On Sunday, November 9, 2025, the children participated in our annual St. Michael's party, by dressing as saints and angels. The St. Michael's Party also coincided with the parish Thanksgiving meal with the traditional foods and fixings. Many thanks to all who made this year's St. Michael's Party and Thanksgiving meal such a great success!

On Sunday, November 9, 2025, we bid farewell to Vera Yevsukov, who is taking leave of our parish. Vera has served Christ the Savior in numerous capacities over the years and will be sorely missed not just for her labors and dedication to the church but even more so for her presence in the parish family. May the God bless her with health, strength, salvation, a furtherance in every good thing and many blessed years!

On Sunday, November 9, 2025, we were pleased to welcome Zhanna Guite into the catechumenate during the Divine Liturgy. We humbly ask the Lord's continued blessing upon her as she prepares herself for sacramental reception into the Orthodox Church!

On Sunday, November 2, 2025, Christ the Savior Orthodox Church held a Special Parish Meeting following the Divine Liturgy. The Long-Term Planning Committee presented updates on the new temple project, highlighting parish growth, architectural plans by CJK Design, and progress in fundraising exceeding $220,000. Parishioners heard insights from other successful building efforts and reflected on the importance of faith, unity, and generosity as the community works together to realize its vision for a new church.

On Sunday, November 2, 2025, prayers were offered at the end of the Divine Liturgy for those in the healing ministries. We ask the Lord's continued blessings upon all those who work with Him in the healing of mankind's physical, emotional, and spiritual wounds and illnesses. May the Lord grant them many blessed years of faithful service to Him and their fellow man!

On Sunday, November 2, 2025, we were pleased to welcome Nicholas Muir into the catechumenate during the Divine Liturgy. We humbly ask the Lord's continued blessing upon him as he prepares himself for sacramental reception into the Orthodox Church!

On Sunday, October 19, 2025, during the Divine Liturgy, we celebrated the baptisms of Thomas and Joseph Scruggs, sons of Kateri and Stephen Parrish, and godsons of William Parrish Jr, Cecilia Wyant, and Laurie Morsey. We offer our congratulations to them all, their families and their sponsors. May God grant them health, strength, salvation, and many blessed years!

On Sunday, October 12, 2025, we were pleased to welcome Stephen and Cassidy Barr as well as Angela Moore into the catechumenate during the Divine Liturgy. We humbly ask the Lord's continued blessing upon them as they prepare themselves for sacramental reception into the Orthodox Church!

On Sunday, October 5, 2025, we congratulated Archpriest Joseph Oleynik on his 75th birthday (celebrated on October 4) with a birthday party during the fellowship hour after the Divine Liturgy. We humbly ask the Lord God Almighty to bless him with many more years of health, strength, and salvation!

On Sunday, October 5, 2025, at the end of the Divine Liturgy there was special blessing for the choir director, Alexis Oleynik, choir members, and readers. This blessing takes place annually on the Sunday closest to the feast of St. Romanus the Melodist (October 1st). We ask that Lord's divine blessing upon them all so that they might continue to worthily fulfill this vital ministry.

On Sunday, September 21, 2025, during the Divine Liturgy, we celebrated the baptisms of Maya Mihaela Oganyan, daughter of Maxim and Ramona, as well as Damascene, Maximus and Marina. We offer our congratulations to them all, their families and their sponsors. May God grant them health, strength, salvation, and many blessed years!

On Sunday, September 14, 2025, we were pleased to welcome Mark Christensen into the catechumenate during the Divine Liturgy. We humbly ask the Lord's continued blessing upon him as he prepares himself for sacramental reception into the Orthodox Church!

On Sunday, August 31, 2025, we asked the Lord's blessing upon the teachers and students at the beginning of the Academic Year.  May the Lord enlighten and guide them into His divine truth!

On August 23–24, 2025, we welcomed His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon, together with beloved clergy, parishioners, and friends from near and far to Christ the Savior Orthodox Church for the celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the parish. A spirit of deep gratitude to God and joy in the Lord was tangibly felt by all as we reflected on the abundant blessings poured out upon our community over the past quarter century. We send up glory to God for all things and pray for His continued providential care as we seek to serve Him in the years ahead.

On Sunday, August 10, 2025, we welcomed Bradley Allen Derrickson into the Orthodox Church through Holy Baptism and Chrismation.  He has taken the name John, after his patron saint, John the Baptist. We congratulate him, his wife, Maria Oana Franc, and all who attended this special event.  May the Lord grant the newly-illumined servant of God, Bradley John, health, strength, salvation, a furtherance in every good thing and many blessed years!

On Sunday, August 10, 2025, our parish gathered to offer prayers for two young men, Iona Klimitchev and Samuel Doyle, as they depart for bootcamp. Surrounded by family, friends, and fellow parishioners, we asked the Lord to bless and protect them in their training, to strengthen them in faith, and to comfort their loved ones during their time apart. As a token of our love and a reminder of God’s abiding presence, each was presented with a holy icon. May Christ guide and guard them in body and soul, and may they always know the support and prayers of their parish family.

On Sunday, July 27, 2025 a number of parishioners from Christ the Savior went over to St. George's Greek Festival in Ocean City at the Convention Center and enjoyed traditional Greek music, food, and culture. We thank Fr. Christopher Xanthos and the community of St. George for the warm welcome and beautiful day!

On Sunday, July 27, 2025, we bid farewell to Samuel Oleynik as he prepares to relocate to North Carolina. During his time at Christ the Savior, Samuel faithfully sang in the choir and served the parish in many ways. As a token of our gratitude and prayers, we presented him with an icon of St. Herman of Alaska—known as the North Star of Christ’s Holy Church in America—for by his holy example he shows us how to follow Christ with steadfastness and humility. We asked St. Herman’s intercessions that the Lord would continue to guide Samuel along the path of salvation. May God grant him health, strength, continued growth in every good thing, and many blessed years!

On Sunday, July 27, 2025 we were pleased to welcome Brad (St. John the Theologian), Kaila (St. Anastasia the Great-Martyr), and Kirra (St. Kira of Berea) Wright into the Orthodox Church through Holy Chrismation. We congratulate them together with their family, Georgiana and Ana. May the Lord grant them all health, strength, salvation, a furtherance in every good thing, and many blessed years!

On Sunday, July 27, 2025, at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, which was attended by many visitors including Archpriest Timothy Hojnicki, who offered an inspiring homily on rejoicing in God's goodness in all circumstances, our Treasurer, Ioana Davidson, joyfully announced that we have reached our $100,000 matching donation goal for the building fund. All those who gave so generously and sacrificially toward this effort were warmly thanked, as the goal was met nearly five months ahead of schedule. May the Lord bless the benefactor who offered the match and all who have returned a portion of God’s blessings to help build a new temple to His glory.

On Sunday, July 20, 2025, at the end of the Divine Liturgy, we had the annual Blessing of Chariots (cars, trucks, bikes, etc).  The blessing was served by Archpriest Joseph Oleynik, Priest George Sharonoff, and Archpriest John Parsells. It is a custom of Orthodox Christians to have their cars blessed both when newly acquired and on or near the feast of the Prophet Elias (July 20th), as he ascended as if into heaven on a fiery chariot. We thank God for a truly blessed day!

On Sunday, July 6, 2025, we were pleased to welcome Samara Stover into the catechumenate during the Divine Liturgy. We humbly ask the Lord's continued blessing upon her as she prepares herself for sacramental reception into the Orthodox Church!

On Sunday, June 29, 2025, we were pleased to welcome Robbie Vera into the catechumenate during the Divine Liturgy. We humbly ask the Lord's continued blessing upon him as he prepares himself for sacramental reception into the Orthodox Church!

On Sunday, June 22, 2025, we were pleased to welcome Andrew and Rebecca Gabriel into the catechumenate during the Divine Liturgy. We humbly ask the Lord's continued blessing upon them as they prepare themselves for sacramental reception into the Orthodox Church!

On Sunday, June 15, 2025, prayers were offered at the completion of the academic year, thanking the Lord for the blessing of His wisdom and knowledge, and asking Him to preserve the students in that which they have learned which is according to His divine law. 

On Sunday, June 8, 2025, the faithful gathered to celebrate the feast of Pentecost. As is customary, the Vespers with Kneeling Prayers was served immediately following the Divine Liturgy. We congratulation all who celebrate on this high holy day!

On Sunday, June 1, 2025, we were pleased to welcome Mary Ann and Roy Bendfelt into the catechumenate during the Divine Liturgy. We humbly ask the Lord's continued blessing upon them as they prepare themselves for sacramental reception into the Orthodox Church!

On Sunday, May 18, 2025, after the Divine Liturgy, we had our annual Cross Dive, which opened the swimming season at Christ the Savior. The faithful prayerfully asked the Lord God Almighty to bless the parish pool and the fellowship it provides, throwing in the life-giving Cross of Christ to sanctify the water. The precious Cross is then retrieved by the children of the parish, remembering the words of the Lord, "Anyone who does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me." Crosses were retrieved by Thea Wyant and Alexander Parsells.

On Sunday, May 18, 2025, we were pleased to welcome Jason Gross into the catechumenate during the Divine Liturgy. We humbly ask the Lord's continued blessing upon him as he prepares himself for sacramental reception into the Orthodox Church!

On Sunday, May 18, 2025, during the Divine Liturgy, we celebrated the baptisms of Eva, Miliana Magdalena, and Maxim Michael Diyakon, children of Tatiana Kasimtseva and Sergey Diyakon. We offer our congratulations to the entire Diyakon family and the sponsors. May God grant them health, strength, salvation, and many blessed years!

On Sunday, May 4, 2025, we were pleased to welcome John Rickman into the catechumenate during the Divine Liturgy. We humbly ask the Lord's continued blessing upon him as he prepares himself for sacramental reception into the Orthodox Church!

On Thomas Sunday, April 27, 2025, the children of the parish played basketball with Fr. John and some of the parishioners in the church parking lot. The weather was a little windy but beautiful and everyone had a marvelous time. Glory to God for a great day!

On Thomas Sunday, April 27, 2025, an egg hunt was held for the children of the parish. In the Orthodox churches, Easter eggs are blessed by the priest at the end of the Paschal Service, and distributed to the faithful. The egg is seen by followers of Christianity as a symbol of resurrection: while being dormant it contains a new life sealed within it.

On Sunday, March 23, 2025, we were pleased to welcome Brendan Fannon and Bradley Derrickson into the catechumenate during the Divine Liturgy. We humbly ask the Lord's continued blessing upon them as they prepare themselves for sacramental reception into the Orthodox Church!

During the daily services of Great Lent the Church doubles the readings from the Psalter (Book of Psalms).  As our parish was not able to offer all of these services, a group of women, organized by Georgianne Mathews, divided the Psalter into sections so that it could be read together each day. On Bright Wednesday, the Women's Psalter Group met at Cami Milite's house for dinner, fellowship, and to discuss their experience of reading the Psalter together. Many thanks to all who participated in the group and glory to God for all things!

On Bright Friday, April 25, 2025 parishioners and friends gathered at the DeArmitt's home for a Paschal Party. The weather was beautiful this year, the fellowship was as great as ever and this festive celebration of Pascha was enjoyed by all. We give glory to God Almighty and many thanks to Justin and Alexis for opening their home to everyone and punctuating our Bright Week fellowship with a splendid party!

On Sunday, April 20, 2025, the faithful gathered for the Midnight service, celebrating the Feast of Feast, Holy Pascha, which commemorates the Resurrection of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ. More than 250 people gathered for the celebration of the liturgical services which were followed by the blessing of foods and a festive meal in the hall and rectory. We greet you all with the joyous exclamation, "Christ is risen! Indeed He is risen!"

From April 13-19, 2025, the faithful gathered at Christ the Savior to celebrate the solemn liturgical services of Great and Holy Week, which commemorate the Lord's voluntary Passion, Cross, Death and Burial.

On Great and Holy Wednesday, April 16, 2025, the faithful gathered for the Mystery of Holy Unction, the anointing with holy oil for the healing of soul and body. The Church’s practice of Holy Unction dates back to Apostolic times, see James 5:14.

On Palm Sunday, April 13, 2025 the faithful gathered to celebrate the Lord's Entrance into Jerusalem. A procession around the church was made while the faithful bore in their hands palms in honor of the festive occasion. Following the beautiful divine services, a traditional fish meal was offered for all present. Glory be to God for all things!

On Lazarus Saturday, April 12, 2025, we welcomed Kaleb Evans and Emily Tamosaitis into the Orthodox Church through Holy Chrismation. We congratulate them, their families, their friends, and all who attended this special event.  May the Lord grant the newly-illumined servants of God health, strength, salvation, a furtherance in every good thing and many blessed years!

On Sunday, April 6, 2025, we had the baptism of Annice DeArmitt, daughter of Justin and Alexis DeArmitt, and granddaughter of Archpriest Joseph and the ever-memorable, Matushka Annice. We extend our congratulations to the entire family, as well as the sponsors, Douglas James Helmick and Julianna Oleynik Cario. May the Lord grant them all health, strength, salvation, a furtherance in every good thing, and many blessed years!

On Sunday, March 30, 2025, we asked the Lord to bestow a blessing upon Taylor, Elisha, Arcadia, and Sybil Applegarth as they have embraced the ministry of candle-making for Christ the Savior. Using the traditional dipping method, they craft new candles from the remnants of those previously offered in worship, carefully layering wax until the desired diameter is reached. This invaluable ministry not only reduces the church’s need to purchase new candles but also ensures that every remnant of these sacred offerings is reverently repurposed. May the Lord abundantly bless the Applegarth family for their dedication, skill, and devotion to this holy work!

On Sunday, March 30, 2025, parishioners and friends took part in a Cornhole Tournament during the fellowship hour after Divine Liturgy. The 20 teams with 40 total players competed in a March Madness-styled, bracketed tournament which resulted in a good time had by all. We thank the Lord for a beautiful day and all the participants as well as those who put on the event. Glory to God for all things!

On Sunday, March 23, 2025, we were pleased to welcome Ezra Harmon and Alan Rodriguez into the catechumenate during the Divine Liturgy. We humbly ask the Lord's continued blessing upon them as they prepare themselves for sacramental reception into the Orthodox Church!

On Sunday, March 23, 2025, we had the baptism of Emmalin Pearl Marina, daughter of Matthew and Kailyn Harmon. We extend our congratulations to the entire family, as well as the sponsors, Alexander Ortiz and Camelia Milite. May the Lord grant them all health, strength, salvation, a furtherance in every good thing, and many blessed years!

In honor of March Madness, we will have a Cornhole Tournament following the Divine Liturgy on Sunday, March 30, 2025.  Teams of two will compete in the bracket-style tournament with a trophy being bestowed upon the winning team.  If you would like to enter the tournament, please sign-up at the usher stand in the back of the church or submit your team(s) on our website.

On March 9, 2025, we celebrated the Sunday of Orthodoxy with a procession of icons to the Archway at our roadside entrance during the Divine Liturgy. There we had a reading of the ancient Synodicon, the affirmation of the Orthodox Faith that our salvation is proclaimed in both words and images, and the faithful recited the Nicene Creed. We congratulate all who celebrate on this day!

During the first week of Great Lent the faithful gather for the reading of the Great Canon of Repentance, written by St. Andrew of Crete in the 8th century. In this canon, St. Andrew wonderfully weaves our own personal story of sinfulness and restoration in Christ with the accounts of the sinful and righteous of the Old and New Testaments, giving us greater awareness of not only the history of salvation for the people of God, but also greater insight into how we must participate in the writing of our own personal salvation history.

On Sunday, March 2, 2025, following the Divine Liturgy, we had the beautiful and grace-filled Rite of Forgiveness before entering into the Holy Forty Days of the Great Fast. During this solemn ritual we ask and receive forgiveness from each other and the Lord, who says, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive yours.” (Matthew 6:14)

We are overjoyed to announce that His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon will visit Christ the Savior Orthodox Church on August 23-24, 2025, as we celebrate our 25th Anniversary! This momentous occasion will be a time of worship, fellowship, and thanksgiving to Almighty God for His abundant blessings over the past quarter-century. We look forward to welcoming our beloved hierarch, along with clergy and faithful from near and far—especially those who helped found and nurture our parish. Please mark your calendars and plan to join us for this joyous celebration! 

On Sunday, February 23, 2025 with the blessing of our diocesan hierarch, Metropolitan Tikhon, the 2025 Parish Council members were installed into office. During the first meeting of the 2025 Council, Ryan Harris was elected Junior Warden and Anya Drobish was elected Secretary. May the Lord bless them all!

Join us on Thursday, February 27, 2025 at 7:00 PM for a special screening of "Saint Joseph the Hesychast", a 60-minute 2020 documentary that dramatizes the life of Elder Joseph the Hesychast, a revered monk on Mount Athos. Please invite your family and friends to enjoy this inspiring portrayal of Saint Joseph. We look forward to seeing you there!

On Thursday, February 2, 2025 we celebrated the Great Feast of the Meeting of Our Lord in the Temple, which commemorates the Lord’s presentation into His Temple 40 days after His birth in the flesh. This feast concludes the Nativity season. This feast is also called Candlemas as we bless candles on this day.

On Sunday, February 2, 2025, we were pleased to welcome Austin Phalines into the catechumenate during the Divine Liturgy. We humbly ask the Lord's continued blessing upon him as he prepares himself for sacramental reception into the Orthodox Church!

On Sunday, January 26, 2025, Christ the Savior had its Annual Parish Meeting. The agenda, reports, budget and draft minutes for the meeting are available below. We thank all who attended, presented reports, and assisted with the minutes!

On Friday, January 24, 2025, parishioners from Christ the Savior joined other Orthodox Christians and countless people who gathered for the March For Life in Washington, DC. The march is a pro-life rally protesting abortion, held in the nation's capital near the anniversary of the infamous decision in the United States Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade, which was thankfully overturned in 2022. 

On Saturday, January 18, 2025, we had the baptism of Amelia Kate, daughter of William and Megan Wilkinson.  William was also Chrismated on this day, entering the Orthodox Church to the great joy of his family and the entire parish. Amelia Kate has taken St. Tatiana as her patron and William has taken St. Basil the Great. We extend our congratulations to the entire family, as well as the sponsors, Rdr. Alexander Hubiak and Jessica Lapinski. May the Lord grant them all health, strength, salvation, a furtherance in every good thing, and many blessed years!

On Sunday, January 12, 2025, Archpriest Joseph Oleynik blessed the rectory in the Parish Center. Following the service for the annual blessing of a home, there was an open house in the rectory. Appreciation is expressed to Fr. Joseph as well as all who attended, prayed, prepared food, and shared in fellowship.

To kickstart our fundraising efforts for our New Temple, a generous parishioner has pledged to match every dollar donated to the building fund during the 2025 calendar year, up to $100,000. With your support, we have the opportunity to raise $200,000—bringing us closer to transforming the vision of our new church from a distant dream into a living reality. In addition to traditional donations via cash, check, or online contributions, we welcome gifts of stocks, real estate, or other assets. These alternative forms of giving can provide significant support to our efforts and may offer additional benefits to the donor. Please contact Ioana Davidson, our treasurer, if you would like to make a donation of stock, real estate, or another type of assets.

As this year we celebrate the 25th Anniversary of our beloved parish and as we look toward the future, we are eager to update you on several important developments at Christ the Savior. The Lord has blessed us with incredible growth, and we are progressing with plans for the construction of a new church temple on our property in Berlin, Maryland. This progress is now being accelerated by a generous $100,000 matching donation for the building fund throughout 2025. In the following letter, we recount our story, remembering the many blessings God has graciously bestowed upon our parish over the past 25 years. As we give thanks together, we ask that you: 1) prayerfully consider contributing to the matching donation; 2) participate in a brief survey regarding the new church. Your prayers, feedback, and support are invaluable as we continue to grow and seek to glorify God through the construction of our new spiritual home.