This past September 7, I attended a lecture at the University of Utah, "Perspectives on Turkey-E.U. Relations," the ninth panel discussion of the University's 2006 Middle East & Asia: Politics, Economics & Society Conference in Salt Lake City. The first speaker, Dr. Sadeq Rahimi, professor of Trans-Cultural Psychiatry at Harvard, addressed an issue he considered mandatory when discussing Turkey and the European Union.

BINGHAMTON, NY - One of the oldest and still functioning Orthodox priests in the diocese, in the United States and in the world is the Very Rev. Protopresbyter Stephen Dutko, pastor emeritus of St. Michael's church here. Having marked his 90th birthday on January 3, he is now celebrating the 65th anniversary of his Ordination to the Holy Priesthood. His Eminence, Metropolitan Nicholas, will join faithful at St. Michael's on Sunday, May 6th to share in the joy of this historic jubilee.

As you are aware, His All-Holiness, Patriarch Bartholomew, has proclaimed this 2007 calendar year as the "Year of St. John Chrysostom." As a Diocese we join the Orthodox world in remembering this great Saint of the Holy Church on the 1600th anniversary of his falling asleep in the Lord. In reflecting upon the life, witness and influence of St. John, it is clear why he is ranked among the greatest of Saints and heralded as the "golden-mouthed" preacher of the ages. His words were truly inspired by the Spirit, flowing from the wellspring of Divine wisdom. They continue to invite all to the true knowledge of God and offer practical advice for the life of piety and holiness.

Tragedy comes in many forms and faces. It is not new to us. It has visited our nation once again, this time in Blacksburg, Virginia at Virginia Tech University. Its form is senseless. Its face is brutal. Thirty-two lives - the majority of them aspiring students, the others, distinguished educators - were snuffed out without warning on the morning of April 16 by a lone gunman in a senseless shooting spree. Although we do not understand this tragedy, nor did the victims do anything to precipitate it, nevertheless it happened.

JOHNSTOWN, PA - His Eminence, Metropolitan Nicholas has issued the following statement regarding the Catastrophic Flood Affecting the New Jersey Deanery

On that Resurrection morning, while it was still dark, this was the question and the problem that perplexed those myrrh-bearing women disciples of the Lord. We know that the stone was "very large" and cumbersome according to the Gospel account. From historical and cultural knowledge of the times, we know that it was a massive stone disk that was rolled into a groove in the ground before the entrance of the tomb. Once it was set in place, it was not meant to be moved. It certainly could not be rolled up and out of that groove easily. It would take several strong men to accomplish the task. How then could this small group of fragile, tired, and aging women do it? They were worn out from the tragic events of the past few days and were still in the throes of grief at the death of their Master and their Friend. And now they were even more troubled and plagued by the thought that they might not be able to complete the traditional burial ritual of their people upon their beloved Lord. The stone barred their way! You can imagine, then, what joy and excitement filled their hearts and minds as they approached the tomb, looked up, and found the stone ALREADY rolled back. And then news rang out in their ears, "He is not here; He is risen as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay!" (Matthew 28:6)

I am pleased to announce the celebration of the Feast of Our Lady of the Life-Giving Font on Friday, April 13th. Resurrection Matins will be served at 9 am at the Sts. Cyril and Methodios Camp Church, with the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at 10 am, with a procession around the church. A paschal meal will be served in the Dining Hall afterwards. I heartily encourage clergy and faithful to attend, especially those who are in the vicinity of Camp Nazareth. I mean this celebration of Bright Friday at Camp Nazareth to be an annual event, so I expect your best effort to attend, and to encourage your parishioners to participate as well.

On March 9, the Discovery Channel will air a program entitled "The Lost Tomb of Jesus." The program was produced by Simcha Jacobovici and "Titanic" director James Cameron. Mr. Cameron, you might remember, was the one who shouted "I'm the King of the World" when he received an Academy Award for his production about the sinking of the White Star liner.

I write to you on the threshold of the Great Fast, our annual forty-day journey to the great and happy Day of the Paschal Victory of Jesus Christ. I write to you out of my profound desire that you and I, in the Paschal Celebration, may enter into the joy of the Angels on that day. And so I take this opportunity to meditate on the way of joy, and the path to the Paschal sunshine. I offer you my dearest invitation to walk with me in the only narrow way through the wilderness and the mountains, through the valley of shadows, and finally to the Rising of the Sun.

JOHNSTOWN, PA - The newest issue of the Diocesan Youth Ministry Newsletter, Daylight has been released in a new format. Previously distributed on-line and in a xerox format on a parish level, the newsletter will now be a full color supplement to the Church Messenger. The change in format was made to insure the widest distribution possible of this newsletter. Presently the Church messenger's circulation is in excess of 6000.

Your holy Eminence of Amissos, spiritual brother in the Holy Spirit and concelebrant NICHOLAS, grace to Your holy sacredness and peace from God. It is with great interest and anticipation that we received the reports of the proceedings conducted at the recent Clergy-Laity Sobor of the beloved Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese of America which was held in Greenwich, Connecticut. We carefully reviewed the reports and essays as submitted by the official representative of the Mother Church and Exarch, His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America.

In the day of the Prophet Amos, the Vision of God's Will was met with ridicule and dismissal. No one in society wanted to hear that God's Law was being broken and that His Justice was being ignored. The poor were being abused and taken advantage of. The powerless and the weak were trampled on for the sake of a materialistic society.