JOHNSTOWN, PA -- His Grace Bishop Gregory and Chancellor Protopresbyter Frank Miloro hosted the Spring 2015 meeting of the Diocesan Stewardship Commission at the Diocesan Chancery in Johnstown on Tuesday, May 5. The Commission welcomed its three newest members; Daniel Hromyak of St. John the Baptist church in Hermitage, PA, Barbara Knighton of St. Michael church in Binghamton, NY, and Andrew Podolak of Nativity of our Lord mission parish in Manassas, VA.

JOHNSTOWN, PA - Plans are underway for the Annual Altar Boy Retreat which will take place from Sunday evening, June 28th (Registration is from 6pm till 8 p.m.) until Wednesday, July 1st. 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. This year's outing will be to Outdoor Odyssey, a leadership academy located in Windber, PA.

JOHNSTOWN, PA [National Sr. ACRY] -- The National Sr. ACRY is pleased to announce that application forms are now on-line on the ACRY website for its Annual Scholarship Awards. ACRY members may apply for the following scholarships: Freshman, Sophmore, Junior, Senior/Metropolitan Orestes, Graduate, Trade/Technical, Seminarian, Mary Kay Wanchak Memorial. Deadline for Submission of 2015 Scholarship Form is June 15, 2015. To be eligible for a scholarship the applicants home chapter must have submitted their their annual donation to ACRY Scholarship Fund to the National Financial Secretary by July 1, 2015.

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- Registration is now open for the Second Annual Diocesan Young Women's Encounter which will take place from Sunday, June 28th to Wednesday, July 1st, 2015 at Sts Peter and Paul Church in Windber, PA . The Encounter, which is open to young women in our Diocese ages 12-18, 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.

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

MERCER, PA [Camp Nazareth] The Diocesan Chancery and Camp Nazareth are pleased to announce that Camp now has Online Registration available to register for Summer Camp. The new online system went “live” today and can be accessed through the Camp Nazareth website at campnazareth.org. This new system will enable our campers and their parents to complete most of the registration process without having to keep track of paper documents and material. It will also simplify the process for the Camp when it comes to registration. The new system will allow campers and their families to pay for Camp online. This is a significant step forward for the Camp and one that will enable it to more effectively minister to our children. In the coming year the new Online Registration System will be able to be modified to accommodate other Diocesan events.

In related news, the Diocesan Apostolate for Information Technology,

JOHNSTOWN, PA [Diocesan Chancery] -- Pan Orthodox United is thrilled to announce their 3rd annual Midwest Fellowship Weekend to be held in Akron, Ohio from May 29, 2015 – May 31, 2015. The weekend is a cross-jurisdictional event that is being hosted by a group of churches in the Akron area. It will give attendees a chance to meet and spend time with their peers from different Orthodox jurisdictions across the US. Highlights of the Fellowship Weekend will include a Charity Walk to benefit Zoe For Life, a soccer tournament, group service project to benefit FOCUS Cleveland, other sporting activities, church services (including Vespers and Liturgy), and an International Festival with local Orthodox faithful that will include dinner and a display and lessons in ethnic dancing.

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- His Grace Bishop Gregory has issued the following Archpastoral Letter regarding the upcoming Diocesan Young Women's Retreat: Dear Diocesan Parents and Children, During the 1st ever Young Women's Encounter last summer 26 young women from across our Diocese had the opportunity to hear from Orthodox women who are following God's calling. They enjoyed fellowship and learned to use their individual gifts and find their role in the Church. This summer, our Diocese is happy to host the 2nd Annual Young Women's Encounter! The YWE is designed specifically for our Diocesan young women.

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. This year I want to share with you an excerpt from an inspiring, uplifting and brilliant homily of our Father among the Saints, Gregory of Nyssa. The reign of life has begun, the tyranny of death is ended. A new birth has taken place, a new life has come, a new order of existence has appeared, our very nature has been transformed! This birth is not brought about by human generation, by the will of man, or by the desire of the flesh, but by God.

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- Complete details regarding the upcoming 67th Metropolitan Orestes Memorial Bowling Tournament have just been released by the National ACRY. This year's tournament which will take place on Memorial Day Weekend May 22-25, 2015 is being hosted by St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church of Stratford, CT ( Silver Lane). While sponsored by the National ACRY, it is open to all Diocesan faithful who wish to enjoy a weekend of Christian Fellowship and worship.

JOHNSTOWN, PA ---The Very Rev. Protopresbyter Robert Buczak has announced today that scheduled Divine Services for Holy Week at Christ the Saviour Cathedral will be live streamed. Holy Friday Vespers, Resurrection Matins and the Paschal Divine Liturgy will be archived for on-demand viewing.

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- Diocesan Parishes are cordially invited to submit via email up to 3 photos of this year's Holy week and Paschal services for inclusion in a special photo gallery, "Pascha throughout the Diocese".

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

JOHNSTOWN, PA [National Sr. ACRY] --- Through the generosity of numerous Sr. ACRY chapters and parishes throughout the diocese, the National Sr. ACRY is pleased to announce that their first annual Diocesan Advent Mission Project has been a huge success. To date, over $3700.00 has been collected to benefit Diocesan mission parishes. Funds collected will be used to assist our Diocesan mission parishes that are in need of various liturgical articles and supplies. The National Sr. ACRY is currently working closely with the Diocesan Chancery to address the significant needs of our mission parishes.

JOHNSTOWN, PA [Diocesan Chancery]-- From March 7 through March 14, 2015, Diocesan college students joined their contemporaries from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America on an OCF (Orthodox Christian Fellowship) Real Break Trip to Slovakia. OCF’s Real Break aims to prepare college students to be socially informed Orthodox Christian citizens of this world, while directing their focus on the world to come, the kingdom of heaven. Built on a foundation of fellowship, education, worship, and service, Real Break provides students the opportunity to understand the true meaning of seeing Christ in the other – traveling to all parts of the world during spring break

OTTAWA, CANADA --- During the last half of March break, the Senior Youth Group of Christ the Saviour Orthodox Sobor in Ottawa Canada went to volunteer at Saint John the Compassionate Mission in Toronto. They had a great group of 12 eager teenagers who were ready and willing to work. Prior to taking their journey, they held a fundraiser at their church to cover the cost of the trip and a donation for the mission. Through their efforts, they were able to donate $1400 to Saint John's to help support the mission's fantastic work!

JOHNSTOWN, PA --- The Diocesan Chancery is pleased to announce that the National Jr. ACRY has received a matching funds grant from the John C. Kulis Charitable Foundation up to $10,000 in support of their Annual Lenten Youth Project. As the faithful of the Diocese are aware, the National Junior ACRY undertakes each year a Lenten Youth Project to promote the teachings of Christ to fulfill the needs of others through good works of charity. For many years now the National Junior ACRY has supported the work of the Diocesan inner city mission of Saint John the Compassionate in Toronto. This project is ongoing

Johnstown, PA [Diocesan Chancery] -- Very Rev. Protopresbyter Luke Mihaly, Pastor of Holy Trinity Orthodox Church of Danbury, CT and Dean of the New England Deanery, is presently leading an Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF) Real Break Trip to St. Nicholas Children's Home in Mezilaborce, Slovakia, which is taking place through March 15, 2015. The St. Nicholas Children’s Home was constituted in 1994 by the Orthodox Church in Presov. In that same year, the St. Nicholas Children’s Home also established a special kindergarten.

JOHNSTOWN, PA [Diocesan Chancery] -- The Divine Services during His Grace, Bishop Gregory's weekend visitation to his home parish of St. Nektarios Greek Orthodox Church in Charlotte, NC with the Myrrh-streaming Icon of the Theotokos Kardiotissa will be live-streamed on the internet and will be available on St Nektarios's parish website. The Schedule of Divine Services is as follows: Fri March 6 - 7:00 pm Salutations To The Theotokos. Sat March 7 - 6:00 pm Presentation By His Grace Bishop Gregory followed by Great Vespers at 7:00 pm

JOHNSTOWN, PA [Diocesan Chancery] -- His Grace, Bishop Gregory, in what has become an annual tradition, embarked yesterday upon a seven day journey to celebrate the Divine Services of Holy Week with the faithful of seven Diocesan Communities. His Grace's itinerary includes: St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in Barton, Ohio; Holy Cross Mission in Columbus, Ohio; Sts Cyril and Methodios Church, Mercer, PA; St Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church and St. Nicholas Church, Warren, Ohio; St. Mary's Church, Morgantown, WV; Nativity of Our Lord Church, Manasses, VA and Christ the Saviour Cathedral.