JOHNSTOWN, PA-- Radiant joy was the order of the day as three young men, preparing for the Holy Priesthood, graduated from Christ the Saviour Seminary here on Thursday, May 22. His Grace, Bishop Gregory of Nyssa presented the Bachelor of Theology degree to the members of the Class of 2014: Deacon Joseph Birthisel, Daniel Vaskalis and Matthew Dutko. The graduation ceremonies followed the celebration of Vespers in the Seminary Chapel.

Dear Diocesan Parents and Children, This summer, our Diocese is pleased to offer a new event specifically for our young women. The First Annual Young Women’s Retreat will provide an opportunity for the young women of our Diocese to spend time in each other’s company, have fun, pray together, and learn about how God calls each woman to serve His church with her talents and abilities. This Retreat will take place concurrently with the Diocesan Altar Boy’s Retreat. In many ways, these separate experiences are meant to parallel each other, with each focusing on the experience, vocations, and unique gifts bestowed upon the young men and women of our Church.

JOHNSTOWN, PA - Plans are underway for the Annual Altar Boy Retreat which will take place from Sunday evening, June 29th (Registration is from 6pm till 8 p.m.) until Wednesday, July 2nd. The Retreat will once again take place at Christ the Savior Seminary, Cathedral and Education Center in Johnstown and SS. Peter & Paul Church facilities in Windber. For our outing this year, we are planning a visit to PNC Park to see the Pittsburgh Pirates

JOHNSTOWN, PA [National Junior ACRY] - If you’ve ever been to Camp Nazareth, chances are you can’t wait to go back. Wouldn’t it be great if you were able to go for free? Each year, the National Jr. ACRY holds a Camp Essay Contest that anyone across the diocese can enter. If your essay is chosen as the winner, the National Jr. ACRY will pay for one full Diocesan week of camp if you are a National Jr. ACRY member. If you are not a member of the National Jr. ACRY, half of your camping week will be paid for.

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- [Diocesan Chancery] -- At the invitation of His All-Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, Orthodox Youth Workers from the various Eparchies of the Ecumenical Patriarchate throughout the world gathered in the queen of cities, Constantinople (Istanbul, Turkey) from May 2-4, 2014 for an International Orthodox Youth Workers Forum. With the Blessing of His Grace, Bishop Gregory of Nyssa, Very Rev. Fr. Stephen Loposky, The Diocesan Director of Youth, represented the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese of the USA. The youth workers were called together by the Ecumenical Patriarch to participate in a forum for an exchange of opinions and experiences in order to deliberate on the vital subject of ministering to our youth with a view to establishing a youth network with the blessing of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The participants spent time in formal session, listening to speakers presenting on various topics of interest to their common work in keeping youth connected to the Church.

JOHNSTOWN - [National Jr. ACRY] - The deadline for submitting an application for a 2014 National Jr. ACRY Scholarship or Award is fast approaching! In order to be considered, all necessary forms and recommendation letter must be received by July 15th. Each year the Jr. ACRY offers scholarship and awards to Jr. ACRY members. We also offer an opportunity for local chapters to bring forward chapter proposals which will help our organization grow and make the changes she needs for us to all do the best work we can. We hope you will consider applying or submitting nominations for one or more of the schloarships and awards offered by the JR ACRY.

HERMITAGE, PA -On Saturday, May 3rd, 2014, 25 clergy and lay leaders from the parishes of the Youngstown Deanery came together for a one-day Stewardship Conference. The event was held at Saint John's Church in Hermitage, PA. Following Morning Prayers and introductions, Fr. Frederick Watson, chairman of the Diocesan Stewardship Commission, gave two presentations on the meaning of stewardship and its implementation in parishes.

Dear Diocesan Parents and Children, This summer, our Diocese is pleased to offer a new event specifically for our young women. The First Annual Young Women’s Retreat will provide an opportunity for the young women of our Diocese to spend time in each other’s company, have fun, pray together, and learn about how God calls each woman to serve His church with her talents and abilities. This Retreat will take place concurrently with the Diocesan Altar Boy’s Retreat. In many ways, these separate experiences are meant to parallel each other, with each focusing on the experience, vocations, and unique gifts bestowed upon the young men and women of our Church.

The deadline for submitting a 2014 National ACRY Scholarship application is fast approaching! In order to be considered, all necessary forms and recommendation letters must be received by June 1st. Each year the ACRY offers the following scholarships to ACRY members: Freshman, Sophmore, Junior, Senior/Metropolitan Orestes, Graduate, Trade/Technical, Seminarian and Mary Kay Wanchak Memorial.

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- The schedule of His Grace, Bishop Gregory of Nyssa for May 2014, has been released by the Diocesan Chancery.

MERCER, PA - [Camp Nazareth Retreat and Conference Center] - Diocesan Clergy will meet at Camp Nazareth in Mercer, PA, for the 2014 Clergy Retreat in two separate venues, beginning tomorrow, Bright Wednesday (April 23, 2014). Diocesan priests will meet with His Grace, Bishop Gregory from Bright Wednesday through Bright Friday ( April 23-25, 2014) and Diocesan Deacons, Subdeacons and Readers from Bright Friday through the afternoon of Bright Saturday.

On this great and glorious feast of Pascha—the Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, our hearts are filled with tremendous joy, our souls are transformed and we bask in the Light of Truth. I wish to share with you the inspiring, uplifting and brilliant homily of our Father among the Saints, Athanasius the Great. Brethren, how fine a thing it is to move from festival to festival, from prayer to prayer, from holy day to holy day. The time is now at hand when we enter on a new beginning: the proclamation of the blessed Passover, in which the Lord was sacrificed. We feed as on the food of life, we constantly refresh our souls with His precious blood, as from a fountain.

JOHNSTOWN, PA --- The Very Rev. Protopresbyter Robert Buczak has announced today, the following schedule of live broadcasts of Holy Week and Paschal Services at Christ the Saviour Cathedral: Matins of Holy Friday (Reading of 12 Passion Gospels) -Thursday April 17, 2014 - 7:00 pm; Holy Friday Vespers - Fri April 18, 2014 - 7:00pm; Resurrection Matins - Sat. April 19, 2014 - 8:00 pm.

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- The schedule of His Grace, Bishop Gregory of Nyssa for Holy Week 2014, has just been released by the Diocesan Chancery.

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- Parishes are invited to submit photos for an special on-line photo gallery featuring the celebration of Holy Week and Pascha in our diocese. Every parish community is invited to up to three photos for the photo gallery. Photos from actual services, showing faithful and especially youth in attendance are preferred. Please avoid sending photos of empty Churches. Please send photos to acrodphotos@acrod.org Please put in the body of the e-mail the name of the parish, and a brief captions describing the photos. Please do not send captions as attached document files. The deadline for submissions is Monday, April 28, 2014. Photos will be posted in the order they are received and will be organized by deanery.

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- The schedule of His Grace, Bishop Gregory of Nyssa for April 2014, has been released by the Diocesan Chancery.

HOMESTEAD, PA [National ACRY] - On Saturday, March 29, 2014, St. Nicholas Orthodox Church of Homestead, PA was the host of the Annual Central Regional Diocesan Lenten Retreat. The retreat drew a record number of attendees - more than 160 youth, young adults and children.

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- The Diocesan Chancery wishes to remind Diocesan students that the May 1, 2014 deadline for the Kulis Foundation Scholarships is approaching. The Kulis Foundation will be awarding a total of twenty (20) scholarships totaling $100,000.00, for the 2014-2015 school-year. The scholarships will be awarded to ten (10) undergraduate and ten (10) graduate recipients with each scholarship amounting to $5,000.00. The deadline to submit application materials is May 1, 2014.

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- With a heavy heart, the Diocesan Chancery wishes to announce that +DEACON JAMES JANIEC reposed in the Lord on Monday March 24, 2014 shortly after entering into hospice care. Deacon James, a parishioner of Christ the Saviour Cathedral in Johnstown, was ordained to the Holy Diaconate by His Grace, Bishop Gregory of Nyssa on August 28, 2013, the Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God at Christ The Saviour Cathedral. Since his ordination to the Diaconate,

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- [Diocesan Chancery] His Grace Bishop Gregory has offered the following letter of condolence on behalf of the clergy and faithful of the diocese on the Repose of His Eminence, Metropolitan Philip to Archbishop Joseph, Locum Tenens of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America: Glory to Jesus Christ! Your Eminence: It is with a heavy heart that I express the condolences of our Diocese, her entire Priesthood, Monastics consecrated to the religious life, Seminarians and our Faithful on the deep loss the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese is experiencing on the recent passing to eternal life of your father-in-Christ, His Eminence, Metropolitan Philip Saliba. Many among us remember that His Eminence had a wonderful relationship with our Bishops for a very long time, they having worked along-side each other during the period His Eminence led your Archdiocese for over 40 years. It has been a time of continuous growth and renewal for all of you.