JOHNSTOWN, PA - His Eminence, Metropolitan Nicholas has announced today, that plans are underway for the Annual Altarboy's Retreat which will take place from June 25-28, 2006 at Christ the Saviour Seminary and Cathedral. The Very Rev. David Cochran has been appointed director of this year's retreat.

ELIZABETH, NJ - Camp Nazareth is a place we all like to be in the summer!! Wouldn't it be nice if you could spend more than 1 week there without having to beg Mom or Dad to let you go?? Well, now here's your chance!! Although Spring is just beginning it's not too early to start planning for those hot summer days!!! Now here's your chance to get a reward for being a member of the National Jr. ACRY. You could win a free week at Camp Nazareth!!! It's very easy too!! All you have to do is enter the National Jr. ACRY Camp Essay Contest. Your essay will be judged by the members of the National Jr. ACRY Board. Originality and Creativity are your best chances of winning!!! All we ask is that you follow the directions below.

WASHINGTON, DC - His Eminence, Metropolitan Nicholas joined His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, the Chairman of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops (SCOBA) and Archbishop Antony of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the U.S.A. at the 55th National Day of Prayer at the White House.

MERCER, PA - The members of the Diocesan Apostolate for Youth met on Thursday April 27, 2006 at Camp Nazareth. The meeting was called by the Very Rev. Jonathan Tobias, director of the Diocesan Apostolate For Youth (DAY) to discuss plans for the coming months. At the meeting plans were finalized for the upcoming Diocesan Youth Sojourn which will take place from August 25-27, 2006 at Camp Nazareth. His Eminence, Metropolitan Nicholas, who was in attendance, blessed the Apostolate's plans for performing a census of the diocesan youth, and the creation of a youth newsletter.

I greet you in the joy and brightness of this Feast of Feasts! I welcome you to this celebration that is the wellspring of all gladness and delight! I invite you to enter, with faith and with love, into the beauty and peace of this Eternal Dawn! I bid you to rejoice, sing and exult, for Jesus Christ Who was Crucified, is now Risen from the Dead! Jesus Christ Who bore the weight of sorrows and shame, Who took away the sins of the world, Who was slain in darkness on Friday's Cross ... this same Jesus Who was beaten and pierced in shame is now the Risen Christ, Who shines in splendor, Who reigns in power, Who rejoices in triumph, Who has thrown down the Enemy in defeat forever, Who shouts the exultation of victory and majesty unto the ages of ages!

I am pleased to announce the celebration of the Feast of Our Lady of the Life-Giving Font and St. George at Camp Nazareth on Friday, April 28th. Resurrection Matins will be served at 9 am at the Sts. Cyril and Methodios Camp Church, with the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at 10 am, with a procession around the church. A paschal meal will be served in the Dining Hall afterwards.

JOHNSTOWN, PA - His Eminence, Metropolitan Nicholas, has announced the creation of two new diocesan guidelines for Youth Ministry and Religious Education which are now available on line.

JOHNSTOWN, PA - The quality control system of the accounting firm of David Brenner, CPA, of Cranberry Township, PA which has provided annual independent audits of our diocesan finances for nearly twenty years was reviewed last fall by Diefenbach, Delio, Kearney and DeDionisio, Certified Public Accountants, of Erie, Pennsylvania. The purpose of this review system, established by the Peer Review Board of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), is to determine whether an accounting and auditing firm has adopted and put into practice procedures that "provide it with reasonable assurance of conforming with professional standards as established by the AICPA.

Truly, as the Apostle Paul says, "the Kingdom of God is not food and drink, but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit!" As we commence upon this season of the Fast, we push ourselves to a stricter discipline of fasting. We struggle to maintain a more intense observance of the various Lenten Services. But all of our observances are designed by the Church and the Holy Fathers to achieve one end - to bring us to a heightened awareness of our faith, or as we say in the Divine Liturgy, "progress in life, faith and spiritual consciousness" (second prayer of the Faithful).

JOHNSTOWN, PA - On Friday, February 24, 2006 Mrs. Elizabeth Miterko of Christ The Saviour Cathedral fell-asleep-in-the-Lord. Mrs. Miterko, an exemplary Orthodox Christian served for many years as the Cook at Christ the Saviour Seminary. Fr. Frank Miloro, Diocesan Chanceller has asked that all diocesan priests remember her in prayer during Divine Liturgy.

JOHNSTOWN, PA - With the blessing from His Eminence, Metropolitan Nicholas, a Spring Family weekend has been scheduled at Chestnut Grove Resort located in Swiftwater, PA in the Pocono's, 15 miles from Stroudsburg. There are many activities for families, including paddle boats, bicycling, fishing, indoor and outdoor pools, volleyball, Treasure Hunts, bonfire and Karaoke sing-a-longs. There is also a great golf course located nearby for golf enthusiasts. The cost would be $250 per couple for the weekend and includes two breakfasts and two dinners. For each child under 14 it is an additional $25 per day, between 14 and 20 an additional $30 per day, over age 20 it is an additional $40 per day. The date will be Friday thru Sunday, May 5-7. Interested please call Fr. Luke Mihaly at (203) 748-0671. Website address is www.chestnutgrove.com

JOHNSTOWN, PA - The Diocesan Chancery is pleased to announce preliminary details of the annual Diocesan Lenten Retreats, which are sponsored by the ACRY for the upcoming Lenten Season.

JOHNSTOWN, PA - The Diocesan Chancery has learned of the falling asleep in the Lord of His Beatitude, Metropolitan Nikolai of Church in the Czech Lands and Slovakia on Monday, January 30, 2006 at the age of 78.

The National Right to Life March will be held on Monday, January 23, 2006 in our nation's capital. It will be the 33rd March, since the Supreme Court legislated a new law in the land in 1973, legalizing abortion on demand. Once again, I urge you to fervently support the Pro-Life cause in prayer, in service and in donations to local Pro-Life offices. I especially urge you to participate in the March for Life. Plan to ride one of the many hundreds of buses that are traveling there. Or come yourself. The cause is worth all the toil and sacrifice. It is worth participating in the March in the snow and the cold. It is worth walking with thousands of other marchers.