Pastoral Care

Clergy are available by phone and email for spiritual care as needed. If you want to set up an appointment, please find clergy contact information below. You can find the website Pastoral Care page here.



• Fr. George - 703-801-9911 (cell phone), gkokhno@gmail.com
• Fr. Valery - 202-441-0026 (cell phone), shemchukv@gmail.com

End of Calendar Year Statements

If you need a statement of your 2024 calendar year contributions for tax purposes, please email the cathedral office.

Pledging for 2025

Gentle Reminder: Your 2025 pledge must be received in the office by January 13, 2025 in order to vote at our coming annual meeting

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matt. 6:21)

At St. Nicholas Cathedral, our 2025 stewardship and pledge campaign is underway. The Cathedral is grateful for your generous and loving support, and we are asking again for that support. 

Pledges make it possible for our Parish Council to set a budget and for our parish to finance ongoing ministries, services and necessary renovation projects.

To pledge for 2025, please complete the pledge form you received in the mail and return it to the Cathedral office or to the candle counter by this upcoming Monday, January 13. This form is also available on our website.

Given the upcoming deadline, the fastest option is to use the button below to fill out your pledge form online.

St. Nicholas Cathedral is blessed with talented parishioners who have organized and participate in activities and initiatives that enrich the life of our parish and community. We are grateful to all who are working to ensure that our Cathedral remains a center of Orthodoxy and spirituality. Please take a few minutes to indicate those areas you may be interested in serving on the pledge form.

We thank God for His goodness and His blessings upon us, and we continue to pray for all. Thank you again for your continued support.

With love in Christ,

Fr. George

Fr. Valery

Glenn Hartman, President

Will Baumgardner, Chair, Stewardship Committee

Pennies For Alaska - Canisters Available

Pennies For Alaska canisters are available for pickup at the candle counter. In addition to the two on the counter, there are six empty canisters freed up from 2024. Please ask for one from the candle counter assistant to start your 2025 collection of coins. Donations of coins may also be submitted in "zip" baggies or non-glass containers. You may donate by check payable to St. Nicholas Cathedral with memo line: Pennies For Alaska. The year 2024 has probably been a record for the number of submissions made by our parishioners. Some monthly collection totals were not high, but at the end of the year so many donations came in proving that this Alaska project is still remembered. Grateful thanks for your interest and support.

Urgent Request for Humanitarian Aid to Ukraine

Dear brothers and sisters,

As you know, Russia continues its massive attacks on Ukraine, leaving hundreds of injured and dead and many thousands without heat and electricity. We have several urgent requests for tourniquets, compression bandages, chest seals and hand/foot warmers. Please consider gifting life-saving medications this holiday season. Your contribution will make a big difference.

Support Group for Parents of Children 3 Years Old and Younger

The main purpose of the group:

• fellowship
• navigating challenges of parenthood and sharing experiences, tips and resources. 
• joined lunches, outings and fun activities
• strengthening in joint prayer 

Please email Anastasia Bianco for more detail or call her at 703-627-2163.

Please Consider Helping - Update

After suffering a series of medical setbacks, our own James Stowell has been forced into medical retirement, leaving him and his wife Victoria as a single-income household. Victoria has had to carry the fullness of their financial burden.

Please read James' update below, and consider visiting the below GoFundMe page to help the Stowells, who have given so much to St. Nicholas through their work at the candle counter and the gift corner, among other activities, by relieving some of the financial strain off of Victoria. It would be such a tremendous blessing to them, and they thank you so much for your consideration.

Update of 12/29/24

Thank you all for your blessed gifts. Victoria and I wish to update you on where we are in regards to the first surgery. Praise God, we no longer need to go to California for the surgery. After an extensive battery of testing, the first Transmastoid surgery on the right inner ear will be performed by Dr. David Eisenmann at the University of Maryland Medical Center in downtown Baltimore on January 22, 2025.

Thanks to your generosity and love, we have been able to cover all the testing, as well as other medical visits. Next up are the Pre-Op visits and labwork in the next week.

Likewise, due to the rough recovery ahead as my brain gets accustomed to not having the function of the vestibular activity of the right Superior Semicircular Canal, we have been able to purchase necessary medical equipment to assist with the recovery.

Thank you immensely for your love and prayers as we travel this unique and difficult journey.

James & Victoria Stowell

OCMC Agape Canister

The Orthodox Christian Mission Center Canister at the candle counter brought in $41.00 in December 2024!  Funds from the canister project this month are used to sustain growing churches, to share the Gospel around the world. Thank you for your generosity! 

OCMC Executive Director Search

The Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) is seeking candidates for the role of Executive Director, in anticipation of Father Martin Ritsi’s upcoming retirement.  We are hoping that many Orthodox individuals will be inspired to respond to this opportunity. Here’s how you can help:  Apply: After reviewing the job description, if you are qualified and called to lead, please apply today.  Recommend: If you know someone perfect for the role, please send your recommendations to the Search Committee and forward the job description to that person.  Share this information within your networks to help us reach other Orthodox leaders who might be able to identify interested candidates.  Applications and recommendations can be sent to the Search Committee (led by John Colis). All communications are confidential.  

Save the Date - OCMC Missions Awareness Dinner 

On Saturday, February 22, 2025, at SS Peter and Paul Antiochian Orthodox Church in Potomac, MD, "Agents of Change for the Kingdom of God”, featuring Fr. Thomas Manuel, former Orthodox Christian Mission Center missionary to Guatemala and a Zoom presentation by multi-country Missionary Dana Bates in Africa, who works with youth education. Cost: $45 for adults over 25, $25 for those younger.

Archdiocesan Choir Workshop Open to All

When: Saturday, January 18, 9AM-12PM

Where: St. Mark Church, Bethesda, MD

Join us for our next training session, where we will take an in depth look at the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy. This three-hour workshop aims to provide both choir directors and singers with resources to better prepare for the visit of a bishop, and to increase understanding of the many complexities that can so often seem overwhelming for singers. Participants will examine videos, explore a variety of musical settings, review rubrics, and discuss common challenges encountered through the liturgy. This workshop is open to anyone who is interested, not just Archdiocesan Choir members!

Winter Teen Retreat

When: Friday, January 31 - Sunday, February 2, 2025

Where: Refreshing Mountain, 455 Camp Rd, Stevens, PA

The Diocese of Eastern Pennsylvania (DOEP) is holding a Winter Teen Retreat. Full or partial scholarships will be available to cover the fee of $200 per child.  

Any interested parents should follow up with Jake Toroney. 

Ancient Faith Singles Retreat 30+

When: Thursday, February 20 - Sunday, February 23, 2025

Where: Antiochian Village, 140 Church Camp Trail, Bolivar PA

The Ancient Faith Singles Retreat 30+ is a gathering of Orthodox Christians who are at least 30 years of age, unmarried (single, divorced, widowed), and living in the world. The weekend will include daily matins and vespers, as well as Sunday Divine Liturgy. The group will participate in interactive, leader-led discussion sessions, opportunities for community service, games, social activities, and free time for relaxation and fellowship.

Appalachia Service Project

When: June 22 - 28, 2025

With Holy Apostles Church in Dulles, VA and St. George Church in Bethesda, MD. This is an opportunity for adults and teens to participate in a service project in Appalachia. ASP is a Christian organization which repairs homes in the poorest areas of the Appalachia regions of VA, WV, TN, NC and KY.

Teams of nine people will be set up, each including two adults and seven teens (the teens must have completed 8th grade.) Once you register you will be assigned a team. The cost is $375 per person which goes to ASP; each church must raise additional funds to cover transportation, meals, and housing costs. Contact Athena Kaiser to sign up for the Appalachia service project.