April 3, 2020

Protocol No. 11/2020

God is with us!

Dear Reverend Clergy and Faithful Laity of the Diocese,

I am writing today to update you on our plans for the remainder of Great Lent, Holy Week and Pascha. This morning the Executive Committee of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America (of which I serve as Secretary) met for its weekly meeting to discuss ideas and options available to us on how to proceed in these most confusing, fearful and disturbing times.  We received and reviewed the most updated information from governmental, health, and scientific authorities. After much discussion and prayer, the Hierarchs came to the consensus of how we would celebrate this year.       

March 18, 2020

Protocol No. 8/2020

God is with us!

Dear Reverend Clergy and Faithful Laity of the Diocese,

          As this Coronavirus crisis continues to spread and intensify on a global scale, the Ecumenical Patriarchate is monitoring the situation with an urgent sense of responsibility towards the faithful and all people without exception, and, following the Communique of 11 March 2020, upon deliberation of its Hierarchs in the City announces the following:

1) The Ecumenical Patriarchate emphatically reiterates its appeal to everyone to limit their outings and travels to what is necessary, remaining in their homes for their own safety and the protection of the general public.

2) It commends the spirit of self-sacrifice demonstrated by those working in the field of healthcare and expresses its gratitude for their extraordinary and exhaustive efforts to assist those in need, as well as for the danger they knowingly risk by coming in contact with those infected by Covid-19.

3) It underlines the need for everyone to follow the decisions and instructions of the responsible health authorities for the sake of the common good.

4) In light of the decisions already taken by some of the eparchies of the Ecumenical Throne, today we universally declare our ecclesiastical resolution and mandate to cease all divine services, events, and rites, with the exception of private prayer in church that will remain open, until the end of March. This restriction will be later reassessed, in accordance with the development of the pandemic caused by the virus.

5) All Patriarchal and Stavropegial Monasteries will continue to hold regular divine services for their monastic communities, but outside pilgrims and visitors will not be permitted entry.

6) In the same framework, the Patriarchal Offices at the Phanar will remain closed until further notice, while the Ecumenical Patriarch and clergy of the Patriarchal Court will perform the prescribed divine services and pray for the whole world and for its speedy relief from this trial.

From the Chief Secretariat of the Holy and Sacred Synod

March 12, 2020

Protocol No. 7/2020

God is with us!

Dear Reverend Clergy and Faithful Laity of the Diocese,

I am writing to you today with a sense of urgency, as we confront the new Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic that is potentially affecting not only our physical and spiritual health but also our way of life in the United States of America.  If you have turned on the television, listened to the radio, or followed the announcements on your phones for the last three weeks or so, you would think that the world is coming to an end.  Local public and private schools are shutting down for several weeks.  Professional sports leagues are suspending their schedules.  Colleges and universities are closing down their on campus activities and doing everything on-line for the remainder of the spring semester.  Even the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball March Madness Tournaments have been cancelled.  What will we do for the next three weeks without our madness?  How about going to Church and observing Great Lent in a more meaningful way.

My beloved Faithful Clergy and Laity of our God-Protected Diocese:

As we begin Holy and Great Lent this year on March 2nd, 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 Feasts, Pascha to receive the Resurrected Christ.

We are reminded that there can be no true fast, no genuine repentance, no reconciliation with God, unless we at the same time reconcile with one another. In this holiest period of the ecclesiastical year, we should honestly examine our relationships with our families, our parish families, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and the Church in general.

JOHNSTOWN, PA - Plans are underway for the Annual Altar Boy Retreat which will take place from Sunday evening, June 30th (Registration is from 6pm till 8 p.m.) until Wednesday, July 3rd, 2019.

The Retreat will once again take place at Christ the Savior Seminary, Cathedral and  Education Center in Johnstown and at Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Windber, PA.  This year's outing will be to Coal Tubing for a tube ride down the Stoney Creek River. This is the time and place for our faithful Altar Servers to join other Altar Boys from all over our Diocese.

Today I greet you with great love and joy in the Name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ following His glorious Resurrection.  On Great and Holy Pascha, we behold the triumph of Christ, as He rose from death to life, from darkness of the tomb into the Light.  With the Resurrection of Christ, all Creation is filled with a new Light of life and joy.  On this Feast of Feasts, this Holy Day of Holy Days, we all proclaim the only truth that matters, the Truth that Christ is Risen!

We gather together as family and friends, in joy  and in love, celebrating the presence of the Risen Lord in our midst, and singing with one voice the triumphant hymn

My beloved Faithful Clergy and Laity of our God-Protected Diocese:

As we begin Holy and Great Lent on March 11th I wanted to share with you a few thoughts so that we may journey through the season and arrive safely at the Great Feast of Feasts, Holy Pascha with the proper frame of mind.

Great Lent is a period of increased activity for the active Orthodox Christian. Our prayer, fasting, and almsgiving must increase. Attendance at Church services (of which there are many) and spiritual reading must increase. We must increase our self-examination, reflection and confession. Great Lent is also a period of decreased activity for the active Orthodox Christian. We should show restraint in our normal “outside of Lent” lifestyle. We should reduce our watching of television, listening to the radio, surfing the internet, going to concerts and movies. Great Lent is not just about what we eat, but more importantly how we live.

In our prayer life the Prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian is read each week day during Great Lent.

Dear Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I greet you with joy and love in the Name of our Incarnate Lord and Saviour 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 homes, neighborhoods, cities, country, and in fact the whole world. This reality in life makes us cry out for God’s help, assistance, and intervention.

My beloved ones, despite all the suffering, sorrow and injustice in our world, today joy and hope comes to us once more. That’s why at this blessed time of the year we look forward to the arrival of the new born King.

Therefore let us celebrate the miracle of His Birth. Let kindness come with every gift. Let compassion, forgiveness and love come with every greeting. Let our hearts be filled with prayer, charity, and reconciliation for one another.

JOHNSTOWN, PA [Diocesan Chancery] -- In an Archpastoral Letter released today, November 1, 2018, His Eminence, Metropolitan Gregory has enthusiastically endorsed a new initiative of the National American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Youth Organization, its inaugaral Annual Stewardship Drive, to benefit charitable activities both within and outside of the Diocese. He has called upon all parishes of the Diocese to support this philanthropic endeavor of the National ACRY during the season of the Nativity Fast (Advent) which will soon begin.

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- [Diocesan Chancery] With great joy, the Diocesan Chancery has learned that the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople at its monthly meeting on August 29, 2018 voted to elevate His Grace, Bishop Gregory to the rank of Metropolitan.

His Grace, Bishop Gregory, in announcing the decision of the Holy and Sacred Synod to the Clergy and Faithful of the Diocese in a special Archpastoral Letter, expressed his gratitude in writing ... His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the Holy and Sacred Synod have honored all of us. I am truly greatly humbled.

JOHNSTOWN, PA - Plans are underway for the Annual Altar Boy Retreat which will take place from Sunday evening, July 1st (Registration is from 6pm till 8 p.m.) until Wednesday, July 4th, 2018.

Our theme this year is the Who am I. The Altar Boys will be learning about themselves, each other and about God.

The Retreat will once again take place at Christ the Savior Seminary, Cathedral and Education Center in Johnstown and at Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Windber, PA. This year's outing will be to Teen Quest Ranch in Somerset, PA

Today I greet you with great love and joy in the Name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ following His glorious Resurrection. On Great and Holy Pascha, we behold the triumph of Christ, as He rose from death to life, from darkness of the tomb into the Light. With the Resurrection of Christ, all Creation is filled with a new Light of life and joy. On this Feast of Feasts, this Holy Day of Holy Days, we all proclaim the only truth that matters, the Truth that Christ is Risen!

Through this Truth, we are liberated from the power of sin and death, to receive God’s promise to live in eternity. We feel the inexpressible joy of being united with real life in Christ. During the beautiful service of the Resurrection, waiting in a darkened church, anticipating the Light, we should be mindful of what we are about to experience and its significance. The Resurrection is a real event. It is happening right now for all of us.

My beloved Faithful Clergy and Laity of our God-Protected Diocese:

As we begin Holy and Great Lent this year on February 19th, I wanted to share with you a few thoughts so that we may journey through the season and arrive safely at the Great Feast of Feasts, Holy Pascha with the proper frame of mind.

Holy and Great Lent is a truly beautiful period of time filled with moments in which we can focus our hearts and our minds on the grace of God. Through daily prayer, fasting, worship, and giving to others, and by the grace of God our lives will continue to be transformed by Him and our souls will be drawn closer and closer to our Lord Jesus Christ.

In the hymns and services of the Triodion period and at the entrance of this holy season of Great Lent, we are called to repentance.

Dear Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As we celebrate this joyous Feast of the Nativity in the flesh of our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ, I wish to share with you one of my favorite Christmas homilies from the Church Fathers concerning this day. St. John Chrysostom spoke on the Incarnation with these words:

“I behold a new and wondrous mystery!

My ears resound to the shepherd’s song, piping no soft melody, but loudly chanting a heavenly hymn!

Dear Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As we celebrate this joyous Feast of the Nativity in the flesh of our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ, I wish to share with you one of my favorite Christmas homilies from the Church Fathers concerning this day. St. John Chrysostom spoke on the Incarnation with these words:

“I behold a new and wondrous mystery!

My ears resound to the shepherd’s song, piping no soft melody, but loudly chanting a heavenly hymn!

My beloved Faithful Clergy and Laity of our God-Protected Diocese:

It is hard to believe that this month marks the fifth anniversary of my Consecration and Enthronement as your Bishop. During my visits to the parishes you have heard me preaching on the state of affairs, locally and globally. Conflicts, wars and senseless violence continue to inflict pain and suffering and spill blood everywhere. I am deeply saddened that peace continues to elude us. Recent events continue to reveal that demonic forces are fighting us, that evil continues to exist in the world. So many innocent people killed and wounded at a concert in Las Vegas. So many innocent killed and wounded in a small church in Texas. Everyday people are dying needlessly in our towns and cities. For what? Can someone please explain it to me? This lack of peace is the direct result of increased selfishness and hatred throughout the world. Whatever we as inhabitants of this planet are doing it is not working, somehow it is not enough. Obviously we as humans cannot achieve peace on our own. We need the help of someone and that someone is the Lord.

JOHNSTOWN, PA [National ACRY] --- With the blessing and enthusiastic support of His Grace, Bishop Gregory of Nyssa, the National Senior ACRY has taken on the coordination of a Diocesan-wide outreach initiative to assist the International Orthodox Christian Charities in responding to the catestrophic devastation wrought by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.

In times of natural disaster, the IOCC has boots on the ground distributing Emergency Kits to those who are impacted. These kits help volunteers clean up property and provide basic hygiene supplies that more than likely were washed away in the torrential downpour. Due to the multiple, intense storms that have hit the US during the peak of this hurricane season, IOCC’s supply of Emergency Kits have been depleted.

JOHNSTOWN, PA [Diocesan Chancery] --- In an archpastoral letter issued on September 7, 2017, His Grace Bishop Gregory has called upon the parishes of the Diocese to support the hurricane relief efforts of the International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC). All parishes of the Diocese have been directed to take a special collection for IOCC at their earliest possible opportunity, giving whatever they are able to help those in need.

In addition, His Grace has called upon the faithful of the Diocese to support a special Diocesan outreach project which is being coordinated by the National Sr. ACRY. Parishes are being asked to assemble Emergency Clean-up Kits for IOCC.

In this world where darkness unceasingly prowls and is ever ready to overtake and consume any goodness which may exist, we must remain steadfast in our faith and allow Christ’s Light to shine through us, transforming us into beacons of hope for the entire world.

During the beautiful service of the Resurrection, waiting in a darkened church, anticipating the Light, we should be mindful of what we are about to experience and its significance. The Resurrection is a real event. It is happening right now for all of us.

My beloved Faithful Clergy and Laity of our God-Protected Diocese:

As we begin Holy and Great Lent this year on February 27th, I wanted to share with you a few thoughts so that we may journey through the season and arrive safely at the Great Feast of Feasts, Holy Pascha with the proper frame of mind.

Holy and Great Lent is a truly beautiful period of time filled with moments in which we can focus our hearts and our minds on the grace of God. Through daily prayer, fasting, worship, and giving to others, and by the grace of God our lives will continue to be transformed by Him and our souls will be drawn closer and closer to our Lord Jesus Christ.

The primary goal of the Lenten season and all the disciplines of our Orthodox faith is to lead us to Christ.