BRIDGEPORT -- Reader Christopher Gombos of St. John's Church Stratford, CT (Silver Lane) was ordained to the Subdeaconate by Metropolitan Nicholas at St. John the Baptist Church in Bridgeport, CT.

NEW ENGLAND DEANERY -- At the invitation of the New England Deanery Orthodox Christian Missionary Michael Pagedas from the Orthodox Christian Mission Center gave a presentation on Orthodox Missionary Outreach in general and in Tanzania in particular

STRATFORD, CT -- His Eminence was joined this evening by the Parish Priests of the New England Deanery and friends on the twenty-seventh anniversary of his consecration as Bishop at a dinner in his honor at the Shell Station Restaurant.

BRIDGEPORT, CT --- His Eminence, Metropolitan Nicholas began his Archpastoral Visitation to the New England Deanery this evening with the celebration of the Divine Liturgy of Presanctified Gifts at St. John the Baptist, Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Church of Bridgeport, CT.

One of the most poignant and stirring scenes in Saint Luke’s account of Christ’s Passion is that of the good criminal. We often call him the “good thief” or the “penitent thief” following Matthew and Mark who refer to thieves being crucified with Jesus, but since Luke calls them “criminals” I will use that designation

BINGHAMTON, NY --- Nicole DelVillano, a freshman at SUNY Platsburgh, and a member of St. Michael's Church will be participating in the Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF) Real Break Trip to the Holy Land.

HOMESTEAD, PA -- The first of three regional Diocesan Lenten Retreats was held yesterday at St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in Homestead, PA. Sponsored by the National ACRY, the retreat drew more than 100 participants. Usually held at Camp Nazareth, this year

As Orthodox Christians we not only adore the Cross, but we see it as the very path which leads to our salvation. At the heart of the way of the Cross we walk is the Slavonic word podvig, which translates as struggle, but, it can also mean asceticism. The Cross of Christ which is the Cross we must also take up and bear is a podvig.

HOMESTEAD, PA -- The National ACRY is pleased to report that a record number of diocesan faithful and friends have registered to participate in this coming Saturday, March 6th's Central Region Diocesan Lenten Retreat. The retreat is sponsored by the National ACRY and is being hosted by St. Nicholas Orthodox Church of Homestead, PA.

During the Great Fast, as we look forward to Great and Holy Week, we begin to turn our attention to Our Lord’s Passion. When thinking about the Passion, our focus is frequently on its physical characteristics: the nails, the spear, the crown of thorns, the scourging, and the fatigue of carrying the Cross.Without downplaying the intensity and significance of the physical suffering of Christ, we cannot overlook the mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of the Passion

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- The Diocesan Chancery is pleased to announce that a daily lives of the saints podcast, produced by the Diocesan Apostolate For Youth will debut on March 1, 2010.

TORONTO -- St. John the Compassionate Mission is asking assistance from those who wish to respond to the gospel command to help. "the least of these My brethren" in a tangible way. At St. John the Compassionate Mission, a person can be fed and kept warm throughout the entire winter for $75.00

JOHNSTOWN, PA - The Chancery has been notified that family members of several diocesan clergy have recently reposed in the Lord.

In this season of the Great Fast, it is the duty of all Christians to enter into the Holy Mystery of Confession. It is not the only thing that we must do in Lent to prepare for the Feast of Pascha: but it is surely a necessary preparation for that Great and Holy Feast of Feasts.

NEW YORK, NY -- The government of Turkey may wish to minimize the significance of the Ecumenical Patriarch in Istanbul, but the National Council of Churches asserts that U.S. Christians regard Patriarch Bartholomew as "a world leader whose spiritual and moral authority has influenced us all."

Our most holy Orthodox Church today commemorates its own feast day, and – from this historical and martyric See of the Ecumenical Patriarchate – the Mother Church of Constantinople directs its blessing, love and concern to all of its faithful and dedicated spiritual children throughout the world, inviting them to concelebrate in prayer. Blessed be the name of the Lord! Those who endeavored over the ages to suppress the Church through various visible and invisible persecutions;

POTOMAC, MD -- The 2010 National ACRY Metropolitan Orestes Memorial Bowling Tournament is being held in Baltimore, Maryland on May 28th through the 31st. This fun filled weekend is being hosted by the A.C.R.Y. Chapter #25 Potomac, Maryland.

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- Additional Lenten Hymns have been uploaded to our diocesan on-line multi-media library from an album produced by St. Michael's Church Choir of Binghamton, NY.

Beloved brothers and sisters, children in the Lord, Tomorrow, we enter the period of Holy and Great Lent. In the Lenten vespers of Forgiveness chanted this evening, we shall hear the sacred hymnographer urging us to "begin the time of fasting with joy, submitting ourselves to spiritual struggle" in preparing to welcome the great Passion and joyful Resurrection of our divine-human Lord

Again we stand at the threshold of the Great Fast! Ten weeks before the Glorious feast of Pascha, we began our preparation for the glorious and awesome mystery of the Passion and Death of our Lord, God, and Saviour Jesus Christ! It was for this reason that He, the very Son of God Himself, came into the world: to die for us and our salvation!