Thought for the Week From Pope Francis. Mass Times ~ Presider Schedule. Inside This Issue January 31, This Weekend

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1 Mass Times ~ Presider Schedule Saturday, January 30 5:30 p.m. ~ Father Ron Sunday, January 31 7:30 a.m. ~ Father Armstrong 9:00 a.m.* ~ Father Armstrong 10:30 a.m. ~ Father Ron (Church) 10:30 a.m. ~ Father Andy (Gym) 12:30 p.m. ~ Father Andy 5:30 p.m. ~ Father O *American Sign Language interpreted Mass Weekday and Saturday Masses Monday - Friday: 6:30 a.m., 8 a.m., 11 a.m., 5:30 p.m. Saturday: 8 a.m., 11 a.m. Filipino Mass in Tagalog every 4th Sunday at 3:30 p.m. Holy Day Masses Eve of the Feast: 5:30 p.m. Day of the Feast: 6:30 a.m., 8 a.m., 11 a.m., 5:30 p.m. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament* Exposition: Monday-Friday, 3-5:15 p.m., in the church Thursday before first Friday of each month, 6-8 p.m., with Holy Hour from 7-8 p.m. *No adoration on federal holidays Inside This Issue January 31, 2016 Holy Hour and the ChristLife Program 3 Faith in the Marketplace Meeting This Friday 4 Pastoral Council and Commissions Reports 5 Young Adults: What Are You Doing This Lent? 6 This Weekend Cardinal s Appeal 2016 The Cardinal s Appeal campaign is much different than a one-time special collection. It is a pledge campaign where you can make a gift, payable over ten months. A significant gift to the Cardinal s Appeal will touch the lives of many others in a very positive way. If you did not receive a pledge form or have not yet had an opportunity to complete one, there are forms in the pews you may use to make your pledge today and then place in the collection basket Quesada Street, NW Washington, D.C Phone Fax Blessed Sacrament School 5841 Chevy Chase Parkway, NW Washington, D.C Thought for the Week From Pope Francis Before all else, the Gospel invites us to respond to the God of love who saves us, to see God in others and to go forth from ourselves to seek the good of others. Under no circumstance can this invitation be obscured! All of the virtues are at the service of this response of love. If this invitation does not radiate forcefully and attractively, the edifice of the Church s moral teaching risks becoming a house of cards, and this is our greatest risk. The message will run the risk of losing its freshness and will cease to have the fragrance of the Gospel. (Evangelii Gaudium, 39) Source of Image: walkwithfrancis.org

2 Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Pastoral Staff Rev. Ronald A. Potts, Pastor Rev. Andrew Gonzalo, Parochial Vicar Rev. Msgr. Maurice V. O Connell, Retired Priest moconnell@blessedsacramentdc.org Rev. Percival L. D Silva, Retired Priest pdsilva@blessedsacramentdc.org Deacon Kenneth Angell kenneth.angell@opic.gov Deacon Donald Mays dmays@blessedsacramentdc.org Assistant on Weekends Rev. Regis Armstrong, OFM Cap, Catholic University Duffy Parish Center Main Office (Monday - Saturday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.) In an Emergency , Ext (to page priest on duty) Facilities Pius X Library Ray Manning Adult Center Mr. John Navolio, Business Manager , jnavolio@blessedsacramentdc.org Mr. Jay Rader, Director of Liturgy and Music , jayrader@blessedsacramentdc.org Ms. Michelle Balch, Director of Religious Education , mbalch@blessedsacramentdc.org Ms. Rosalie Days, Sacramental Preparation Coordinator , rdays@blessedsacramentdc.org Ms. Casey Armand, Youth Minister , carmand@blessedsacramentdc.org Mrs. Patricia Kavanaugh, Social Concerns Minister , pkavanaugh@blessedsacramentdc.org (Office open Monday - Friday, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m., and by appointment) Ms. Emma Voelzke, Special Needs Coordinator , evoelzke@blessedsacramentdc.org Ms. Kathy Gillespie, Director of CYO , kgillespie@blessedsacramentdc.org Blessed Sacrament School Mr. Chris Kelly, Principal , ckelly@blessedsacramentdc.org Ms. Nancy Ryan, Director of Admissions , Ext. 6110, nryan@blessedsacramentdc.org Sacraments Baptism Baptismal preparation is required of all parents prior to the baptism of their child. We recommend preparation take place before the child is born. For more info: Michelle Balch, mbalch@blessedsacramentdc.org / Matrimony All couples who are to be married at Blessed Sacrament must complete our parish marriage preparation program. Please contact one of the parish priests six months in advance of your marriage date. Reconciliation Friday and Saturday after the 11 a.m. Mass (if no funeral); Saturday, 4-5 p.m. and after the 5:30 p.m. Mass, or anytime by appointment. Parish Services & Information Care of the Sick and Homebound If you or someone you know is hospitalized or homebound and would like a priest to visit, contact the parish office at New Parishioners Welcome! Please register by: stopping in at the parish office or using the registration form available online or from the pamphlet rack at the Quesada Street entrance to the church. Bulletin Announcements Deadline: 10 a.m. Send to: bulletin@blessedsacramentdc.org Newsletter Content newsletter@blessedsacramentdc.org Photo/Video Submissions communications@blessedsacramentdc.org Website Postings website@blessedsacramentdc.org Church Bulletin Boards The parish secretary maintains the church bulletin boards. Please drop off any flyers for posting to Joan Ward in the parish office, located in the Duffy parish center. Inclement Weather Policy The parish center/office follows Montgomery County Schools for delays and closings. All evening activities are cancelled those days the schools are closed. Pastor s Column As we celebrate the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, our readings focus on the rejections the prophet faced, their troubles, numerous persecutions and their deaths as a result of the mission they received from God. Jeremiah is chosen by God to challenge the Israelites out of their laxity for the law of the Lord. Jeremiah s message cuts across the grain and he is harshly treated for his message. He knew the loneliness of being a prophet of the Lord, especially when he is thrown into a deep hole as punishment. It is not surprising that the Lord initially assured him that He would be with him in his trials. Jeremiah learned the cost of being a prophet, and by his suffering learned obedience to God. St. Paul, in his first Letter to the Corinthians, opens up for us the royal way that leads to union with God from where we are: love is the path of sanctity accessible to everyone with the grace of the Lord. It is not enough to know it: one must fully and confidently live it. St. Paul affirms this with extraordinary vigor without love the gifts we have are nothing. Truly, the love, of which St. Paul speaks with such fervor, is not a mere human sentiment but a grace which is a free gift of God for salvation. It has its beginning and end in God Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Who is love. In our gospel passage from Luke, Jesus proclaims that He is the fulfillment of Isaiah s prophecy. The reaction to this revelation of Jesus reflects the disproportion between His appealing discourse and the human condition of one who proclaimed it, Is this not Joseph s son? Such astonishment can be a form of skepticism that demands proofs but will never be satisfied because it is never open to being convinced. The demand for evidence can hide the refusal to be convinced. Jesus came as a sign of contradiction that forces us to choose. Jesus invites us to enter more deeply into the mystery of the love of God and of our neighbor, of the love that surpasses all the others. God bless you, Father Ron Rembrandt, Head of Christ, 1648 Source of Image: Coffee and Conversation on the Corbett Café Join fellow parishioners at the Corbett Café, Apartment 1 of the Chevy Chase Apartments next to the church, every Thursday after the 8 a.m. Mass for coffee and conversation. 2

3 Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament January 31, 2016 Question for the Week Youth Group Who are the people in your life who mean the most to you? How do you show them how important they are to you? (Source: Faith Formation First Eucharist Parent Meeting Thursday, February 4, 7:30 p.m. in the school auditorium. Join us as we review important information about First Eucharist which will be celebrated in May Questions? Contact Rosalie Days: or Poor Box Donations Donations collected during the month of January will benefit the John S. Mulholland Family Foundation, which supports the work of food pantries run by St. Thomas More and St. Francis Xavier parishes in Southeast Washington and Holy Name parish in Northeast Washington. The foundation provides the pantries with canned and packaged food, as well as with fresh poultry, meat, dairy products, and produce. Holy Hour and the ChristLife Program Six parishioners, including members of the Parish Council and our Director of Religious Education, received training in mid-january for the ChristLife program. This opening to the New Evangelization, already active in 40 parishes of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, is endorsed by the Archdiocese of Washington. Blessed Sacrament will host a pilot session for ChristLife in April/May and, if all goes well, adopt the program parish-wide next September. ChristLife is designed for seekers, whether they be regular churchgoers, Catholics who have fallen away from practicing their faith, or people who are hearing the Gospel for the first time. Father Ron believes that openness to a personal encounter with Jesus is essential to ChristLife s flourishing at Blessed Sacrament. He asks parishioners to pray for the program s success at our monthly Holy Hour, which takes place on the first Thursday of each month. The next Holy Hour is 7 to 8 p.m., February 4, in the church. Want to know more about ChristLife? Go to ChristLife.org, or contact Dave Byers (dbyers4@verizon.net) or Ceil Malphrus (ceilmalphrus@verizon.net). Faith in the Marketplace Meeting This Friday The monthly first Friday gathering of men to discover how others live and practice their professions and faith in the marketplace is this Friday, February 5, after the 6:30 a.m. Mass. Friday s speaker is fellow parishioner and Blessed Sacrament School dad Paul Choquette III. Paul has been in the DC area for the past six years and run s Gilbane Building Company s Mid-Atlantic business. He is the first member of his generation (fifth) to become a senior vice president at this very successful family held construction and facilities company that was founded in Paul holds an MBA from Northeastern University, a Bachelor s degree in history from Brown University and is actively involved in several community outreach initiatives including the Trust for the National Mall, DCBIA, AGC, New England Council, and ACE Mentoring. He is one of the younger business leaders in the DC area, and it will be great to hear his take on the intersection of faith, fatherhood, and business leadership. Join the group on February 5 for this important discussion and also discover myriad ways our faith is tested and at work in the marketplace. Newly Baptized Luca Kenneth Livecchi Sunday Readings/Questions For Reflection... from the Faith Formation Commission Jeremiah 1:4-5, 17-19: Obstinate people present themselves to Jeremiah (2nd paragraph) and to Jesus this Sunday. Why do people resist a prophet s profound call to peace and justice? Do you always accept radical messages right away? Prophets incite people to action. Is there some injustice about which you can no longer remain silent? What would you like to rouse people to do? Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6: What is the only thing you take with you when you die? Do you think you can expand your capacity for love by exercising the giving and receiving of love? Do you think that love is the prime mover in all that you do? What about what your country does? Luke 4:21-30: Pope Francis says the stories of Naamăn and Elisha that Jesus mentions are basic to the meaning of humility. In light of these remarks, what would you say is the meaning of humility? Jesus states that no prophet is acceptable in his own country. He then recalls the story of Naamăn the Syrian and the prophet Elisha, recounted in [Sunday s] First Reading, and that of the widow in Sidon with the prophet Elisha. The lepers and widows of that time were marginalized, the Pope emphasized. The widows who lived on public charity had no place in the normal spheres of society, while the lepers had to live outside society, far from the people. Take care because if you do not feel that you are on the margins, you will not be saved! And he added: this is humility, the path of humility: to feel so marginalized that one stands in need of the Lord s salvation for it is he alone who saves and not our observance of the precepts. Observatory Romano s recounting of Pope Francis Mass at Santa Marta, March 24, 2014 (Source: Center for Liturgy at St. Louis University) Please include our sick in your prayers that they may experience healing and comfort Alejandro Arce Annielou Bayly Berman William H. Casson Linda Defendeifer Kevin Duffy Marian Middendorf Barrie & Elizabeth Montague Fredy H. Ortega Daniel Ortman Richard B. Perry Rev. Barbara Schlachter Nelly Turner Violeta Turner Hope Elena Katz-Zogby Find us on Facebook Blessed Sacrament DC 3

4 Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Visit Your Parish Library Short Fiction and More Collected Stories of Wallace Stegner (F A1 S31 C683). Stegner s stories take us to California and Vermont, Saskatchewan, Egypt, France, and elsewhere. One fellowwriter, James Dickey, wrote, Stegner s short fiction is unparalleled for the clarity and depth of its human insights. The stories in this collection will confront you with the contradictions of life for the young and old, friendship and love, the human predicaments set against the order and beauty of the natural world. Those who are familiar with his longer fiction and travel writing will recognize the same mastery of prose in this book. Floating Off the Page: the Best Stories from the Wall Street Journal s Middle Column (F A1 W44 F65). Here s an anthology that will make you laugh through its detached, tongue-in-the-cheek view of contemporary society. One story, And Some Boys Will Stay That Way pulls together vignettes of young men (as opposed to young women) who move back home after college. Another describes the offal truck provided by New York s sanitation department; if you have a water buffalo (or other large animal) as a pet, its disposition after passing away is guaranteed (this account is dated 1972). The book is divided into sections such as Things You Might Not Know, Men at Work and more; it s ideal for reading aloud to your friends. My Mistress s Sparrow is Dead: Great Love Stories from Chekhov to Munro, editor, Jeffrey Eugenides (F A1 E44 M99). Many little-known stories from famous authors beguile us with twists and turns in relationships and different settings. Isaac Babel s First Love tells of a twelve year-old s infatuation in 19th century, Russia; A Rose For Emily by William Faulkner is a macabre tale of a long and disappointed love in the south. The authors include Milan Kundera, James Joyce, William Trevor, and the first Canadian to win the Nobel Prize for literature, Alice Munro. For more short story collections, visit the library or call The Way A Retreat To Attend This Lent Blessed Sacrament Men s Annual Retreat: February Based on the methodology and content of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, this retreat is conducted in an atmosphere of prayerful silence and includes generous amounts of time for prayer, personal reflection, and the cultivation of a deep relationship with God. This year s theme is The Way. Ignatian Spirituality proposes principles and practices to help us walk the path set out by Jesus in the Gospel. Utilizing the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, this year s theme offers guidance in prayer and the fundamentals of discernment. RSVP: lisa.white@loyolaretreat.org or The Adult Center All parishioners, 39 and holding, are invited to gather in Apt. 1 in the Chevy Chase apartment building next to the church for fellowship after the 11 a.m. weekday Mass. Bring a sandwich and join the activities. For more information or for transportation, call Rita Killian at Winter Break Notice Because of the uncertainty of the winter weather and potential safety risks, the Adult Center will be closed the last week of January and the entire month of February. Our usual schedule will resume on Tuesday, March 1. Be warm and safe. Chimes Chatter If the chimes just pealed, and you know it is not on the hour, can you tell what time it is without looking? Imagine that you were passing by the church, or picking up a student at school, and you heard the chimes strike only four notes Photo by Joe Bozik with no other peal. What time is it? you ask. We know the chimes strike some notes every 15 minutes from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day. Possibly, it could be 4 o clock, but it was not striking at the top of the hour. It was instead 15 minutes past the hour, because the first quarterhour sequence strikes only four notes of Holy God We Praise Thy Name. Actually, it could not have been 4 o clock, as there would first have been the full-hour sequence of 17 notes of the hymn, plus four strikes for the 4 o clock hour peal. On another occasion, suppose you counted nine notes that struck, it would be the second quarter-hour sequence, and a 14-count sequence is always the third quarter-hour. So, you see with an awareness of the chimes ringing and counting the number of strikes, you will be able to tell the time of each quarter-hour. Just remember the number of strikes, whether or 17, and you will be able to tell your friends which quarter-hour just struck. What does o clock stand for and how did it come about? To be continued. Chime-in with your story. Contact 1RetroJoe@gmail.com. Did You Know?? Blessed Sacrament s School of Religion and DisAbilities Ministry are looking for catechists to work with children and young adults who have special needs. Training, instruction, and support provided. Contact Emma Voelzke, evoelzke@blessedsacramentdc.org or Michelle Balch, mbalch@blessedsacramentdc.org for additional information. And for more information about Blessed Sacrament s inclusive community, contact Emma Voelzke at evoelzke@blessedsacramentdc.org or

5 Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament January 31, 2016 Blessed Sacrament Pastoral Council and Commissions Reports January 2016 Pastoral Council Besides considering reports from the commissions (see below), the council discussed how well the upcoming ChristLife program will complement and enhance our parish s spiritual life. Six parishioners attended a ChristLife training session in mid-january. An archdiocesan staffer will describe ChristLife to the council in February and answer any questions members may have. Launch of a pilot session is slated for early April. The council also discussed ways of invigorating Blessed Sacrament s new youth ministry program. Finally, it set a tentative date of April 11 for the 2016 Parish Forum, an opportunity for parishioners to learn more about the parish s lay leadership structure and to volunteer with one of our many ministries. Administration Commission Chair Patty Myler reported that the membership of the long-dormant Buildings and Grounds Committee is now complete. The committee is reviewing the 2009 Master Plan for the church and its approaches as a starting point for establishing priorities for repair, maintenance, and enhancement of the physical plant. Fixing water damage to the north wall of the church is the most pressing need; the commission will address this and other important issues as funding becomes available. Patty also serves on Blessed Sacrament School s infrastructure committee to help coordinate work throughout the parish campus. Communications Commission The commission has begun work to update and modernize the parish website. A subcommittee is compiling a list of desiderata for the website, and is researching (1) current website use; (2) other parish websites; and, (3) potential website providers. The goal is preparation of a RFP the parish can use to secure a new contract for site design and maintenance in The commission has also compiled a list of longer-term ideas for enhancing the bulletin and the parish Facebook page, which is approaching 500 likes. It is preparing a set of protocols for the council, the commissions and parish ministries to make their work more visible to the parish community. Finally, work proceeds on a two-minute welcome video for the parish website. Jim Townsend would like to include more photos/ videos, especially those featuring younger parishioners. If you have images to contribute, please send them to jimt@infostrat.com. Community Life Commission A pew card containing information on a wealth of parish ministries is awaiting Father Ron s approval. Meanwhile, Chair Tricia Burke is spearheading an effort to expand the size and scope of the existing Welcoming Committee. Blessed Sacrament receives a steady stream of new members, whether from relocation to the neighborhood, transfer from other parishes, or through the RCIA. If enough volunteers step forward, the Welcoming Committee can shepherd these new arrivals, giving them the support and encouragement they need to find a comfortable place in parish life. Anyone who would like to help out, please contact Tricia at tbgaughan@gmail.com. Faith Formation Commission The Faith Formation Commission has spent the first four months of this academic year exploring a number of appealing faith formation initiatives, determining which would best fit our parish, lining up parishioners to head them up, and taking initial steps on the ones the Parish Council has okayed. Members of the commission are preparing to start a men s faith formation program, That Man Is You, in September. ChristLIfe, a grassroots program for those seeking a closer encounter with Jesus, is also planned for the fall, and the Parish Council will sponsor a pilot session after Easter. There is interest in starting a women s faith formation program, Walking With Purpose, and one for married couples, Teams of Our Lady, but the commission has been unable to identify a parishioner to lead each of them. If you know someone (you?) willing to do so, please contact Chair Milton Grenfell at or grenarch@verizon.net. Meanwhile, our continuing program, Lenten Neighborhood Churches, is set to begin again after Ash Wednesday (February 10). If you would like to form a group it s easy! let Milton know. Outreach Commission The commission continues its research on the 33 ministries in its purview. Co- Chair Steve Malphrus received council approval to feature a description of, and contact information for, particular outreach ministries in the bulletin. The emphasis will be on ministries that are seeking new volunteers to maintain their strength. The commission s research shows that most ministries report they are doing well. However, the council is aware that some outreach ministries face decline as their long-time volunteers retire from service. Many, many good people have contributed time and talents to Blessed Sacrament over the years. Obviously, the health and vitality of parish assistance to people in need depends on the willingness of younger parishioners to take their turn. Worship Commission David Gardiner accepted Father Ron s invitation to assume leadership of the commission. He has held an organizational meeting of ministry heads and is in the process of defining priorities and plans for the rest of the year. Do you sometimes wish you had the time to have a good conversation with your partner? If you are interested in growing and staying close in your relationship, improved communication is the way to go. There is always so much to learn in this area. Consider participating in the Lenten Communication Workshop for Couples Blessed Sacrament Parish is offering on four consecutive Tuesdays: February 16, February 23, March 1, and March 8, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. in the parish center. Strengthening your Sacrament of Matrimony is a worthwhile endeavor to undertake this Lent. The deadline to register has been extended to Friday, February 12. To find out more, contact Jim and Ann Hoffman: / or hoffmanja2@msn.com, or visit and click on the tabs: Ministries/ Faith Formation/Communication Workshop and register online. Find us on Facebook Blessed Sacrament DC 5

6 Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Outreach Christmas Tree Committee Now Accepting Proposals The Christmas Tree Committee is now accepting proposals from local non-profit organizations. Applications must be sponsored by a Blessed Sacrament parishioner, include a specific dollar amount, a detailed description of the program, number of persons to be served, etc. For more information, please refer to the Christmas Tree Guidelines located in the school and parish offices, at the church entrances, or on the parish website. Application deadline is March 31, 2016 at 5 p.m. Questions? Contact Pat Kavanaugh, pkavanaugh@blessedsacramentdc.org, Volunteers Needed for Martha s Table Dinner Program Volunteers are needed to participate in the Martha s Table Dinner Program. Volunteers prepare sloppy joes, green salad, pasta salad, and healthy desserts for low-income senior citizens and others on the second Friday of the month. Each volunteer makes an entree, side or dessert, enough for 25 adults; assignments vary each month. Recipes are provided. To accommodate volunteers busy work schedules, donations can be dropped off the day or night before to a nearby parishioner s house. Contact: Rosemary Collopy: or rosemarycollopy@hotmail.com. Nutritious Food Values From SHARE Blessed Sacrament, the parish food coop, has an array of nutritious winter food items at value prices for February. The February menu will be available at after February 2. Orders may be placed online after that date as well. Ordering deadline is Monday, February 8, at 5 p.m. Food distribution is Friday afternoon, February 19, from 3 to 6 p.m. For more information, leave a message in the Blessed Sacrament SHARE voice mailbox, , or send an to SHARE@blessedsacramentdc.org. Christian Family Movement Ministry A Prayer for Help in Ending Violence In a mass shooting in Minnesota in 2012, seven died, including the shooter. And the wounded suffered: one man, now 66, was hit in the right lung; once an avid runner, now he struggles for air if he runs a half block. He is also haunted by memories: events come rushing back from a sound or a scent (Minneapolis Star Tribune, January 17, 2016). Let us pray: Loving and faithful God, through the years the people of our archdiocese have prayed in times of war, disaster and illness. We come to you Father and ask you to help us in the battle of today against violence, murder and racism. We implore you to give us your wisdom that we may build a community founded on the values of Jesus, which give respect to the life and dignity of all people. Bless parents that they may form their children in faith. Bless and protect our youth that they may be the peacemakers of our time. Give consolation to those who have lost loved ones through violence. Hear our prayer and give us the perseverance to be a voice for life and human dignity in our community. We ask you this through Christ our Lord. From the Archdiocese Young Adults: What Are You Doing This Lent? Why not join other young adults for an Alpha small group? Come for dinner and stay for our engaging speaker and small group discussion. All young adults (college age-thirties) are invited to join Silver Spring Catholics for Alpha to explore the meaning of life in an informal, fun, and friendly environment. The Alpha course consists of a series of talks, with topics including Who is Jesus? and Why and how do I pray? with the option of a weekend away. You don t have to commit to the whole course; just come along for the first session and see what you think. The next Alpha course is begins on Tuesday, February 9, at 7:30 p.m. at St. Michael the Archangel Church in downtown Silver Spring. For more information or to RSVP (so we know how much food to get), contact the YA Silver Spring Catholic community at sscatholics@gmail.com. To learn more about Alpha, visit alphausa.org Scholarship Competition for Eighth Grade Students The Lucinda L. Jasper Scholarship Fund, Inc. (LLJSF) announces the 2016 Scholarship Competition. The LLJSF Competition is open to all eighth grade students attending a Catholic elementary school in the Archdiocese of Washington, Washington, DC, who are attending a Catholic high school in the fall in the Archdiocese of Washington, Washington, DC. Interested students can apply online at Students must complete an application form, write a word essay, provide one teacher recommendation and have the principal submit a school report. Details on the essay submission can be found at Submissions are accepted only online and are due by March 31, For more information, visit or contact Charmene Alston, Director of Applications, at , or send an to lljsf@aol.com. From The Community Christian Unity Service: Sunday, January 31, 3 p.m. Area Christian congregations will join together in a commemoration of the worldwide Week of Prayer for Christian Unity at Saint Elizabeth Catholic Church, 917 Montrose Road, Rockville. Homilist: Rev. Kathryn Woodrow, Pastor of Faith United Methodist Church, Rockville. Special music: combined choirs of the participating churches and the Trinity Lutheran Handbell Choir. Freewill offering will benefit Mid-County United Ministries. Reception and fellowship will follow the service. Info: jfweiss@ymail.com. Journalist Georgetown: Media, Faith, Public Life Join the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life for a Salt and Light Gathering on Covering Religion and Politics: Lessons from Pope Francis Visit and for the 2016 Campaign on Tuesday, February 2, at 6:30 p.m. at the Georgetown University School of Continuing Studies. The day after the Iowa caucuses, three journalists will discuss their experiences at the intersection of media, faith and public life, including Elizabeth Dias of Time, Kirsten Powers of USA Today and Fox News, and Luke Russert of NBC News. John Carr, Director of the Initiative, will open the session; Angela Miller McGraw, Program Director of the Initiative, will moderate. For more info or to RSVP: cathosocialthought@georgetown.edu. Sponsor of the Week We would like to thank Dennis M. Kehoe for placing an ad in our weekly bulletin. 6