JOHNSTOWN [National ACRY] -- Thanks to the generosity of the members of the ACRY, the faithful of the Diocese and the Kulis Foundation, Nate Choma, the ACRY Ambassador, and College Student at Kent State University begins his OCF sponsored Real Break Journey to Romania, today. Nate is part of student team that is travelling to Valea Plopului, a remote village about 70 miles north of Bucharest, Romania. This community takes care of about 220 orphans, handicapped children and children from families with financial hardships.

ANTIOCHIAN ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN ARCHDIOCESE OF NORTH AMERICA -- With great sadness, The Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America announces the passing unto life eternal of His Eminence the Most Reverend Metropolitan Philip (Saliba), Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of All North America.

ELIZABETH, NJ [National ACRY] - St. Nicholas Orthodox Church and ACRY Chapter #34 of Elizabeth, New Jersey, is pleased to be the host for the 2014 66th Metropolitan Orestes Memorial Bowling Tournament. Come join them for an enjoyable weekend of bowling, Christian Fellowship and worship! The tournament is open to all members of the Diocesan and their friends, membership in the ACRY is not required. Not a bowler? No worries, there will be plenty of other enjoyable activities as Elizabeth is in close proximity to New York City and the Jersey Shore.

NILES, IL --The Chancery has been notified that +MARY BOWE, the mother of Pani Nancy Shuster, fell asleep in the Lord yesterday, March 14, 2014. She was 91 . She was a parishioner of St. Michael's Orthodox Church in Niles, IL Visitation will be on Monday, March 17, 2014 from 3-9pm at Russo Hillside Chapels, 4500 Roosevelt Road , Hillside, IL 60162 Panachida will be served at 7:30pm. A Parastas service will take place at St. Michael's Church in Niles, IL at 10am on Tuesday morning.

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- His Grace, Bishop Gregory has issued a cordial invitation to all Diocesan Youth and their families to join him at Camp Nazareth for the second annual Family Camp which will take place during Camp Nazareth's upcoming Family Day Weekend. The text of his pastoral letter, Protocol No. 5, is as follows: Glory to Jesus Christ! Dear Diocesan Parents and Children, Our Diocese is pleased to offer our second annual Family Camp at Camp Nazareth this year in conjunction with Family Day. The event is exactly what it sounds like. Families “camping” together in the Camp cabins and participating in a weekend of services, games, discussions, activities and challenges that are all designed to help families deepen their relationship with God and with one another. Last year we had 7 Families and a total of 24 participants at Family Camp. We had a wonderful time together and we are looking forward to being together again this year. We know our families need support and help, especially in this day and age.

JOHNSTOWN, PA - [Diocesan Chancery] The Diocesan Stewardship Commission met on Tuesday, March 11th in Johnstown, PA. The meeting was hosted by His Grace Bishop Gregory of Nyssa and Very Reverend Protopresbyter Frank Miloro, Diocesan Chancellor. This was the first formal meeting of the Commission since the unanimous adoption of its first Stewardship Proposal by the delegates to the Diocesan Council-Sobor that took place in Johnstown from October 20 - 23, 2013. High on the meeting agenda was a report on responses to the Proposal’s resolution that, the parish council of every parish in the diocese designate a local stewardship coordinator to work with the diocesan Stewardship Commission and to lead the stewardship planning, education, and programs of the parish

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- On Sunday, March 9, 2014, His Grace Bishop Gregory led the faithful of Christ the Saviour Cathedral in the celebration of Divine Liturgy and Vespers for the Sunday of Orthodoxy. The cathedral celebration included a procession with icons prior to Divine Liturgy by the Cathedral children, and Pan-Orthodox Vespers in the afternoon with clergy from the Johnstown Deanery and area Orthodox Churches. His Grace, Bishop Gregory was the homilist at Vespers.

JOHNSTOWN, PA - The Chancery been advised that +PETER HOLUBZ, Jr, the father of Pani Deborah Zak, fell asleep in the Lord on Wednesday night, March 5. The funeral arrangements are as follows: Viewing is at the Moskal-Kennedy Funeral Home, Corner of Ohio Street and Highland Avenue, in the Moxham section of Johnstown, on Friday, March 7, 2014 from 2-4 PM and 6-9 PM. The Funeral Service will be served at 7 PM by Fr. R. Michael Zak. Funeral Divine Liturgy will be celebrated on Saturday March 8, 2014 at 10 AM in SS. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church on St.Clair Road in Johnstown with Father Mark Phillips (Pastor), celebrant.

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- Christ the Saviour Cathedral will be the host of the Greater Johnstown, PA Pan-Orthodox Vespers on the Sunday of Orthodoxy, March 9, 2014. His Grace Bishop Gregory will preside and preach at the 3:00 pm Vespers Service. As an outreach to the shut-ins and homebound, the service will be broadcast live via the internet. The service will also be recorded for later viewing

My beloved Faithful Clergy and Laity of our God-protected Diocese: As we begin Great Lent on March 3rd, 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.

Beloved brothers and sisters in the Lord, Our Orthodox Church recommends that, during this period of Great Lent, we focus our attention toward sincere repentance, “the melting pot of sin,” according to St. John Chrysostom. Repentance is the first topic of our Lord Jesus Christ’s preaching and the very essence of the Christian teaching. It is the Church’s daily invitation to us all. Despite this, many of us have not truly experienced repentance. We sometimes feel that it does not concern us personally because we have not “come to ourselves” in order to comprehend and contemplate how we may have committed any sin. However, as we are taught by the wise teacher of the spiritual life, Abba Isaac the Syrian, and as most of the Church Fathers proclaim through experience, repentance is necessary even for the perfect.

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- With the blessing of His Grace, Bishop Gregory, the National Junior ACRY, as in previous years, has taken it upon itself to aid the Diocesan ministry of Saint John the Compassionate, located in the inner city of Toronto, Ontario. The National Junior ACRY has renewed its ongoing effort to assist in the work of Saint John the Compassionate. This renewed commitment was affirmed at the National Convention in Chicago this past summer. One again members of the Junior ACRY had the opportunity to visit the Mission this past summer and experience the labors of love that take place there each and everyday.

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.

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

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- The Diocesan Chancery has been informed that Diocesan Students may be eligible for a $5,000 Undergraduate or a $5,000 Graduate Scholarship through the John C. Kulis Charitable Foundation. A total of ten undergraduate and ten graduate scholarships will be awarded. To be eligible, a student must be actively involved in ther Eastern Orthodox faith and a member of a parish in one of the following jurisdictions: American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese of the USA, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, or the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the United States. Scholarships are based on need and all candidates must provide evidence of true financial need.

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- The Diocesan Chancery is pleased to announce that the on-line Orthodox Bible Study Class, hosted by St. Nicholas Orthodox Church of Warren, Ohio, will resume this coming Saturday, February 21, 2014 after a several week hiatus. The harsh winter weather caused water lines to burst, which resulted in extensive water damage to the Church complex and the internet broadcast system. This year's study is focusing on the Gospel of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John The class is led by Very Rev. Protopresbyter Kenneth Bachofsky, D. Min, Professor of Sacred Scripture at Christ the Saviour Seminary and Pastor of St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in Warren, Ohio. The class takes place on Saturday evenings at 4:45 pm and is approximately 60 minutes in duration. The Gospel of St. John is being read and discussed within the context of the patristic mindset of the Church. Emphasis is placed on both the Gospel's historical context and application to contemporary life.

ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE OF CONSTANTINOPE --His All-Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, the Archbishop of Constantinople, released the following message today to the Ukrainian Nation and the members of the Ukrainian community abroad in response to the escalating crisis in the Ukraine. Beloved children and friends in Ukraine and abroad,It is with heavy heart that we have been following the ongoing and, indeed, only escalating tragic circumstances in Ukraine over the last weeks. We feel that our brothers and sisters in Ukraine are our own flesh and blood. We endure the same sufferings that you suffer and we work with you for your joy, as St. Paul says. In our high responsibility as Ecumenical Patriarch, we are obliged to call for peace from the authorities in a democratic and independent nation, where its elected leaders – both in government and opposition – have the ultimate responsibility to protect the dignity of human life among its citizens.

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- [Diocesan Chancery] - Due to weather-related concerns, the Diocesan Priest Convocation scheduled for Feb 19-21 and the Readers/Subdeacons/Deacons Retreat (Feb 21-22) has been postponed. The convocation has been re-scheduled for Bright Week, Priests: April 23-25; Readers/Deacons/Sub-deacons: April 25-26.

JOHNSTOWN, PA - The Diocesan Chancery is pleased to announce the schedule of the annual Diocesan Lenten Retreats, which are sponsored by the ACRY for the upcoming Lenten Season. These retreats are open to everyone and contain special programing for youth and adults of all ages. Bishop Gregory, along with other talented clergy of the Diocese will offer insightful and inspiring presentations designed to encourage and challenge the faithful to stay focused on the spiritual life as they continue their Lenten Journey to Pascha.

LIGONIER, PA [Antiochian Village] The Annual Orthodox Christian Camp and Youth Workers Conference, co hosted by The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA and our Diocese, and held at Antiochian Village in Ligonier, PA commenced yesterday, January 23, 2014. Centering on the theme, Writing Icons of the Kingdom, this annual conference which is open to all those involved in Youth Ministry across all jurisdictions in the United States and Canada offers Church School Teachers, Youth Directors, Camp Directors, those involved in youth programming, and many others to come together, learn, share insights, network, and together lay the foundations for further inter-Orthodox cooperation and ministry to our youth.