JOHNSTOWN, PA -- With the setting of the sun and the celebration of Forgiveness Vespers this evening, the season of The Great Fast has been ushered in throughout our God-Saved Diocese and the entire Orthodox Church. This Holy Season, as His Grace, Bishop Gregory has reminded us in his Lenten Archpastoral Letter, " is a time for self-examination and self-denial. We must take control of our lives and bodies with fasting in order to gain a greater awareness of our dependence on and relationship with God." To assist the faithful in making the most of this holy season, additional resources have been added to our Diocesan Website.

My beloved Faithful Clergy and Laity of our God-Protected Diocese: As we begin Great Lent this year on February 23rd, I want to share with you a few thoughts so that we may journey through this reflective period and arrive at the Great Feast of Pascha spiritually uplifted to receive the Resurrected Christ. This journey is a time for self-examination and self-denial. We must take control of our lives and bodies with fasting in order to gain a greater awareness of our dependence on and relationship with God. In addition, this journey gives greater time for doing those things that Christ mentioned in Matthew 25: 31-46. He instructed us to feed the hungry,

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- As a result of feedback provided from both on-site and on-line participants, the next topic for our Diocesan on-line Orthodox Scripture Study will be the Book of Revelation (The Apocalypse) The study is scheduled to begin on Saturday March 7, 2015 at 5:00 pm. This weekly on-line scripture study will be led by the Very Rev. Protopresbyter Kenneth Bachofsky, Professor of Sacred Scripture at Christ the Saviour Seminary and broadcast live from St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in Warren, Ohio. This study will draw on the patristic voice of the Fathers

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- His Grace, Bishop Gregory of Nyssa, in an Archpastoral Letter which has been released today, has requested that Diocesan clergy and faithful take part in a national study commissioned by the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America. This National study entitled “Exploring Orthodox Generosity: Giving in US Orthodox Parishes”. Both Clergy and Laity have been invited to participate in this unique project. The following are a few examples of questions that the study will explore: Why do people give or don’t give to parishes?

JOHNSTOWN, PA - The Chancery has learned that + George Hazuda Jr. (86) passed to life eternal on January 24. + George is the brother of Very Rev. Protopresbyter Ronald Hazuda and Pani Eleanor Polanichka. He was a member of St. John's Church in Nesquehoning where he served formerly as parish treasurer.

I greet you with joy and love in the Name of our Incarnate Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Let us give thanks to Almighty God, by whose grace we have been given the opportunity to celebrate the Birth of His Son. If we look around, we find hatred, mistrust, suffering, and the absence of peace and love in our neighborhood, city, country, and in fact the whole world.

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- With the blessing of His Grace, Bishop Gregory of Nyssa, Christ the Saviour Cathedral is pleased to announce that it will host a three week Advent Lecture series. The lectures, which will be open to the public and will be live streamed via the internet, will take place on Tuesday evenings at 7:00 pm beginning December 2, 2014. They will be one hour in duration and will include a Q & A session.

JOHNSTOWN, PA - The Chancery is pleased to announce that The Orthodox Christian Fellowship Campus Ministry (OCF) has announced its schedule of 2015 Real Break Trips. Of note to our Diocesan College Students is a proposed trip to St Nicholas Home for Children in Slovakia from March 6-14, 2015, which would would be led by Very Rev.

JOHNSTOWN, PA - The Chancery is pleased to announce that registration for the 2014 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

JOHNSTOWN, PA [Diocesan Chancery] -- Diocesan clergy and faithful are cordially invited to take part in the 2014 Orthodox Institute for Continuing Education in the Faith which will take place at Antiochian Village from October 30- November 2, 2014. The theme of this year's Institute and weekend of spiritual renewal is Theosis: Your Life With God.

DALLAS, TX -- His Grace, Bishop Gregory is participating in the Fifth Annual Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the USA Meeting, here in Dallas from Sept 15 -18. Bishop Gregory was selected to serve on a panel of Bishops who fielded questions from the faithful in attendance at the opening Doxology Service about the work of the Assembly.

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- [Diocesan Chancery] - For the first time in the history of the Summer Camping Sessions at Camp Nazareth, our Diocesan youth will be blessed to witness the ordination of two young men tomorrow, July 18, 2014 at the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at Sts Cyril and Methodios Church. During the Liturgy, Seminary Graduate Matthew Dutko, of St. Michael's Church in Binghamton, NY will be ordained to the orders of Reader, Sub-deacon and Deacon and Deacon Joseph Birthisel, of Christ the Saviour Cathedral in Johnstown will be ordained to the Holy Priesthood.

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.

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.

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- On Sunday, May 12, 2013, The faculty, students and family members of Christ the Saviour Seminary gathered at the Three Hierarch's Chapel for the Annual Commencement Ceremony. This year, the Bachelor of Theology Degree was awarded to Seminarian/ Sub-deacon William George. The Commencement Ceremony began with the celebration of the Moleben Service by Very Rev. Protopresbyter Frank P. Miloro, Dean of Students.

Very Reverend Protopresbyters, Very Reverend and Reverend Fathers, and the Faithful of our God-Protected Diocese: CHRIST IS RISEN! INDEED, HE IS RISEN! On this great and glorious feast of Pascha—the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior 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, John Chrysostom.

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.

MERCER, PA -- [Camp Nazareth] With the blessing and in the presence of His Grace, Bishop Gregory of Nyssa, Camp Nazareth was the site of a gathering of the Orthodox Inter-Seminary Movement from Fri Feb 22- Sun Feb 24, 2013. In attendance were seminarians from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, St Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary; St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary; Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Seminary (Jordanville); St. Sophia's Ukrainian Orthodox Seminary; Christ the Saviour Seminary and other theological institutions in the USA.

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- At the direction of His Grace, Bishop Gregory, Pre-Lenten Retreats for all Diocesan priests, deacons/sub-deacons and readers will take place at Camp Nazareth during Cheesefare Week. The Diocesan Priests Retreat will take place from March 13- 15, 2013.