On May 15-17, 2026, thirty-one men discerning to serve the American Carpatho- Russian Orthodox Diocese of North America journeyed to Christ the Saviour Seminary
in Johnstown, PA, for a Vocations Retreat. The retreat was a first-of-its-kind, and was designed to have them “come and see” what it’s like to be a seminarian.

The retreat kicked off on Friday night with a welcome from seminarians and clergy, followed by a reflection on vocation delivered by Very Rev. Fr. Miles Zdinak, current spiritual advisor of the seminary. A tour was then given of the near-complete, new seminary building by the seminary Dean, Very Rev. Protopresbyter Frank P. Miloro.

Saturday began with prayers at the outdoor chapel, followed by two classes. Fr. Marc Wisnosky, PhD, current professor at Christ the Saviour, taught an early church history class, and Seminarian Clay Spyridon Raburn taught about typologies in the Book of Exodus.

After lunch, Rev. Fr. Nathaniel Choma, graduate of Christ the Saviour and current Administrator of Camp Nazareth, delivered an interactive presentation tackling the retreat’s theme: “many are called, but few are chosen.”

Among many things, he explained the difference between being called and being chosen is that being called is about finding your purpose, but being chosen is about recognizing how that purpose is put into action. It’s about releasing ourselves from doing the choosing, and sharing in God’s work.

He also provided five questions to form a statement about yourself and
help find purpose. These are 1. Who are you? 2. What do you do (i.e. what are you passionate about; what do you love doing; what are you supremely qualified to teach)?
3. Who do you do it for? 4. What do those people want or need? 5. What do they get from you or how are they changed as a result?

Next, Great Vespers was celebrated at Christ the Saviour Cathedral. Vespers was filled with powerful moments of prayer, including the joyful and boisterous singing of “Christ is Risen!” One attendee, Lukas Marinkovic, told Seminarian John Fedornock, “vespers together with all of the attendees was something truly special.”

Great Vespers was followed by a talk with His Eminence, Metropolitan Gregory, which was one of the most impactful talks of the weekend.

His Eminence shared his vocation story – being called to the priesthood as a teenager, but ignoring that call and pursuing a career in cardiovascular research, before receiving the calling a second time on an OCMC mission trip in Alaska. He never imagined becoming a bishop, but God had a plan for him before he was conceived.

His Eminence answered questions and spoke on a variety of topics related to his life, the priesthood, ministry, and seminary, and said that being with his people is one of the most enjoyable parts of his priesthood.

The retreat concluded on Sunday with Divine Liturgy at Christ the Saviour Cathedral. One retreat participant, Zachariah Brewer, shared his thoughts on the retreat, saying, “the retreat exceeded my expectations. I knew I would have a great time just being there and experiencing seminary life, but I was surprised at how many educational and experiential things were planned. I enjoyed the two classes, and the tour from Very Reverend Protopresbyter Miloro. He is a fountain of knowledge and history!

Meeting one-on-one with the Metropolitan and members of the Chancery was the highlight of the retreat for me. I went to the retreat decently sure I wanted to come to seminary, but meeting with the Metropolitan and the Chancery allowed me to get all of my questions
answered and gave me a clearer idea of the path to seminary.” Following the retreat, Mr. Bewer applied to Christ the Saviour Seminary.

When Seminarian Nicholas Cizin was asked how he thought the retreat went, he said, “I was honestly surprised by the number of guys seriously discerning a call to the
priesthood. Seminary is a big decision, and I’m glad that we were able to give them a taste of seminary, and allow them to meet others also deciding. Not all will come to
seminary, and not all will become priests, but I think the weekend was a great success in that it helped a lot of them discern what God is calling them to do. No matter how
they’re ultimately called to serve, whether as priests, deacons, cantors, or church presidents, it means that our diocese and seminary has a bright future ahead of itself.”

Thank you to all the clergy mentioned above, and those not mentioned above who also
helped throughout the weekend, including Very Rev. Protopresbyter Stephen Loposky, Diocesan Chancellor, Rev. Fr. Michael Rustick, Seminary Prefect, Very Rev.
Protopresbyter Robert Buczak, Cathedral Dean, Very Rev. Fr. Michael Chendorain, and
Subdeacon Dylan Kelemecz.

Finally, thank you and congratulations to all the seminarians who planned the weekend and made it a great success, including Fr. Dcn. Bradley Shaffer, John Bonnewicz-
Coffey, Clay Wood, Nicholas Cizin, John R. Fedornock III, and Clay Spyridon Raburn.

If you, or someone you know, wanted to attend the Vocations Retreat but could not make it, please speak to your parish priest about scheduling a tour to visit Christ the Saviour!