JOHNSTOWN,  PA -- [Diocesan Chancery]  His Eminence, Metropolitan Gregory was bestowed the great honor by His All- Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, of representing Him at the enthronement  of  His Eminence, Metropolitan Constantine as Metropolitan of the Metropolis of Denver of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America on Saturday, June 22, 2024 at the Assumption Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Denver, Colorado.

His Eminence, Metropolitan Gregory arrived in Denver on Friday June 21, 2024 . On Friday evening, Metropolitan Gregory accompanied His Eminence, Archbishop Elpidophoros of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America to a dinner meeting with the Denver Metropolis clergy, presbyteras and their families at St. Catherine Greek Orthodox Church. 

JOHNSTOWN PA, [Diocesan Chancery] -- Calling all servers and brothers of the Altar! We want you to join us at Christ the Saviour  Seminary for the annual Altar Boy’s Retreat from June 30 - July 3! We have a bunch of great stuff planned, so get fired up! Speaking of which, that will help you with our theme of being “On Fire with the Spirit!” Keep the fire and excitement as we go to Windber, to a monastery, and to a Pirates game!

Most honorable brother Hierarchs and blessed children in the Lord,

The grace of our God of love has once again vouchsafed for us to enter the soul-benefiting period of the Lenten Triodion and arrive at Holy and Great Lent, namely to the arena of ascetic struggle replete with gifts from above and the joy of the Cross and Resurrection. During this blessed period, the spiritual treasure and dynamism of the ecclesiastical life as well as the soteriological reference of all its expressions are revealed with clarity.

My beloved Faithful Clergy and Laity (Young and Old) of our God-Protected Diocese:

As we begin Holy and Great Lent this year on March 18th, I want to share with you a few thoughts so that we may journey through this reflective period and arrive at the Great Feast of Feasts, PASCHA to receive the Resurrected Christ.     

We are reminded that there can be no true fast, no genuine repentance, no reconciliation with God, unless we at the same time reconcile with one another.  In this holiest period of the ecclesiastical year, we should honestly examine our relationships with our families, our Church families, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and the society in general.      

JOHNSTOWN, PA  [Diocesan Chancery] --  The Diocesan Chancery is pleased to announce that a helpful resource for our Diocesan  faithful and Cantors has just been released.

An audio recording of the beautiful and somewhat complex plain chant melodies of  the Lenten Triodion period and the Anaphora Hymns of the Saint Basil Liturgy is now  posted on our Diocesan website.

JOHNSTOWN, PA - [Diocesan Chancery] -- With profound sadness the Diocesan Chancery announces that Pani Helen Shutack, 96, of Phoenixville, PA, passed away peacefully on Saturday December 16, 2023 with family at her side.

Pani Helen was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania on March 17, 1927, to George and Anna Selepetz. She was a long-time resident of Scranton, Phoenixville, PA and Stratford CT. She served as Pani at the Holy Ghost Orthodox Church from 1951 to 1975 and she continued to serve as Pani at St. John’s Orthodox Church in Stratford from 1978 to 2006.

JOHNSTOWN, PA - [Diocesan Chancery] -- With profound sadness the Diocesan Chancery announces that Very Rev. Fr. Robert Lucas, pastor of Saint Paul the Apostle Orthodox Church in Freehold, NJ,  after over 64 years of service in the active priesthood, reposed in the Lord peacefully on Wed December 6, 2023 at the age of 86.

The Very Reverend Robert E Lucas was born to Anna (Rjabec) and John Lucas (Lukacs) on December 2, 1937, in Scranton, PA. From his very early childhood, he felt a calling to the priesthood and committed his young life to his budding vocation by first serving Our Lord on the altar as an acolyte at Saint Nicholas Church, his home parish. Fr. John worked for many years as a plant manager for Orgo-Thermit, Inc. metal manufacturing in Manchester Township and was a member of the local Rotary Club

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 - [Diocesan Chancery] -- With profound sadness the Diocesan Chancery announces that Pani Mary Jaczina Buletza, 96, of Point Pleasant Beach, passed away peacefully on Sunday, October 8, 2023 in the comfort of her home where she retired 23 years ago.

Born in Fords, NJ, Pani Mary resided in Rankin, PA for 30 years before retirement. Pani Mary was a dedicated and loving wife for 64 years. During that time, she was the consummate Orthodox Christian priest’s wife in public life, the right-hand woman supporting her husband in all facets of parish life. She taught Sunday School, baked for bake sales, arranged altar flowers, hand crafted vestments and winding sheets, removed wax from altar covers, baked Prosfora, replaced vigil lights, delivered flowers and meals to shut-ins, visited hospital bound parishioners and friends, took thousands of messages, attended hundreds of church banquets, folded bulletins, counseled parishioners, and on and on.

My beloved Faithful Clergy and Laity of our God-Protected Diocese:

As we begin Holy and Great Lent this year on March 14th, I want to share with you a few thoughts so that we may journey through this reflective period and arrive at the Great Feast of Feasts, Pascha to receive the Resurrected Christ.

We are reminded that there can be no true fast, no genuine repentance, no reconciliation with God, unless we at the same time reconcile with one another. In this holiest period of the ecclesiastical year, we should honestly examine our relationships with our families, our parish families, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and the Church in general.

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

Dear Beloved Clergy and Laity of our God-Protected Diocese,

Glory to Jesus Christ!

We now embark on our annual journey to Bethlehem. The Church, as a wise and loving mother, knows that we need preparation in order to reap the spiritual fruits of celebrating Our Lord’s theophany—the “manifestation of God” in His Incarnation, Birth, and Baptism. Yet, while we often sing “let us lay aside all earthly cares” in the Cherubic Hymn of the Divine Liturgy, it seems that our earthly cares increase exponentially during these last two months of the year.

JOHNSTOWN, PA - [Diocesan Chancery] -- With profound sadness the Diocesan Chancery announces that + Very Rev. Fr. Tony Joseph  reposed in the Lord on Wed, October 5, 2022.

Fr. Tony was born on July 20, 1938. He is survived by his son Tony R. Joseph, married to Mary (Lashly), Kitty Hawk; daughter Tricia L. Honeycutt married to Craig, Nags Head; granddaughter Vera Bay Honeycutt, who put the twinkle in his eyes; granddaughter Amber King, Tallahassee, Fl; sister Sandy Joseph married to Malcolm Vosburgh, Maryland; sister Jeannette Mortensen married to Fred, New Mexico; and dear friend Sarah Hajduk, Maryland. He is also survived by sisters- and brothers-in-law, cousins, nephews and nieces. He was preceded in death by his parents, Tony and Eva Joseph of Windber, his sister Antionette Joseph, and his loving wife of 59 years, Patsy (Bartko) Joseph.

oday I greet you with great love and joy in the Name of our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ following His glorious Resurrection. On Great and Holy Pascha, we behold the triumph of Christ, as He rose from death to life, from darkness of the tomb into the Light. With the Resurrection of Christ, all Creation is filled with a new Light of life and joy. On this Feast of Feasts, this Holy Day of Holy Days, we all proclaim the only truth that matters, the Truth that Christ is Risen!

We gather together as family and friends, in joy and in love, celebrating the presence of the Risen Lord in our midst, and singing with one voice the triumphant hymn "Christ is risen from the dead, trampling death by death, and to those in the tombs bestowing life."

JOHNSTOWN, PA - [Diocesan Chancery] -- With profound sadness the Diocesan Chancery announces that + Very Rev. Protopresbyter Michael Slovesko reposed in the Lord, on January 4, 2021.

Funeral arrangements are as follows: 

ALL SERVICES ARE AT SAINTS PETER AND PAUL CHURCH
                              141 Hoffman Farm Road
Windber, PA  15963

Sunday, January 9 – Vesting of Fr. Michael by Deanery priests in Taylor, PA

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 -- 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 the setting of the sun and the celebration of Forgiveness Vespers this evening, the season of The Great Fast has been ushered in throughout our God-Saved Diocese and the entire Orthodox Church.

This Holy Season, as His Eminence, Metropolitan Gregory has reminded us in his Lenten  Archpastoral Letter,  is a time for increased "... self-examination, reflection and confession.... Great Lent is not just about what we eat, but more importantly how we live."

To assist the faithful in making the most of this holy season, additional resources have been added to our Diocesan Website.

My beloved Faithful Clergy and Laity of our God-Protected Diocese:

As we begin Holy and Great Lent on March 11th I wanted to share with you a few thoughts so that we may journey through the season and arrive safely at the Great Feast of Feasts, Holy Pascha with the proper frame of mind.

Great Lent is a period of increased activity for the active Orthodox Christian. Our prayer, fasting, and almsgiving must increase. Attendance at Church services (of which there are many) and spiritual reading must increase. We must increase our self-examination, reflection and confession. Great Lent is also a period of decreased activity for the active Orthodox Christian. We should show restraint in our normal “outside of Lent” lifestyle. We should reduce our watching of television, listening to the radio, surfing the internet, going to concerts and movies. Great Lent is not just about what we eat, but more importantly how we live.

In our prayer life the Prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian is read each week day during Great Lent.

PERTH AMBOY, NJ -- On Sunday, January 13, the faithful of St. John the Baptist Church in Perth Amboy, NJ hosted a surprise celebration honoring Protodeacon Gregory Benc’s 20th Anniversary of Ordination. The celebration began with Divine Liturgy, during which Protodeacon Gregory assisted the celebrant, Fr. Michael Chendorain. A sermon was prepared by Diocesan Chancellor, Protopresbyer Fr. Frank Miloro who was unable to attend at the last minute. Over 160 people were present for the liturgical celebration. Following the Divine Liturgy, a celebratory brunch was held in the parish hall which was filled with family, friends and parishioners. The honoree was presented with gifts by the parish and the parish choir for his dedicated service. Very Rev. Fr. Michael Chendorain, pastor, toasted the honoree before he addressed those gathered. In his speech, Fr. Deacon Gregory gave thanks to his parents for raising him in a devout Christian home and to the late Metropolitan Nicholas for seeing in him the desire and ability to serve Christ’s Holy Church.