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On Saturday March 22, celebrating the Sunday of the Cross, during Great Vespers, the Cross of our Lord was decorated and brought out into the center of the church for veneration. On Sunday, after Divine Liturgy, the Rector, Fr. Mark Rashkov welcomed the and congratulated the congregation and gave a lesson on the feast and the theology of the Cross. The Sunday School lesson was dedicated to the Cross and in honor of the feast of the 40 Martyrs (celebrated the day prior) the children baked "Zavoronki", a customary lent dough baked in the form of a bird on the feast of the 40 Martyrs.
On the first Sunday of Great lent, the clergy and Sunday School students and teachers of Saint John the Baptist Russian Orthodox Church took part in a procession around the church building celebrating the triumph Orthodoxy over the iconoclast heresies. The Sunday School children carried icons of their patronal saints. During the procession, the litany from the "rite of Orthodoxy" was intoned and concluded with a prayer of health for all Orthodox Christians. The service concluded with a sermon from the rector, Father Mark Rashkov about the importance of the role of icons in the Orthodox faith. In addition, the clergy and parishioners wished Alex Girard, altar server of the parish, a happy birthday. On Sunday, March 2, 2025, after Divine Liturgy and Vespers with the Rite of Forgiveness, the parish of Nativity of Saint John the Baptist hosted a Maslenitsa celebration. Parishioners and guests were welcomed with traditional slavic decorations, music, and fresh homemade blini. The event began with a vocal performance by Vasiliy Nasiuta. Music was performed by the Irina Zagornava and the children's musical dance ensemble "Zolotoy Petushok". Traditional Slavic dances were performed by the youth dance group "Kaleidoscope." The parish Sunday School students performed ballet dances on stage, choreographed by Arina Klavel from ARCHH - American Russian Childrens's Home (archh.org). Additional activities, fun and games were organized by Marina Ivannikova. The afternoon was filled with fun and joy, cultural actives, dancing, and fellowship. Saint John Parish sincerely thanks everyone who organized, participated, and took part in this joyous occasion.
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