St. Eulalia - Winchester/Arlington

Welcome to St. Eulalia Parish

Catholics find meaning and hope in Jesus Christ, whom God the Father 
has sent into the world for the salvation of all peoples.

Please click HERE to go to our streaming page.

Dear Parishioners and Friends of St. Eulalia Parish,

I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you (Fri.5/27 Jn16:22). Before His Ascension, Jesus assures His disciples of their future life: Everything that the Father has is mine, for this reason, I told you that He (Holy Spirit) will take from what is mine and declare it to you (Wed.5/25 Jn16:15).  How beautiful our life is and how blessed we are to be Catholics! Jesus cares for us all the time and the Word of God is living. Taste and See the goodness of the Lord (Ps 34:8).  Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete (Sat.5/28. Jn 16:24). There is no other god that can compare with our God. God is good.

Upon hearing that I had tested positive for Covid-19, my younger sister lost control of her emotions. Not seeing me celebrating the Monday morning Mass, she thought I was on my way to the Lord. The Zero Covid Policy from Beijing certainly not only scared the nation, but also brain-washed them all. This virus has been weaponized by the government and has taken on an image of Satan and Death.  It took me quite a while to calm her down. Meanwhile, my older sister was too scared to see me via “WeChat”. She even did not have the courage to answer my phone for two days. With the help of the Holy Spirit, God’s love cast out their fears and wiped their tears. Their hearts were filled with joy and consolation. Love is real.

The positive test of Covid-19 indeed caused worries and concerns from my family and friends. It also brought prayers and love from members of our parish. Seven days of self-isolation came to me just in the right time. I was neither scared nor bored. Instead, I was greatly enriched spiritually and refreshed physically. The book Through the Heart of St. Joseph helped deepen my understanding of the vocation of being a protector and minister of the Word of God Incarnate.  I took this period of time as a gift from God as a vacation-at-home and a spiritual-retreat. I pondered on the words of Jesus before His Ascension: I came from the Father and have come into the world. Now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father (Sat. 5/28 Jn 16:28).  As humans, the apostles’ hearts were afflicted and troubled because they truly enjoyed the presence of the Risen Christ. I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go (Tue 5/24 Jn16:7). I reflected on the mystery of life and death of my parents: my father’s 31^st anniversary (5/13) and my mother’s first year anniversary (5/23).  I understand that my two sisters certainly did not want to lose their brother while they were mourning for the passing on of our parents, though they know through faith that being with the Father in heaven is their destiny. God is living.

Friends, God’s divine providence can certainly surprise us all the time. The readings from the Acts of the Apostles surprise us constantly. The persecutions and rejections never diminished the apostles’ zeal for preaching the good news of Jesus. They rejoiced and sang hymns while they were stoned or imprisoned. As Paul was so convinced that in Him (Jesus) we live and move and have our being (Wed. 5/25 Acts17:28), our hearts are filled with the Holy Spirit who will guide us to all truth (cf. Wed. 5/25 Jn16:3).  Life is a mystery. Thank you, friends, for your prayers!
                                                       God bless,
 
                                                                                                                       Fr. John Chen
                                                

 The office is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.  .  
 
To send a message, you may email us from our contact page

Please tune into the 4:00 pm Mass this Saturday, the 9:00am, 11:00am, or 5:00 pm Mass this Sunday and 9:00 am Mass daily.

Our parish now has a subscription to FORMED, a premier online platform filled with over 4,000 Catholic studies, movies, audio dramas, talks, e-books, and even cartoons for our children. FORMED has content from over 60 apostolates, including Augustine Institute, Ignatius Press, and the Knights of Columbus, with material that is professionally produced, engaging, and solid in its catechism. Best of all, this material is free to you. To access all of the FORMED content, follow these 5 simple steps...
1.            Visit FORMED.org
2.            Click Sign Up
3.            Select "Sign Up As A Parishioner"
4.            Find St Eulalia by parish name,                            address, or zip code
5.            Enter your email - and you're in!

Mass times at St. Mary Parish can be found on the St. Mary Parish website.