
FDD

The Greek Orthodox cathedral in the city, St. Sophia's is also probably worth a visit.

One thing that is also potentially worth doing is going to Hillwood [hillwoodmuseum.org] . You have to make reservations though. Marjorie Merriweather Post's husband (I think she had more than one) IIRC was the ambassador to the Soviet Union before WWII or something along those lines. Anyway they bought up a lot of Russian art when the Soviets were holding fire sales. Among the items she brought back are a number of beautiful icons.

It's probably worth a visit, although the docents are known to be among the snootiest anywhere.

Andrew

Andrew,
Have you ever been to the ROCOR cathedral in D.C.?