MERCER, PA [Camp Nazareth] - His Grace, Bishop Gregory, Fr. Stephen Loposky, Camp Director and the Staff of Camp Nazareth, eagerly await the arrival of the first Diocesan Campers of 2015, tommorow, July 19, 2015. The entire staff has been preparing for weeks and months for this year's camping program which promises to be truly epic, with many, new activities awaiting our campers. Our Diocesan faithful are encouraged to follow along each of the three camping weeks on-line. This year the camp's daily multi-media offerings will be greatly expanded. In addition to the daily photo galleries, thanks to our new "Go-Pro" and Aerial Drone video cameras, there will be frequent, if not daily, videos of camp life posted on the camp website. Read more...

JOHNSTOWN, PA [Diocesan Chancery] -- This morning, July 11, 2015, the Orthodox Youth Mission Team (OYMT) left for a week- long mission trip to participate in the Appalachian Service Project (ASP) in Martin County, KY. The group, led by Fr. Luke Mihaly of Holy Trinity Church Danbury, CT along with Fr. David Cochran of St. John’s Church , Bridgeport, CT and Fr. Michael Chendorain of St. John’s Church, Perth Amboy, NJ, consists of 23 high school youth and 14 adult leaders. The group represents 7 parishes from the American Carpatho Russian Orthodox Diocese, the Orthodox Church in America, and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese. The Orthodox Youth Mission Team will be working with families in some of the most impoverished areas of our country, helping to make their homes “warmer, safer, and drier”—which is ASP’s mission. The group has trained for the last 6 months participating in scripture study, sensitivity instruction, and construction and safety skills training to prepare for this opportunity to put their faith to work serving others. The OYMT left from Holy Trinity in Danbury, CT this morning and will travel to Salem, VA tonight and then on to Warfield, KY on Sunday. Tommorow they will be visiting St. Mary’s in Bluefield, WV to celebrate liturgy with Fr. Mark Tyson and his parish. T Read more...

NEW YORK – The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America announces the elevation of Bishop Philotheos of Meloa, the sole surviving Consecrating Bishop of +Metropolitan Nicholas, to the rank of Metropolitan of Meloa, according to an official announcement of July 9, from the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The announcement states that the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, following a recommendation by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, elevated His Grace Bishop Philotheos of Meloa to active Metropolitan of Meloa. His Eminence Metropolitan Philotheos came to the United States in 1960, as a deacon, on the invitation of Archbishop Iakovos and was ordained a priest in 1961. He was assigned to the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation in Scranton. Pa., where he served until 1965. He was then transferred to the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Eleftherios in Manhattan. He was elected to the episcopacy on April 29, 1971 by the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and ordained bishop on June 6, 1971 by Archbishop Iakovos, in the Archdiocesan Cathedral Read more...

TORONTO, ON --- Nine young men and women from throughout the Diocese have arrived today at St. John The Compassionate Mission. This delegation of Diocesan Youth led by Very Rev. Miles Zdinak, National Junior ACRY Spiritual advisor and Josef Samilenko, National Jr ACRY President, have travelled to Canada to offer their assistance to the Mission for the next several days. Joining the team is Very Rev. Protopresbyter Peter Paproski, National Sr. ACRY Spiritual Advisor and Diocesan Webmaster. During their stay they will take part in the daily life of the Mission, serving meals, breaking bread with the mission's extended family from the streets of Toronto, participating in the daily liturgical services and assisting with various maintenance projects. In addition to their active participation in the life of the Mission, the team will present Fr. Roberto Ubertino, the priest in charge of the mission with the proceeds of the 2015 Diocesan Youth project, which was a huge success especially with the generosity of the Kulis Foundation which matched dollar for dollar what the youth raised. Read more...

JOHNSTOWN, PA [National ACRY] -- A.C.R.Y. Members and Diocesan Faithful are cordially invited to join us this Labor Day weekend, September 4-7th for the 2015 National Sr. and Jr. A.C.R.Y. Conventions. This year is especially meaningful to us as a son of St Michael's Church in Binghamton, Deacon William Bennett, grandson of our parish’s Deacon Charles Ellis and nephew of Father Michael Ellis will be ordained to Holy Priesthood at Sunday’s Divine Liturgy by His Grace, Bishop Gregory! St. Michael’s Church and Sr. and Jr. A.C.R.Y. Chapter 40, is pleased to be your hosts, and have worked hard to plan a weekend we hope everyone will enjoy. We will be headquartered in the heart of downtown Binghamton at the newly remodeled Doubletree by Hilton Hotel for this year’s Convention headquarters. Many of you no doubt have fond memories of past events in Binghamton, and we are working with the hotel staff to exceed your expectations again this year! You will find a ‘new look’ not only to the hotel, but to downtown itself which has changed dramatically as our Binghamton University has expanded into the downtown since 2009 when St Michael's hosted their last event bringing hundreds of student apartments, new restaurants, brew pubs, cafes and specialty shops into the area! Read more...