Father Thomas Palke
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Welcome to St. Raphael of Brooklyn Orthodox Church! We are members of the Orthodox Church, established by Christ himself
and his Apostles in 30 AD. By God's grace, and with the blessing of Metropolitan Philip, presiding bishop of the self-ruled
Antiochian Archdiocese of North America, our congregation was established in the Centreville area of Northern Virginia
in the New Testament Book of Acts. Our patron saint is St. Raphael of Brooklyn, prolific evangelizer and establisher of
Orthodox churches in the United States.
We gather every Sunday at Compton Village for our worship services. We are blessed with a wonderful, dynamic choir, under
the direction of Marie Hyder. Our children enjoy their Sunday School, which functions under the loving care of several
mothers of our congregation. Our children go to their classes after participating in the Divine Liturgy. While the children
are in the Sunday school, I offer biblical and doctrinal teaching and preaching that is designed to help us live our
Orthodox faith in our world today. Our morning concludes with a social hour, where food and conversation are enjoyed by all.
Our congregation is a loving, welcoming community. You will be greeted and made to feel at home. We are a diverse
congregation, with families of all ages and a growing number of single adults. Our congregation includes life-long Orthodox
Christians and a significant and growing number of converts to the Orthodox faith. We have members and regular visitors of
Middle Eastern, Slavic, Greek, German, English, Japanese, and Korean ancestry. Most importantly, we are working to become
a home for all people--both Orthodox and those who are searching for a church home. Our congregation extends open arms to
those who are inquiring about the Orthodox Church. I, too, was once an inquirer and entered the Orthodox Church, with my
entire family, in 1999 (Read about my journey to the Orthodox Christian Faith).
Please take a few minutes to read our mission and vision statements below. Three key words describe why we exist:
1) to experience God's presence in prayer and worship and his his grace in the Sacraments; 2) to learn more about
our God and the faith of His Church through preaching and teaching; 3) to equip our congregation and its members
to share the good news of Christ and the salvation He has accomplished for all people. Simply put, our mission is
the Great Commission of Christ: "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.
And, lo, I am with you always, even to end of the age." ( Matthew 28: 19, 20).
If I can be of any assistance to you, please do not hesitate to phone or email me. I am here to serve you in the
name and by the authority of Christ. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are striving to build a congregation where
God's love and truth permeates all that we say and do. Please join us on our exciting journey of faith!
MISSION STATEMENT
The Mission of the St. Raphael Orthodox Church, in obedience to Christ's command to make disciples of all nations,
is to be a community of faith in Northern Virginia for all Orthodox Christians, relatives, neighbors, friends,
and inquirers who desire to learn, experience, and share Christ's truth and love as it is expressed in the fullness of the
Orthodox Church, the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church
VISION STATEMENT
The vision of the St. Raphael Orthodox Chruch is to become a loving, vibrant congregation worshiping in English,
as well as a relevant force for good within the community, offering the finest of Orthodox Christian tradition and practice,
providing excellence in teaching, preaching, liturgics, music, art, youth education and ministries, evangelism,
outreach and charity, support of missions, and serving as a living model of Orthodox unity in America.