When we were little children, our parents and our Church School teachers were the first ones to instruct us in the mysteries of our Holy Faith. One of the initial words that we learned was "BoŽe," which, of course, means "GOD." Next we were taught where God lived. And if you ask almost any child today, hopefully his or her response will be, as was ours, "in heaven."

JOHNSTOWN, PA - The Very Rev. David B. Sedor, beloved husband of Eileen and father of Charissa and Stephanie fell asleep in the Lord on Tuesday Dec 23, 2008 after a short illness. A son of St. Michael's Church in Binghamton NY, in addition to serving several parishes of the diocese, Fr. David most recently served as the pastor of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Altoona, PA. Fr David was a doctoral student in theology at Duquense University, the chaplain for the Orthodox Christian Fellowship in Pittsburgh and an adjunct professor at SS Cyril & Methodius Byzantine Catholic Seminary in Pittsburgh.

JOHNSTOWN, PA - In recent months, interest has been expressed by the SCOBA endorsed Orthodox Christian Network, (OCN) to collaborate with our diocese in producing educational programing for the popular Come Receive the Light Radio Program. Of particular interest to OCN is the work of the Diocesan Apostolate For Youth (DAY). Plans are being made to produce several Orthodox Teen Talk Online (OTTO) programs during the coming year which will feature diocesan youth informally dialoguing about contemporary moral issues facing teenagers.

JOHNSTOWN, PA - Fr. Andrew Fetchina, the Director of the Diocesan Apostolate For Youth will be a featured guest speaker on the Come Receive the Light Radio Program on November 21, 2008. Fr. Andrew will speak on the topic Raising Faithful Kids in Today's World. Fr. Andrew will speak with Fr. Chris Metropulos, the Executive Director of the SCOBA endorsed Orthodox Christian Network and host of the Come Receive the Light Radio Program about raising kids that are "compassionate, but committed" to their Orthodox Christian Faith. Tune in for practical insight on sexuality, violence in the media, pluralism, abortion, promiscuity and other issues that confront young people and their parents today.

JOHNSTOWN, PA - His Eminence, Metropolitan Nicholas has established a diocesan-wide relief effort for the horrific damage in Texas and Louisiana caused by Hurricane Ike. Each diocesan parish is asked to take up a special collection on Sunday September 21, 2008. It is requested that each parish forward their parish gift immediately after the collection so that it arrives at the Chancery no later than September 26, 2008. Parish checks are to be made payable to ACROD. The Diocese will then forward a sum-total gift to an appropriate relief agency.

JOHNSTOWN, PA - His Eminence, Metropolitan Nicholas has announced today, that plans are underway for the 23rd Annual Know Your Faith Diocesan Educational Conference which will take place will take place on Saturday September 13, 2008.

JOHNSTOWN, PA - His Eminence, Metropolitan Nicholas has been invited by His All-Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, to be part of a Patriarchal Delegation to Kiev, Ukraine to attend the festivities of the 1020th anniversary of the Christianization of Kievan Rus, which will take place from July 25-27, 2008.

JOHNSTOWN, PA - The Third Annual All-Diocese Youth Pilgrimage will be held on August 15-17, 2008 (Friday evening through Sunday afternoon) at Camp Nazareth in Mercer, Pennsylvania. The Youth Pilgrimage will start a day before the Diocesan Summer Pilgrimage held in honor of the Transfiguration of Our Lord, Jesus Christ and the Dormition of the Mother of God. It will conclude Sunday afternoon.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

On the Christian Feast of Pentecost, the fiftieth day after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit descended upon the Mother of God and the Apostles who were gathered together in the Upper Room. John the Baptist once predicted that Christ would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Luke 3.16): at Pentecost, at nine o'clock in the morning, the prophecy of the Forerunner came true in the fullness of divine power and joy.

From Tuesday, May 6, through Thursday, May 8, the Orthodox Christian Mission Center held its 2008 Spring Board of Directors Meeting in Troy, Michigan. The meeting was hosted by St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, under the auspices of the Metropolis of Detroit with the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas.

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 29-July 22, 2008 at Christ the Saviour Seminary and Cathedral. The Very Rev. David Cochran has been appointed director of this year's retreat.

JOHNSTOWN, PA - The Junior ACRY will celebrate the 25th Anniversary of its establishment at the annual Weekend Encounter at Camp Nazareth, November 7-9, 2008.

JOHNSTOWN, PA - On Bright Friday, May 2, 2008, His Eminence, Metropolitan will be honored on the occasion of his Silver Jubilee of Consecration to the Episcopacy at Christ the Savior Cathedral in Johnstown, PA. Joining His Eminence will be hierarchs and dignitaries from throughout the U.S.A. and Europe as well as the priests and faithful of our diocese. The Chancery Staff along with clergy and faithful of the Diocese extend our heartfelt best wishes and congratulations to His Eminence on this milestone in his service as shepherd of our God-Saved Diocese. May Almighty God Grant His Eminence, Good Health, Peace and Salvation and Many More Years of Service in the Vineyard of our Lord. Eis Polla Eti Despota!

Please be advised that the Bright Week Liturgy at Camp Nazareth which has been celebrated over the years on Bright Friday, has been changed this year to Bright Tuesday. Matins is celebrated at 9 AM, and Liturgy at 10 AM. Services will be followed by a Paschal luncheon in the Main Lodge.

We rejoice because we have entered into that bright joy of the Resurrection Day. The Lord Jesus Christ was adored by the crowds on Palm Sunday and crucified on Good Friday. This same Lord cleansed the lepers, gave sight to the blind, bestowed hearing to the deaf, and strengthened the lame and weary. This same Lord opened the Scripture and revealed the majestic Wisdom of the Holy Trinity. This same Lord brought life to the dying and hopeless, was the same Lord Who was taken down from the Holy Cross, and was received into the heartbroken arms of His Mother, the Theotokos. This same Lord Who created the stars, the sun, the wind and the sea and the solid earth was sealed into a tomb of heavy, gray and lifeless stone.

JOHNSTOWN, PA - The Chancery been advised that + Rose Zdinak, the mother of the Very Rev. Miles Zdinak, fell asleep in the Lord on Sunday March 2, 2008.

I rejoice that His All-Holiness, the Ecumenical Patriarch BARTHOLOMEW, designated 2008 as a year-long commemoration of St. Paul the Apostle. Along with the Church of Rome, the Orthodox Church is celebrating the life, the leadership, and the legacy of this Great Apostle to the Gentiles, the Apostle Paul.

We are about to enter into the Season of the year when the Lord draws our hearts close to Him and His Church. We are about to refrain from certain foods and entertainments for a time. We are about to attend Divine Services more often. We are about to give more charity to the poor, to be kinder to our neighbors, to care for the sad and the grieving around us.

JOHNSTOWN, PA - The Chancery been advised that + DORIS WOLLAM, the mother of Fr. Thomas Klein, fell asleep in the Lord on Last week in Florida, where burial services took place.