Volume 4 Issue 5 S t. J u d e S y r o - M a l a b a r C h u r c h O f N o r t h e r n V i r g i n i a Page 1 St. Andrew s Lutheran Church, 14640 Soucy Place, Centerville, VA-20120 Weekly Mass: Sundays at 3:00 PM Sunday School: Sundays at 1:50 PM INSIDE THIS ISSUE Message from Fr. Tijo Mullakkara Bible Quiz 2 Couples Retreat 3 Forthcoming Events 4 Do You Know 4 Account Information 5 Looking For Ways To Contribute Parish Council Contacts Prayer Meeting Schedule Marriage Preparation Course Schedule Announcements 7 Sunday Readings 7 Mission Director: Fr.Tijo Mullakkara (267 346 3026) Trustees: Antoney Kalikka (703 573 3128) Rajesh Alex (703 652 4295) Rony Thomas (571 261 9221) 1 5 6 6 6 MESSAGE FROM MISSION DIRECTOR Dear Saint Jude Family, Life goes so quickly that a year passed since I took charge as the parish priest at Saint Jude s. Blessed Mother always came to my mind at moments when I needed to fight against evil, when I needed to remember great wisdoms and keep a hope that sometimes falters. It is a witness I should tell you that I experience the great support and love of our dearly beloved Blessed Mother. May I dedicate Saint Jude s to her care. May I also thank you so much for everything you have been to me. Saint Jude s will always remain in my daily prayers to the Lord at His altar. During May, let us offer Blessed Mother the honor and praise she deserves by praying Rosary and Vanakamasam. Both are meditations on the mystery of our Lord Jesus, on how Our Lord blessed our Mother Mary and how perfectly well our Mother responded to the Grace of God. These meditative prayers are our tradition which cements the koinonia (unity and bond) among the family members and Blessed Mother. Our tendency is to skip Rosary and Vanakkamasam, justifying it with so many reasons; especially saying that God doesn t care whether I pray Vanakkamsam and Rosary. God understands that I am busy with so many duties. I am fine without praying. I would lose nothing even if I don t seriously pray those etc etc. The origin of these thoughts and justification are not from God. It is the evil or Satan who brings this into a human soul inflicting great harm to the soul, without us realizing it. We are losing a great deal of blessings and virtues by avoiding our daily family prayers. It is blessed Mother who without committing any sin (as angel Gabriel addressed her: Hail, Full of Grace ), crushed the head of Satan under her foot. Those who go to her are safe to reach our Lord Jesus. Satan runs away out of fear when we are praying with Blessed Mother. We are planning to pray Vanakkamasa Kalam koodal on May 31 st, Friday. Our Little children are receiving the sacraments of Confirmation and Most Holy Communion on June 2 nd 1.30pm at Saint Veronica Catholic Church. Bishop Mar Jacob is visiting us for the same. What a joyful occasion it is for our children and for each one of us! Please keep them in our prayers. It s not coincidental that our little ones are receiving the Body and Blood of our Lord at the feast day of Corpus Christi. There are also some of our children receiving Communion in other churches too. I dedicate all the little ones to the care of Blessed Mother. May she prepare them as she prepared our Lord Jesus for His salvific ministry. Wishing all of you a blessed season of Vanakkamasam and may our dear Lord bless you abundantly Sincerely yours in the Resurrected Lord, Tijoachan Our Vision is to create a vibrant Syro-Malabar community that nurtures spiritual growth, celebrates the sacraments, and fosters community ties and leadership
Volume 4 Issue 5 S t. J u d e S y r o - M a l a b a r C h u r c h O f N o r t h e r n V i r g i n i a Page 2 Bible Quiz May 2013 (Based on Leviticus Chapters 21-27) Please email your answers to sfelixus@gmail.com. The last date for submitting answers is 28 May 2013 1. Which year is considered to be the jubilee year? 2. An unblemished female from a herd can be offered as a sacrifice to Yahweh - True or False? 3. A old unblemished lamb and the first of harvest need to be offered to Yahwah when they enter the country God provided them 4. Which part of the bull needs to be washed in water? 5. What is the minimum age of a kid or calf or lamb that could be offered as a sacrifice? 6. Which part of the bird should be thrown on the eastern side of the altar? 7. What oil is needed to burn the lamp in the Tent of the meeting? 8. Anyone in Aaron's line of descendants who is unclean must not eat until he is clean 9. When is the day of expiation? 10. Who besides from the priest or his family can partake in the holy food? 11. Name the day and month when the passover is observed? 12. When can a blemished (under developed or deformed) animal be offered for a sacrifice? 13. Fill in the series: 15 shekels, 55 shekels,, 5 shekels 14. Who was the daughter of Dibri of the tribe of Dan? 15. On which year should the land used for cultivation have a sabbatical rest? 16. When a person eats he contracts uncleanliness from it 17. On which side of the altar should the lamb be slaughtered? 18. The yield of the 6th year's produce would be good enough for how many years? 19. What is observed on the fifteenth day of the first month? 20. If the man who has vowed his house wishes to redeem it, he will add to the valuation, and it will revert to him.
Volume 4 Issue 5 S t. J u d e S y r o - M a l a b a r C h u r c h O f N o r t h e r n V i r g i n i a Page 3 Couples Retreat (April 6th, 7th, 13th & 14th) The couples retreat conducted during the weekends of April 6th and 13th was a wonderful experience for the many couples who attended from our church. The program was led by Dr. Manoj from Hershey, PA. Dr. Manoj who is also a practicing gastroenterologist and a professor at the Penn State University, has many years of experience in the catholic lay ministry and is a renowned preacher. Sr. Daffini and Sr. Betsy, both of whom are gifted servants of god, flew down from Texas to join us during the second weekend. Many topics of great significance in our daily family life were covered during the retreat and many of us were made aware, probably for the first time, about the catholic church's perspective on many such matters. The retreat started by examining the importance of a full 'consent' in constituting a real marriage. Dr. Manoj explained on what is really meant by consent and the decisive role that it plays in making a marital life successful. Other topics of discussion were - the very purpose of the existence of man, the complimentary functions of man and woman, psychological differences in man and woman, area of sexual relations, sexual morality, money management in families, parenting etc. Dr. Manoj suggested few books to the group, which will give further insights into many of these subjects. Some of those books are 'The Catholic Catechism', 'The Joy of committed love' by Gary Smalley, 'Love and Respect' by Emerson, and 'Theology of the Body' by Pope John Paul II. On both the Saturdays the program ended with Mass and adoration at the Corpus Christi center. On Sundays, the sessions were followed by the usual Sunday mass at the church. The most powerful experience of the whole retreat, as told by many who attended, was the adoration held on the last Saturday and the renewal of marriage vows by the couples - this time after being completely aware of the joy and sacrifices involved in a married life. On the whole the retreat was a truly revealing experience for many of us, as we got to know how wonderful the teachings of our own church are about leading a faith based Christian family life!" Announcement: Annual Sunday School Competitions - 2013 The Annual Sunday School Competitions for 2013, is scheduled for the following Sundays: June 23rd, June 30th and July 14th. All the St. Jude's Sunday School students are eligible to participate. Registration started last Sunday and is still in progress. Registration Fee - $10 / Child. $15 / Family. Registration End Date - June 9th. Late Registration Fee - $15 / child. Please reach out to the below program co-coordinators to register for the competition. Nissy Varghese : varg_baby@yahoo.com Starina Jose : starmd22@yahoo.com Meera Paul : paul.shajan@gmail.com
Volume 4 Issue 5 S t. J u d e S y r o - M a l a b a r C h u r c h O f N o r t h e r n V i r g i n i a Page 4 Forthcoming Events Date Time Event Venue 12-May 24-May to 27-May 31-May 02-June 16-June 23-June 30-June 14-July 03-July Mother s Day Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference (MAC) for Youth Vanakka Maasam Kalam Koodal First Holy Communion and Holy Confirmation. Pastoral visit of Mar Jacob Angadiath Father s Day Sunday School Competitions St.Thomas Day Mt. Aetna Retreat Center - 21905 Mt. Aetna Rd. Hagerstown, MD 21742 St.Veronica Church, 3460 Centreville Road, Chantilly, VA 20151 26-July 28-July 27-July Shalom Festival Langley High School, 6520 Georgetown Pike McLean, VA 22101 10-Aug 12-Aug to 16-Aug 18-Aug 07-Sept 08- Sept 27-Oct Parish Picnic Vacation Bible School (VBS) for kids aged 5 and above Feast of Assumption and India Independence day Visit of Major Archbishop Cardinal Mar George Alencherry St.Jude Feast Do You Know that... 1. The Syro-Malabar church is one of the 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in the Catholic Church. It is also the largest of the Saint Thomas Christian denominations with around 3.8 million followers and the second largest Eastern Catholic Church after the Ukranian Catholic Church. 2. St. Thomas Christians (Nasranis) got their own dioceses in 1887 and came to be known as the Syro Malabar Catholics from that point on to distinguish them from the other rites. Saint's corner for Kids - Saint Francis Xavier What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet lose their soul? was the question posed to Francis Xavier by his good friend Ignatius Layola. This was the same question Jesus asked his disciples (Mathew 16 :26). This simple question changed Francis s life forever. Francis Xavier was born on April 7th 1506 in Spain in a rich and noble family. He received a good education and was studying in Paris University when this question was asked to him and he found the right answer. He and Ignatius Layola gave up everything, founded the Society of Jesus and became Missionaries for Jesus. They made vows of poverty, chastity and obedience and traveled to the farthest corners of the world to proclaim Jesus. He also came to India and spent considerable time in the state of Goa spreading God s word. We owe our faith to courageous saints like Francis Xavier, who understood what it is to be a Catholic and traveled to any lengths to share their love of God. When situations arise in our lives, where we have to choose between our soul and the world, let Jesus help us to make the right decision.
Volume 4 Issue 5 S t. J u d e S y r o - M a l a b a r C h u r c h O f N o r t h e r n V i r g i n i a Page 5 Account Information Church Collection April Offertory 868.00 Donation & Contribution 732.00 Land & Building Fund 116.00 Kids Ministry 167.00 CCD 470.00 Thirippanam 235.00 Church Bulletin Advertisement 150.00 Total 2738.00 Faith Direct Offertory 3379.00 Land & Building 2441.00 Total 5820.00 Grand Total 8558.00 Thank you everyone for your generosity. We would recommend every one in our parish community to join Faith Direct. Our target is to have at least 80 members enrolled in Faith Direct by the end of this month. We currently have 67 parishioners enrolled in Faith Direct. How to join Faith Direct : Those who have not registered with Faith Direct so far, please visit www.faithdirect.net to sign up today. Our parish code is VA492. Faith Direct enables us to make our church contributions to directly debit from your checking account. A weekly offering of $25 is recommended towards Land & Building fund. Looking For Ways To Contribute? Mass Intentions: For all Mass intentions, please contact Fr. Tijo Mullakara (267 346 3026) Donations: If you wish to donate to church, please contact the Mission Director, Trustees or Council members. Your contributions are greatly appreciated and would be used towards introducing new activities or improving existing activities for kids, youth, choir etc. In addition we are always in need of volunteers especially in the areas highlighted below: Altar Service: The church is seeking volunteers for altar service. If you are interested in becoming an Altar Server, please contact Mr. Sergin John (703 395 2469) for further information. Lectors: If you would like to read at Sunday Mass, please contact Mrs. Rincy Jimmy (703 437 5396) Music Ministry: Do you love to sing? Come; get acquainted with a great group of adults and kids. Have some fun! No prior experience required. Please contact Mr. Alex Jacob (410 603 2911) for further information. Catechism Classes: If you wish to enroll your child or volunteer for teaching, please contact Mr. Tomy Paul (703 470 0708) Fellowship and Refreshments: To sponsor refreshments for our community, please contact Mr. Sathian Pinchappan (201 257 7170) Parish Bulletin: If you wish to contribute to our parish bulletin by way of articles, stories, or reflections, please contact Mrs. Asha Tony (703 893 0203) Advertising in the Parish Bulletin: For advertising space in the parish bulletin, contact Mr. Charles Thomas (703 599 6748)
Volume 4 Issue 5 S t. J u d e S y r o - M a l a b a r C h u r c h O f N o r t h e r n V i r g i n i a Page 6 2013 PARISH COUNCIL Fr. Tijo Mullakkara 267 346 3026 Marriage Preparation Course Schedule Antoney Kalikka 703 573 3128 Rony Thomas 571 261 9221 Rajesh Alex 703 652 4295 Sujith Abraham 703 310 9985 Jilson Joseph 703 599 6748 May 10-12, 2013 Oct 11-13, 2013 Dallas, TX Chicago Cathedral Fr Sebastian Kaniampadickal 708-268-3919 jojiachan@gmail.com Fr Joy Alapatt 201-951-1701 joyalapat@gmail.com Regi Alexander 703 636 1995 Paul Pottanat 703 790 1933 Saju Thomas 703 659 0874 Tomy Paul 703 470 0708 Sergin John 703 395 2469 Sajith Thoppil 571 261 9221 Reetha Shaju 571 926 1042 Jomy Methipara 847 989 8233 Sathian Pinchappan 201 257 7170 Alex Jacob 410 603 2911 Asha Tony 703 893 0203 Jereesh Jose 703 477 3207 Sony Kuruvila 510 461 0790 Joseph Thottamadam 703 322 1424 Jeril Philip 571 246 0670 Jose Punchayil 301 448 2092 Binochan Pavu 703 286 7586 Jojy Pallickal 240 750 7652 Merlin Jaison 703 220 6240 Pushpa Jose 571 499 2131 Felix Simon 703 342 9242 Amit Antony 703 971 4394 Arun Joe Zachariah 703 893 0575 Family Units Meeting Schedule 1st Saturday - St.Alphonsa Ward (Gainesville) and St. Thomas Ward (Centreville) 2nd Saturday 7:30pm - St. Antony ward (Herndon 1) St. Joseph ward (Herndon 2) 2nd Saturday 5:00pm - Perpetual Help ward (Tysons 1) and St. Sebastian (Tysons2) 3rd Saturday - St. George ward (Woodbridge) and St. Mary's ward (Alexandria, Arlington) 4th Saturday 5pm- Little flower ward (Chantilly) and Sacred Heart ward (Fairfax) 4th Saturday 8pm- St. Aloysious ward (Ashburn and Leesburg ) 3rd Sunday - All Saints ward (South Riding and Aldie) English Mass and Youth Meeting There will be mass in English every month lead by the youth and also a youth meeting. For more information please contact Jomy Methipara (847 989 8233) SPECIAL OFFICES Johnson Myalil 703 464 0831 Sojan Alex 703 281 1020 MINISTRIES Joseph Jacob 703 322 1424 Rincy Jimmy 703 437 5396 St. Vincent De Paul s Helping Hands St. Jude church s charity wing, St. Vincent De Paul s Helping Hands is always looking for outstanding ideas for charity. Please forward your ideas to sherly1810@gmail.com
Volume 4 Issue 5 S t. J u d e S y r o - M a l a b a r C h u r c h O f N o r t h e r n V i r g i n i a Page 7 Sunday Readings May 05, 2013 First Reading : Is 52:7-12 Second Reading : Act 10:9-16 Gospel : Jn 17:20-26 May 12, 2013 First Reading : Is 6:1-13 Second Reading : Act 1:15-26 Gospel : Mk 16:9-20 May 19, 2013 First Reading : Ex 19:1-9 Second Reading : Act 2:1-12 Gospel : Jn 16:5-15 May 26, 2013 First Reading : Joel 2:18-23 Second Reading : Act 4:5-12 Gospel : Lk 7:36-50 Editorial Board Asha Tony 703-893-0203 Shyla Joseph 703-880-8274 Rajesh Joy 703-543-5955 Blessy Sebastian 571-261-9221 Deepa Sergin 703-395-2469 New To Parish? We extend a warm welcome to all our new members! Please contact trustees or any council member if you have any questions. Do also reach out to them to understand how to get involved and become active members in the parish. To become a member of our St. Jude Church please complete the registration form and submit it to Fr. Tijo Mullakara personally or email it to frtijojoy@gmail.com. The registration forms are available at our church or can be downloaded from our church website: www.stjudenva.com Friday Mass and Confession Friday Mass: Corpus Christi - 43130, Amberwood Plaza, Suite 150, South Riding 20152. Mass is scheduled for every Friday at 7:30 pm. Confession : Every Friday 8:15 pm after the Mass Special Thanks to: Dr. Manoj, Rev.Sr. Daffini and Rev.Sr. Betsy for spending their valuable time with us by conducting the spiritual retreat for couples. St. George ward members for organizing the St.George feast day on April 21st. Church Setup and Refreshments Going forward the bible readings and Carosoosa during Qurbana will be done by the designated ward. Rincy (703 437 5396) and Sergin (703 395 2469) would be the respective coordinators. Kindly note that coffee preparation and refreshment setup along with the church setup need to be done by the assigned ward. Please contact either Sathian Pinchappan (201 257 7170) or your ward representative for more details. Church Setup Help Schedule Baiju Thomas 703-473-6341 Sismi Menachery 703-971-4394 Charles Thomas 703-599-6748 Felix Simon 703 342 9242 The deadline for submitting articles and announcements for June 2013 Bulletin is 23 May 2013. If you have questions, please contact Mrs. Asha Tony (703-893-0203). A big Thank You to all the contributors for this month. May 2013 Bulletin edited by Felix Simon Ward Name City Month All Saints Southriding/Aldie February 2013/ September 2013 St.Antony/ St.Joseph Herndon1/Herndon2 March 2013/ October 2013 St.Aloysius Ashburn/Leesburg April 2013/ November 2013 LittleFlower/ St.George Perpetual Help/ St.Sebastian Sacred Heart / St.Thomas / St.Mary St.Alphonsa Chantilly/ Woodbridge May 2013/ December 2013 Tyson's / Vienna / Falls Church Fairfax / Centreville / Alexandria Gainesville/Bristow/ Manassas June 2013/ January 2014 July 2013/ February 2014 August 2013/ March 2014
Volume 4 Issue 5 St. Jude Syro-Malabar Babu & Shimmy Palackavayalill Church Of Northern Virginia Page 8