JOHNSTOWN, PA  [Diocesan Chancery] --  This morning, July 11, 2015,  the Orthodox Youth Mission Team (OYMT) left for a week- long mission trip to participate in the Appalachian Service Project (ASP) in Martin County, KY. The group, led by Fr. Luke Mihaly of Holy Trinity Church Danbury, CT along with Fr. David Cochran of St. John’s Church , Bridgeport, CT and Fr. Michael Chendorain of St. John’s Church, Perth Amboy, NJ, consists of 23 high school youth and 14 adult leaders. The group represents 7 parishes from the American Carpatho Russian Orthodox Diocese, the Orthodox Church in America, and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese. The Orthodox Youth Mission Team will be working with families in some of the most impoverished areas of our country, helping to make their homes “warmer, safer, and drier”—which is ASP’s mission. The group has trained for the last 6 months participating in scripture study, sensitivity instruction, and construction and safety skills training to prepare for this opportunity to put their faith to work serving others.

The OYMT left from Holy Trinity in Danbury, CT this morning and will travel to Salem, VA tonight and then on to Warfield, KY on Sunday. Tommorow they will be visiting St. Mary’s in Bluefield, WV to celebrate liturgy with Fr. Mark Tyson and his parish. They will start heading back home after their work with ASP is completed on Saturday, July 18th and plan to visit Holy Ascension in Frackville, PA where they will attend liturgy. The OYMT has received tremendous support from the Diocese in preparing for this adventure, for which they are extremely grateful.

The faithful of the Diocese are kindly asked to keep the Orthodox Youth Mission Team in their prayers this week as they witness for Christ and do His work in Warfield, KY.

View Mission Trip Photo Gallery  (Updated periodically during the trip!)