Church of the Holy Comforter eNews | April 25, 2025

This email might be clipped, excluding some content.

If [Message clipped] appears at the bottom of your screen, click "View entire message."

SOLAR PROJECT UPDATE: The above chart shows solar production for the entire month of March. The fluctuations are mainly based on cloudy/rainy days. On the sunniest day (Mar. 27) we produced .876 megawatt. There were also some issues at the beginning of the month that were resolved after March 9.

ALL ARE WELCOME

Hogwarts VBS Preview: Diagon Alley

This Sunday, April 27; 11 a.m.–Noon

Everyone is invited to the narthex for this special event! Parents need to escort their children (it is not a drop-off event) and should report to the registration table to pick up a passport before they start. After visiting all stations, those presenting completed passports will receive a special prize! This will be your opportunity to make a wand, meet a few professors, watch and/or play a Quidditch match, and sample some Hogwarts favorites including butter beer and a surprise food item for you to taste and vote on whether it should be included in our VBS snack rotation this year.

DON'T MISS THE FUN!

REGISTER TODAY!

Hogwarts VBS

June 23–27

A week-long Christian-based summer camp for parish children and the greater community, this year our curriculum will be loosely based upon the sixth book, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. Learn more.

Organ Recital

This Sunday, Apr. 27; 4 p.m.; Sanctuary

Kalan Warusa, 15-year-old organ student of David Boulware-Kelley, will present a recital of extraordinary organ music on Holy Comforter’s four-manual Walker organ. This free recital will include works by Bach and Thierry Escaich, and feature Franck’s monumental Three Chorales. If you attend only one music event at Holy Comforter this year, make it this one, presented by an exceptionally talented youth!

PENNYWISE Thrift Shop

at 214 Dominion Road, NE, Vienna, VA

We recently received a very large donation of puzzles. They are all complete and range in size from 350 to 1000 piece. Hurry in for the best selection! PLUS our children's book shelves are stocked with an assortment of books for all ages. Interested in arts and crafts or sewing and knitting? Come spend some time in our Library and Craft Corner.

Pennywise is always looking for volunteers to work in the back room or front desk or to help pack orders, bring donations to the back room, or generally help keep the shop in order during our busy times. No training necessary—just a desire to be part of this wonderful ministry. Interested? Contact Jim Peterson.

Enrollment Open for Holy Comforter Episcopal Preschool & Kindergarten 2025–26 Year

We still have a few open spots in our 2s, 3s, and Pre-K classes. Please email Danielle Lacroix or call 703-938-3704 to set up a tour. For three decades, we've been dedicated to nurturing young minds and igniting a lifelong passion for learning. We are excited to give you a tour of our school so you can see first hand!  

Annual Men's Spring Retreat

May 2–4 at Shrine Mont

The cost this year is $200 for double occupancy; $275 for a single. Please contact Randy McGuire or Dan Harris for more information.

FACETS Outreach

The Holy Comforter FACETS Team continues to need volunteers (youth and adults) to assist in cooking and delivering meals. The time commitment is once per month for about 1.5 hours. The next volunteer opportunity is Sunday, May 11. Please contact Thyra Parcell or sign up online HERE to volunteer. Please continue to donate warm coats socks, hats, and gloves, in preparation for next month’s delivery and to replenish our inventory for next winter. Gloves, hats, and socks can be placed in the box located in the narthex. Coats can be placed next to the box.

Body Wisdom Yoga Spring Session

Thursdays thru May 29; 11 a.m.–Noon; Community Hall

Join us for our spring session of this yoga class for seniors. Dress comfortably and bring a blanket and a yoga mat if you have one. Please enter the building using the lower level door near the Church Office. It’s accessible from the back/side of the building, and will be opened for you when you press the door buzzer. Our instructor is Pamela Rosenthal. Please contact her with any questions, and to let her know that you would like to join the class.

Support for Life Transitions

Thursdays thru May 8; and Sunday, May 18; 7 p.m.; Zoom

Are you a federal worker? Are you going through a Life Transition? Griefs, losses, job changes, uncertainty, or other situations that are challenging? You are invited to join us on Zoom as Alexandra MacCracken offers Christ-centered Gestalt Soul Care coaching support for parishioners in these challenging times.

Interested? Please reach out to Alexandra MacCracken for the Zoom link.

REGISTER ONLINR

Parables of God’s Loving Care: the Books of Jonah and Ruth

Thursdays thru May 22; 7:15–8:30 p.m.; Zoom

Please join Anna Wallich Th.M. for this five-week study. Written after the Jewish people had been living in exile in Babylon, these two very different stories reveal God’s love for all people through the ways in which the characters respond to God’s call. Registration is required HERE. Those registered will receive the Zoom link.

A Concert by Duo Pianists Nikita Fitenko and Katerina Zaitseva

Sunday, May 4; 4 p.m.

The Holy Comforter Concert Series will conclude its 2024–25 season with a performance by the husband-and-wife two-piano team of Nikita Fitenko and Katerina Zaitseva. Their program will include Saint-Saëns’s Carnival of the Animals, Rachmaninoff’s Suite No. 1, and selections from Gershwin’s opera Porgy and Bess. Admission to the concert is free, with donations requested to support the church’s music program. Learn more.

The Way Back to You: Finding Your True Self with the Enneagram

Four Tuesdays, May 6, 13, 20, and 27; 7–8:15 p.m.; Zoom

Parishioner Julie Nutter is offering a follow-on class on the Enneagram for those who either attended last summer's Enneagram series, or those who didn't attend but have knowledge of the Enneagram and have firmly identified their Enneagram number. We'll explore how to use a deeper knowledge of Enneagram tools to move beyond personality and toward the self God meant us to be. Register HERE to receive the Zoom link. Questions? Contact Julie Nutter.

Sunday Forum: Pilgrimage to Iona  

May 11; 11:15–Noon; Community Hall 

The lovely Isle of Iona, just 3 miles long and 1 mile wide, has been a sacred place since St. Columba arrived in the 6th century. A magnificent Abbey and a Nunnery were later established on this site, and over the years people from all over the world have come on pilgrimages—including most recently 15 women from Holy Comforter. Come enjoy the photos and stories that some of these modern day pilgrims have to share!

Document Shredding & Recycling, PLUS Junk Removal

Saturday, May 17; 9 a.m.–Noon; Church Parking Lot

Bring up to 2 boxes of documents per family to be shredded and recycled. Rover Records Management will securely shred documents of all types—staples and paper clips are okay. We’ll also be collecting prescription eyeglasses for the Fairfax Lions Club as well as used bath towels for Lost Dog and Cat Rescue. The Lions Eyeglass Recycling Center of Northern Virginia Center recycles used eyeglasses and provides them to optical missions sponsored by Lions clubs. See a list of additional donations accepted by the Lost Dog and Cat Rescue HERE.

BONUS! Even if you don't need shredding, 123 Junk will be on site to safely take away your junk!