JOHNSTOWN, PA - [Diocesan Chancery] -- on Sunday, December 26, Hieromonk Nicholas (in the world, Murray Bogdasavich) of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist Hermitage, Combermere, Ontario fell asleep in the Lord. He was a son of the late Anthony and Frances (Churko) Bogdasavich and brother to Frank and Darryl (Kay). He will be sorely missed by the small community that gathered to pray at his hermitage, as well as by the parishioners of Christ the Saviour Orthodox Church in Ottawa, Ontario, especially the Kotantoulas family, with whom he shared a special bond.

Fr. Nicholas was born in Yorkton, Saskatchewan on August 18, 1935 to a Ukrainian Greek Catholic family and was raised in nearby Jedburgh. He entered the Congregation of St. Basil in 1955, making his monastic profession, and undertook his post-secondary studies in philosophy and theology with the Basilian Fathers.

 JOHNSTOWN, PA - [Diocesan Chancery] -- With profound sadness the Diocesan Chancery announces that Margaret Ferencz, the mother of Fr. Nicholas Ferencz, peacefully fell asleep in the Lord on Tuesday, December 21, 2021 in her own home, watched over by four of her eight children.

Margaret was born in Rankin in 1927. She and her husband George raised their two daughters and six sons in Elizabeth Township. After George passed in 1988, she moved to St. Petersburg, FL, near her younger brother Ray and his family. Well into her 80s, Margaret enjoyed traveling, going on cruises and tours, and visiting her children up north. She offered community service, visiting people in the hospital and the nursing home

JJOHNSTOWN, PA - [Diocesan Chancery] -- With profound sadness the Diocesan Chancery announces that +Archon John Halecky, Jr.  fell asleep in the Lord on Wednesday, December 22. John was a faithful member of St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in  Elizabeth, NJ.

For twenty-five years Mr. Halecky was a member of the Diocesan Board of Trustees and Financial Secretary of the Diocese during the Episcopate of the late Bishop John R. Martin.  He was instrumental in establishing the Clergy Pension Fund, served on the Advisory Committee of the Monastery of the Annunciation in Tuxedo Park, NY, and was a recipient of the “Bohorodica” Award. 

Dear Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

On this glorious Feast of the Nativity of Christ we celebrate a truly a wondrous event in which God, in His infinite and marvelous grace, became man bringing us enduring hope, newness of life, and eternal salvation. The Son of God, the Lord of Glory and King of kings who upholds the universe by His word of power, became man so that we human beings might be redeemed, renewed, united with Him, and become fellow citizens with the Saints and members of God’s kingdom.

The magnitude and depth of the event of the Nativity of Christ are impossible to grasp, but the message is clear and true. It is a message of grace, hope, and salvation to all humanity and to all the created order.

JOHNSTOWN, PA - [Diocesan Chancery] -- With profound sadness the Diocesan Chancery announces that + Very Rev. Protopresbyter Michael Polanichka reposed in the Lord, on December 20, 2021.

Born July 17,1936 in Scranton, PA to the late Nicholas and Susan (Chuvan) Polanichka.Proto. Michael entered the Diocesan Seminary of Christ the Savior in Johnstown, PA in September 1956 and graduated in June 1960.

On June 11, 1960 he married the former Eleanor Jean Hazuda in Nesquehoning, PA and they just celebrated their 61st Wedding anniversary in June 2021. His beloved wife, Pani Eleanor, who was his caregiver for the past 3 years passed away suddenly on November 21, 2021.

JOHNSTOWN, PA - [Diocesan Chancery] -- With profound sadness the Diocesan Chancery announces that + Very Rev. Fr. Michael Macura reposed in the Lord on Saturday December 18 at St. Vincent's Hospital in Bridgeport, CT.

Fr. Michael was born in Bridgeport on October 4, 1954, to the late John and Katherine (Bradac) Macura and was a longtime area resident. He was a graduate of St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Seminary and Marywood University. Fr. Michael was a Major in the United States Army for 20 years and served as a Chaplain. He was deployed to Operation Desert Storm and Desert Shield. Following his military service, he was the Rector of St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church in Silver Lane, Stratford, for 17 years.

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- The schedule of His Eminence, Metropolitan Gregory of Nyssa for December 2021 has been released by the Diocesan Chancery.

JOHNSTOWN, PA - [Diocesan Chancery] -- With profound sadness the Diocesan Chancery announces that + Very Rev. Protopresbyter John Gido reposed in the Lord on November 25, 2021 after a brief illness at the age of 93.

Fr. John was born in Erie, Pennsylvania on July 12, 1928, and passed to eternal life on November 25, 2021. Preceding him in death was his beloved wife of 50 years Pani Pauline Kesselak Gido, parents, John E. and Mary A Magdinec Gido, and parents-in-law Andrew and Kathryn Kohan Kesselak, Senior. Surviving is his son John, daughter-in-law Tammy, grandchildren Jacob and Sarah, and daughter Mary, sister-in-law Catherine and husband Nick Timko, in addition to numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, and great nieces and nephews.

Father John received his elementary and secondary education in the Erie County Public schools, graduating from Erie East High School in 1946. He attended Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania, Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary in Jordanville, New York and attended Christ the Savior Seminary in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, becoming a member of its first class of seminarians. Upon graduation, he married the former Pauline Kesselak of Johnstown, Pennsylvania on September 25, 1954.

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- It is proper and just to sing to You, to bless You, to praise You, to thank You, to worship You in every place of Your kingdom, for You are God, ineffable, inconceivable, invisible, incomprehensible, ever existing yet ever the same, You and Your only-begotten Son and Your Holy Spirit. You brought us out of non-existence into being and, when we had fallen, You raised us up again, and left nothing undone to lead us to heaven and to bestow upon us Your future kingdom. For all this we give thanks to You and to Your only-begotten Son and Your Holy Spirit, for all that we know and do not know

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- With gratitude to Almighty God, the clergy and the faithful of the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese extend their heartfelt congratulations and best wishes, today - November 27, 2020 to His Eminence, Metropolitan Gregory of Nyssa on the ninth anniversary of his Consecration and Enthronement as Ruling Diocesan Bishop. Today is also His Eminence's Name's Day, St Gregory Palamas, as celebrated on the Julian Calendar.

JOHNSTOWN, PA - [Diocesan Chancery] -- With profound sadness the Diocesan Chancery announces that Pani Eleanor Polanichka, the wife of Very Rev. Protopresbyter Michael Polanichka, reposed in the Lord on Sunday Nov 21, 2021. 

Pani Eleanor was born May 10, 1941, in Nesquehoning, Pa., to George Sr. and Bertha (Medinci) Hazuda. She graduated from Nesquehoning High School in 1959. On June 11, 1960 she married the Very Rev. Protopresbyter Michael Polanichka at St. John's Orthodox Church in Nesquehoning and they just celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary. She and Proto. Michael served in parishes in Bayonne and Rahway, N.J., and moved to Sharon in October 1972. She was the mother to the parish of St. John's Orthodox Church, Sharon/Hermitage.

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- The schedule of His Eminence, Metropolitan Gregory of Nyssa for November 2021 has been released by the Diocesan Chancery.

JOHNSTOWN, PA - [Diocesan Chancery] -- With profound sadness the Diocesan Chancery announces that + Very Rev. Protopresbyter Lawrence  Barriger reposed in the Lord this afternoon,  Oct 2, 2021 at Jefferson Memorial Hospital in Philadelphia.

Born on March 2, 1953 in Binghamton, NY, he was the son of the late  Robert and  Josephine (Specik) Barriger.  He graduated in 1976  from Christ the Saviour Seminary with the Bachelor of Theology Degree; he also held a B.A. Degree in Classical Languages from St. Peters College, and a Masters Degree in Religious Education from Princeton Theological Seminary.

Fr. Lawrence was ordained to the Priesthood on August 28, 1976 by Bishop John R. Martin and served parishes in Manville, NJ, Wilpen, PA, Latrobe, PA and St. Michael Church in Freeland, PA from 1987 until his retirement in 2020.

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- The schedule of His Eminence, Metropolitan Gregory of Nyssa for October 2021 has been released by the Diocesan Chancery.

JOHNSTOWN, PA --[Diocesan Chancery] --Our Diocese is pleased to announce its next 3 Parenting Workshops in its Series of Parenting Workshops entitled “Raising Believing Children”.  The next 3 Workshops will be hosted by:

St. Michael’s Church, Binghamton, NY – Saturday, September 25, 2021

St. John’s Church, East Pittsburgh, PA – Saturday, October 16, 2021

Holy Resurrection Church in Potomac, MD on Saturday, November 6, 2021 

The Workshops are designed to help parents learn more about the “craft” of parenting and help them raise their children in the Faith. 

JOHNSTOWN, PA  --[Diocesan Chancery]  With the Blessing of Metropolitan Gregory, the National Sr. ACRY is leading a Diocesan Effort to support OCMC'S Trek For Missions Campaign to Raise Funds for Orthodox Missionaries throughout the world at the upcoming Convention in Binghamton, NY.

All are invited (you need not be an ACRY member)  to join the ACRY Convention 21 Team and walk, run, or cycle on Sunday Sept 5th at 1:00 pm at Otsiningo park in Binghamton, NY along the banks of the Chenango River.

Those not attending the ACRY Convention this year can join the trek at an alternate place and time at their convenience.

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- The schedule of His Eminence, Metropolitan Gregory of Nyssa for August and September 2021 has been released by the Diocesan Chancery.

JOHNSTOWN, PA - [Diocesan Chancery] -- With profound sadness the Diocesan Chancery announces that +Deacon Thomas Yawkey, Age 82, reposed in the Lord on Friday August 6, 2021 at a hospice-care facility in Laurel, MD.   

Deacon Thomas was the son of the late Daniel T. and Catherine (Hovan) Yawkey; beloved husband of the late Margret (Gillespie) Yawkey; father of Shaun N. and Brian M. (Jessica Kim) Yawkey; grandfather of Jayden Yawkey; and brother of Daniel R. Yawkey. He was a Professor Emeritus of 40 years at Penn State University

The late Deacon Thomas and the late Margaret Yawkey were married in St. Nicholas Church of Homestead, PA.  Fr Deacon Thomas was ordained to the Diaconate by His Eminence, Metropolitan Gregory on April 27, 2014 at St. John The Baptist Orthodox Church in Hawk Run, PA

Funeral arrangements are as follows:

On Wednesday, August 11th, the Panachida will be sung at the Savolskis-Wasik-Glenn Funeral Home on Main Street in Munhall, PA.  The Funeral Service will be sung on Thursday, August 12th at 10 AM in St. Nicholas Church, Homestead.  Interment is in Braddock Hills Cemetery, Braddock PA. 

JOHNSTOWN, PA  --  [National Sr. ACRY]   The National Sr. ACRY is pleased to announce that it is now possible to register online for the 2021 National Sr. ACRY Convention to be hosted by St. Michael Orthodox Church ACRY Chapter of Binghamton, NY on Labor Day Weekend  (Sept 3-6, 2021)  The  DoubleTree by Hilton hotel at 225 Water Street, Binghamton, has been selected as the 2021 Convention Headquarters, with a special Convention nightly room rate of $115 (up to 4 guests per room).

Reservations may be made on Hilton.com (Group Code: ACR) or by phone (607-722-7575; mention ACRY).

JOHNSTOWN, PA  --  [National Sr. ACRY]   The National Sr. ACRY is pleased to announce that the 2021 National Sr. ACRY Convention will be hosted by St. Michael Orthodox Church ACRY Chapter of Binghamton, NY Labor Day Weekend  (Sept 3-6, 2021)  The  DoubleTree by Hilton hotel at 225 Water Street, Binghamton, has been selected as the 2021 Convention Headquarters, with a special Convention nightly room rate of $115 (up to 4 guests per room).

Reservations may be made on Hilton.com (Group Code: ACR) or by phone (607-722-7575; mention ACRY).