PITTSBURGH, PA -- [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette] The leaders of their global churches may have some difficulty in getting together after a 1,200-year gap. But in the basement of a South Side Flats church on a recent Thursday afternoon, members of Western Pennsylvania’s diverse array of Orthodox churches put aside religious labels for a humbler cause. As they do each week, volunteers laid out breads, pastries, cereals, canned goods and other foods on shelves and folding tables, setting up for the food-pantry distribution at Holy Assumption of St. Mary Orthodox Church. Colorful icons of saints, along with black-and-white photos of past parishioners, filled the walls behind them. Before opening the doors, the pastor led them in an ancient Easter chant known as the “Paschal Troparion”: “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in tombs bestowing life.” Read more...

It is with great sadness and prayer that the Diocesan Chancery announces that the servant of God Peter Tatsis, the father of His Grace Bishop Gregory, reposed in the Lord on Monday June 6, 2016.

Peter was born in Asimohori, Epirus, Greece on August 15, 1931. He immigrated to the U.S. at age 19 following the Greek Civil War and settled in New York City for 5 years. He married his wife of 58 years, Antonia, on February 9, 1958. They then settled in Charlotte, NC. Along with his wife, Peter operated many restaurants including the Hutchinson Avenue Grill, Tatsis Restaurant, the Patriot Restaurant, Tasos Restaurant and the Crimson House Restaurant. When he semi retired, he became a courier for First Union Bank in Charlotte. Peter was a member of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Charlotte, NC Read more...

JOHNSTOWN, PA --- His Grace, Bishop Gregory has been informed that he has been invited to serve as a member the Ecumenical Patriarchate's official delegation at the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church, to be held from June 16-27 in Crete. For the first time in 1200 years, the primates of all 14 Orthodox autocephalous (or self-governed) Churches, along with more than 300 bishops and others, will meet to pray and discuss issues of common concern. According to the official press release issued by the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the composition of the delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate is as follows:

His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, President of the Holy and Great Council
His Eminence Archbishop Leo of Karelia and all Finland
His Eminence Metropolitan Stephanos of Tallinn and all Estonia
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JOHNSTOWN, PA -- The schedule of His Grace, Bishop Gregory of Nyssa for June and July 2016 has been released by the Diocesan Chancery. Read more...

JOHNSTOWN, PA [Diocesan Chancery] -- The Spring meeting of the Diocesan Board of Trustees convened at the Diocesan Chancery on May 20th and was conducted by His Grace, Bishop Gregory. Reports were heard from each institution and apostolate of the Diocese. An extensive summary was given for the 1.1 million dollar renovation program at Camp Nazareth that was just completed in time for the summer programs. The XXIII Diocesan Council-Sobor to be held in Johnstown from October 9-12 was reviewed. Read more...