September 7 - 9, 2006 : His Grace Bishop THOMAS visits St. Mary Church in Hunt Valley, Maryland

Between September 7th and 9th, the parishioners of Saint Mary Church, in Hunt Valley-Baltimore, received His Grace Bishop THOMAS on their Patronal feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos. His Grace presided at an evening Divine Liturgy with a number of Baltimore area Priests, of all jurisdictions, participating.

In his homily Thursday night, His Grace spoke about the Gospel reading of Mary and Martha. He emphasized the importance of being like Martha, in terms of serving the church, as long as our hearts are like Mary’s, full of love for God and open to his teachings. He also encouraged the people regarding the rapid growth of the church under the leadership of Fr. Theodoros Daoud, especially regarding their plans for breaking ground on a new church building. After Liturgy the Ladies Society offered a large meal for all the participants in honor of Bishop THOMAS’ visit.

On Friday night, the parish council hosted a dinner with the Bishop, giving the council an opportunity to ask Sayidna questions, and likewise for him to inquire about the plans for the upcoming year. Privately, His Grace was able to meet on a one-on-one basis with different parishioners, before leaving for Holy Cross Church in Linthicum, Maryland to continue his Episcopal visit to the area.

After one year with Fr. Theodoros, St. Mary’s parish is in the process of obtaining a building permit, hoping to start work on the construction of a new Byzantine style Church shortly. Their hope is that this creation will be one more gem on the crown of the Antiochian Archdiocese of North America.