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.

I greet you with great joy and love in the Name of our Incarnate Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! I give thanks to Almighty God by whose grace we have been given the opportunity to celebrate the Birth of His Son. Looking around, we still see hatred, mistrust, violence, suffering, and the absence of peace in our world. This reality of life in this world makes us cry out for God’s help, assistance and intervention. The holy gift of God’s Son at Christmas reveals to us His love and care for all humanity. As human beings, we are awed by the miracle of God becoming man: the divine glory revealed in a child born in poor circumstances, the omnipotent Creator a little baby in His Mother’s arms.

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- The Diocesan Chancery wishes to provide the following update on the Fr. Michael Michael Rosco Memorial Habitat for Humanity Building Project, provided by St. John The Baptist Church of Perth Amboy, NJ, the project coordinator. St. John’s Church is pleased to announce the three 2016 build dates for this project in collaboration with IOCC and Habitat For Humanity (Tamany West) as follows: 1. Kickoff Build Week: Arrival - Monday June 06 - Departure - Saturday June 11 2. Middle Summer Build Week: Arrival - Monday July 18 - Departure - Saturday July 23 3. Final Summer Build Week: Arrival - Monday August 15 - Departure - Saturday August 20 4. Dedication Week: November / December 2016 (TBD)

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- The public schedule of His Grace, Bishop Gregory of Nyssa for December 2015, has been released by the Diocesan Chancery.

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- With gratitude to Almighty God, the clergy and the faithful of the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese extend their heartfelt congratulations and best wishes, today - November 27, 2015, to His Grace, Bishop Gregory of Nyssa on the third anniversary of his Consecration and Enthronement as Ruling Diocesan Bishop. Today is also His Grace's Name's Day, St Gregory Palamas, as celebrated on the Julian Calendar. The past year has been another joyful year for the clergy and the faithful of the Diocese as they have worked together with His Grace in the Vineyard of the Lord.

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- It is proper and just to sing to You, to bless You, to praise You, to thank You, to worship You in every place of Your kingdom, for You are God, ineffable, inconceivable, invisible, incomprehensible, ever existing yet ever the same, You and Your only-begotten Son and Your Holy Spirit. You brought us out of non-existence into being and, when we had fallen, You raised us up again, and left nothing undone to lead us to heaven and to bestow upon us Your future kingdom. For all this we give thanks to You and to Your only-begotten Son and Your Holy Spirit, for all that we know and do not know

JOHNSTOWN, PA [Diocesan Chancery] - With the Blessing of His Grace, Bishop Gregory and the approval of the Diocesan Board of Trustees, the Camp Nazareth cabins and other infrastructure are undergoing a significant upgrade in the off-season. The project is well underway and is scheduled to be completed by March 1, 2016, in time for the 2016 Summer Camping Season. Those who received a parish visit from His Grace, Bishop Gregory since last year at this time, or who had a family member attend Camp this past summer, undoubtedly have heard about the project, but may still not know all its details. The project is extensive and when it is completed it will be a major improvement to the quality of the camping experience for our children.

My beloved Faithful Clergy and Laity of our God-Protected Diocese: It is hard to believe that this month marks the third anniversary of my Consecration and Enthronement as your Bishop. I have enjoyed travelling throughout the Diocese and visiting your parishes and getting to know you. I have been encouraged that while the majority of our Diocesan parishes are small in size, the clergy and faithful who labor in the Vineyard of the Lord are doing much to further the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. As you have heard me preach, I am deeply concerned about the state of affairs in the world. There is strife and conflict in every corner of the globe, including our own country, our local communities and even our families.

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- The public schedule of His Grace, Bishop Gregory of Nyssa for November 2015, has been released by the Diocesan Chancery.

JOHNSTOWN, PA [National ACRY] With the blessing of His Grace, Bishop Gregory, the National Sr. ACRY is pleased to announce their second annual Advent Mission Project. After a successful project last year, the members of the Senior ACRY decided at the 2015 National Convention, to support an initiative to build a Habitat for Humanity Home in memory of +Protopresbyter Michael Rosco. This memorial building project is being spearheaded by the faithful of Fr. Michael’s former parish, St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church of Perth Amboy, NJ, in conjunction with International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC). Plans call for a home to be built in the Summer of 2016 for a deserving family in Mandeville, LA where Fr. Michael, working with IOCC Relief teams, assisted with 3 similar building projects in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. It was through his initial efforts that the Diocese saw an increased awareness and participation in hands-on mission work. That work continues to this day.

JOHNSTOWN, PA - The Chancery has learned that + JOSEPH PARIMUCHA, former Diocesan Trustee and talented architect who designed the Diocesan Chancery Building, Saints Cyril and Methodios Church at Camp Nazareth and Holy Resurrection Church, fell asleep in the Lord on Sunday October 18, 2015. Funeral arrangements are as follows: Wednesday, October 21 - Visitation at Holy Resurrection Church (Potomac, MD) from 2-5 PM and 7-9 PM, Parastas will be at 7 PM.

MERCER, PA [Camp Nazareth] -- On Thursday morning, October 18, 2015, a few priests and lay people gathered together at Camp Nazareth to celebrate the groundbreaking service for the beginning of the Camp’s Cabin Expansion Project. It turned out to be a beautiful day on which to celebrate outdoors and say the prayers together to begin this project. The service was celebrated at the Holy Innocents Shrine. The Holy Innocents are the patron saints of the Camp itself. Their shrine is located in the grove of trees in front of cabins 4 & 5. The shrine was beautifully adorned with Fall plants and flowers; fitting for the task at hand. The service itself was beautiful. The Very Rev. Protopresbyter Kenneth Bachofsky, who is the Camp Overseer, mentioned after the service was over that St. Paul exhorts us to pray at all times, to pray constantly, as a way of both putting and showing our trust in God, and as a way of defeating the evil one.

JOHNSTOWN, PA - The Chancery has learned that +KATHERINE MACURA, the mother of Very Rev. Fr. E. Michael Macura of St. John the Baptist Church Stratford, CT (Silver Lane) fell asleep in the Lord on Thursday Oct 1, 2015. Katherine, the widow of John Macura, was born in Torysky, Czechoslovakia to the late Joseph and Anna (Zentkovich) Bradac and immigrated to the United States at a very young age. She lived in Bridgeport for over 50 years and Stratford since 1999. She was a devoted member of the Carpatho Russian Orthodox Church of St. John the Baptist, Mill Hill Avenue, Bridgeport where she was a member of the Mothers & Daughters Club, St. John’s Seniors, the Orthodox Council of Eastern Orthodox Christian Churches of Greater Bridgeport, CT and the Carpatho Rusyn Society.

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- The public schedule of His Grace, Bishop Gregory of Nyssa for September 2015, has been released by the Diocesan Chancery.

JOHNSTOWN, PA - The Chancery is pleased to announce that registration for the 2015 College Conferences is now open. The conferences will be held during Christmas Break in two locations: St. Nicholas Ranch in Dunlap, Calif and Antiochian Village in Bolivar, Pa.; each centering on Orthodox Christian Fellowship's (OCF) theme for the year - "Modern Martyrs: Witnesses of the Word." This College Conference theme will address our calling to be martyrs for Christ by being witnesses of the Faith. As college students living in a secularized world, there are numerous opportunities for us as Orthodox Christians to be witnesses/martyrs for Christ on college campuses: in the dorm room, on social media, and in every aspect of our lives. This theme will also address the current-day persecution of Christians and provide some insights into how we can best aid our Christian brothers and sisters across the globe.

JOHNSTOWN, PA [Diocesan Chancery] – Due to planned renovations at Camp Nazareth, The National Jr. ACRY will be hosting its Weekend Encounter at St Nicholas Orthodox Church in New York City over Veteran’s Day Weekend. The event will be held from November 6 –8, 2015, and is open to youth ages 8 – 18. You do not have to be a member of the Jr. ACRY to attend. The weekend’s activities will include time for prayer, recreating, learning more about the Faith, and more. During the weekend, you can catch up with old friends, make new friends, and have fun while living the Faith

JOHNSTOWN, PA [Diocesan Chancery] - His Grace, Bishop Gregory has graciously accepted the invitation to be the keynote speaker at the Holy Trinity Orthodox Christian Academy and Preschool Annual Faithful Servants Benefit Dinner to be held on Saturday September 26, 2015 at St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in Warren, Ohio. The benefit dinner is held each year to support the operation of Holy Trinity Academy and Preschool, which is the only Orthodox Christian School in Ohio. It serves students from Preschool to 6th Grade and is in its thirteenth year of service. Bishop Gregory will be accepting donations and gifts in honor or memory of loved ones for Holy Trinity at the banquet. The fundraising goal is $10,000 so that the academic year will start with success!

BINGHAMTON, NY -- The 71st Annual National Senior and 32nd National Junior American Carpatho-Russian Youth Convention commenced today at the Double Tree Hilton. Hosted by St Michael's Church and Junior and Senior A.C.R.Y. Chapter 40 of Binghamton, NY, the weekend convention will bring delegates together from ACRY chapters throughout the diocese to chart the course for the coming year.

JOHNSTOWN, PA - The Chancery has learned that +BERNARD Buczak, the father of Very Rev. Protopresbyter Robert Buczak, fell asleep in the Lord, yesterday, September 2, 2015. Funeral Arrangements are as follows: Visitation will be at VAIA Funeral Home at Twin Valley, 463 Athens Drive, Delmont, PA 15626 on Friday, September 5, 2015 from 2-8 PM. Funeral Mass is on Saturday at 10 AM in St. Sylvester Roman Catholic Church, Slickville, PA.

CONSTANTINOPLE [Istanbul, Turkey] -- His Grace Bishop Gregory has arrived safely in Constantinople and is presently participating in a Synaxis (Assembly) of the Hierarchy of the Ecumenical Throne from around the world at the Ecumenical Patriarchate convened upon the invitation and under the Presidency of His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. Official Meetings began on August 29 at Holy Trinity Church in Taksim Square and will continue through September 2. On September 1, following the Divine Liturgy at the Patriarchal Church of St. George, His All Holiness, followed by all the hierarchs, in keeping with an impressive and centuries old tradition, will sign the Act of the New Indiction marking the beginning of the Ecclesiastical New Year. In addition, the day also has been set aside by the Ecumenical Patriarchate as one of prayers for the preservation and protection of the natural environment which is observed by all sister Orthodox Churches in the world. Upon his return from the Synaxis, His Grace will preside over the Annual National ACRY Convention in Binghamton, NY, where on Sunday, September 6, 2015 he will ordain Deacon William Bennett to the Holy Priesthood.