CHICAGO, IL -- His Grace Bishop Gregory traveled to Chicago at the invitation of IOCC (International Orthodox Christian Charities) to be the Keynote Speaker at the Annual Pan-Orthodox Grand Banquet benefiting IOCC on Thursday, April 11, 2013. While in Chicago, he made a pastoral visit to Saint Michael's Orthodox Church in nearby Niles, Illinois. On Wednesday evening, April 10, 2013. Bishop Gregory joined the faithful at Saint Michael's for the Lenten Service of the Moleben to the Holy Cross. Bishop Gregory was welcomed to the Parish by Church President Geary Foltman, in the traditional Slavic fashion with bread and salt and Father Samuel Sherry, pastor with the hand cross.

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- The Diocesan Chancery has been informed that the Very Rev. Fr. Stephen Kundla, Pastor of St. Michael's Church in Clymer, PA fell-asleep-in-the Lord, yesterday, April 10, 2013.

AMBRIDGE, PA -- [National ACRY] Plans are in the works for the Annual Metropolitan Orestes Memorial Bowling Tournament, sponsored by the National ACRY which will take place next month in Pittsburgh, PA over Memorial Day weekend. Diocesan faithful and friends are cordially invited by members of St. John The Baptist Orthodox Church of Ambridge PA, ACRY Chapter, to spend an enjoyable weekend of bowling, Christian Fellowship and worship. All are welcome and need not be ACRY members to take part.

JOHNSTOWN, PA ---The deadline for reservations for the Eastern Regional Lenten Retreat, which will take place on Saturday April 20, 2013 at Holy Ghost Orthodox Church, Phoenixville, PA, has been extended until Sunday April 14, 2013. Please contact Mrs. Tracey Bilanin at tbilanin@yahoo.com or (484) 624-4664 to make your reservations. A great day is planned and will include a presentation by His Grace Bishop Gregory presentation on the topic Repentance and Confession. He will be assisted by Mr. Theodore Nicolakis

TORONTO -- On April 9, 2013, the Seminarians from Christ the Saviour Seminary, accompanied by the Very Rev. Jonathan Tobias began a week pilgrimage to St. John the Compassionate Mission in Toronto, Canada. This trip is part of a credited course in Orthodox Missiology, and is designed to expose the students to the multi-facited ministries of this far reaching mission. Arriving in the early evening, the Seminarians were greeted at the Mission by Deacon Pawel Mucha, the prefect of the Lived Theology School. After a brief tour of the Mission complex, the Seminarians retired to Lorimel House, the home of the Lived Theology School, where they will find lodging during their stay. They were treated to a delicious Lenten supper.

JOHNSTOWN, PA [Christ The Saviour Seminary] -- Eight seminarians from Christ the Saviour Seminary, with Very Rev Fr Jonathan Tobias, will travel to the St John the Compassionate Mission in Toronto on Tuesday, April 9th. They will stay there until Monday, April 15th. During the week, the seminarians will be helping in the work of the Mission in the Mission’s many various ministries.

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- His Grace, Bishop Gregory has issued an appeal to diocesan parishes to assist the National ACRY in submitting nominations for their Annual Church School Teacher of the Year Award. The following is the text of His Grace's communique: During a recent meeting with the officers of the National Senior ACRY, I was pleased to learn that each year the ACRY recognizes an exemplary Church School Teacher

HOMESTEAD, PA -- On April 6, 2013, the Central Regional Diocesan Lenten Retreat, sponsored by the National ACRY took place at St. Nicholas Church in Homestead, PA.The day-long retreat began with the celebration of All Souls Saturday Liturgy and concluded with Great Vespers and Litya for the Feast of the Annunciation.

TORONTO -- The Lived Theology School, an Apostolate of The American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese was featured on a special broadcast on the Ancient Faith, internet radio. Listen to Broadcast here:

BROOKLINE, MA -- Orthodox College Students from throughout North America will be participating in the Orthodox Christian Fellowship's Annual Day of Prayer, from 6:00 pm April 7 - 6:00 pm April 8, 2013. 23 OCF chapters and the North American OCF office will each offer prayers for one hour around the clock.

MERCER, PA -- Camp Nazareth and Orthodox Christian Fellowship are proud to announce the "Second Annual Overcome the World College Retreat," will take place at Camp Nazareth in Mercer, PA on May 19-21, 2013. College Students are invited to come and recharge their spiritual batteries, make new friends and experience Orthodox Christianity like never before. There will be guest speakers, group workshops, evening social events, food, fun and plenty of opportunity for faith enrichment.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.