Press Releases

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- The schedule of His Grace, Bishop Gregory of Nyssa for April 3 - May 5, 2013, has been released by the Diocesan Chancery. Read more...

HERMITAGE, PA -- The first Divine Liturgy at the new Saint John's Church in Hermitage (Formerly of Sharon) PA was held on Sunday, March 24th, 2013. Prior to the Liturgy, all gathered in the new fellowship hall, and then went in procession from the hall to the entrance of the new church. At the entrance of the Church, a prayer was offered, and then everyone entered into the church--many for the first time. Read more...

SEAFORD, NY -- On Monday evening, March 25, 2013, the faithful of St Gregory of Nyssa Orthodox Church of Seaford, NY welcomed His Grace, Bishop Gregory of Nyssa to their community for the celebration of the Feast of the Annunciation of the Most-Holy Mother of God and his first pastoral visit. His Grace, Bishop Gregory presided over the Vesperal Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. Very Rev. Protopresbyter Joseph Fester, host pastor was the main celebrant. He was joined at the altar by clergy from nearby Holy Cross Orthodox Monastery. Read more...

PERTH AMBOY, NJ -- His Grace, Bishop Gregory of Nyssa has begun a series of archpastoral visits in the New York and New Jersey region this weekend, beginning with St. John the Baptist Parish in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. In the afternoon of Saturday, March 23, 2013, Bishop Gregory met with the youth of the New Jersey Deanery at St. John The Baptist Parish Center in Perth Amboy, NJ. Read more...

MERCER, PA [Camp Nazareth] -- In a pastoral letter to all Diocesan families, His Grace, Bishop Gregory of Nyssa has extended a cordial invitation to all Diocesan Parents and Children to join him for a new event at Camp Nazareth in conjunction with Family Day. The event is called Family Camp and is exactly what it sounds like. Families "camping" together in the Camp cabins and participating in a weekend of services Read more...

WINDBER, PA -- On Sunday, March 24, 2013, clergy from multiple jurisdictions in the Greater Johnstown Area took part in the Sunday Of Orthodoxy Vespers Service hosted by Saints Peter & Paul Orthodox Church in Windber, PA. The Very Reverend Protopresbyter Fr. Frank Miloro, dean of Christ the Saviour Cathedral was the main celebrant for the service. Assisting the clergy were seminarians from Christ the Saviour Seminary and parish acolytes. Read more...

NEW YORK [Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America] --- Amid the crush of news reports in the past month that followed Pope Benedict's unprecedented resignation from the papacy, one of the most intriguing was the decision by His All-Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, to attend Pope Francis' installation as Bishop of Rome. The occasion is being presented in the media as something that has not happened since the ecclesiastical schism that separated Christian East and Christian West in the eleventh century. Read more...

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- As part of its continuing outreach efforts to the shut-ins and homebound, the Diocesan Apostolate For Information Technology and Communications, will this year live stream Divine Services from Christ the Saviour Cathedral on Wednesday and Friday Evenings during the Great Fast. Read more...

My beloved Faithful of the Diocese: As we begin the Great Lenten Season, I wanted to share with you a few thoughts so that we may journey through the season and approach Pascha with the proper frame of mind. In the hymn of Cheese Fare Vespers we hear, Let us set out with joy upon the season of the fast preparing ourselves for spiritual combat. Let us purify our souls and cleanse our bodies. As we fast from food let us also fast from every evil, rejoicing in the virtues of the spirit. Let us persevere with love and so be deemed worthy to venerate the passion of Christ our God and with great spiritual gladness to behold His Holy Resurrection. Read more...

Beloved brothers and sisters, children in the Lord, The holy fathers, who arranged everything in an orderly manner, instituted a period of ascetic discipline and spiritual purification for forty days prior to the great feast of the Lord’s resurrection. This ascetic rule assumes the form of a limitation on foods through fasting, but especially an abstinence from evil. The saintly hymnographer characteristically emphasizes that a genuine and favorable form of fasting for God is the estrangement from wrongdoing, control of the tongue, alienation from anger, separation from evil desires, including gossip, deceit and swearing, Read more...