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. Read more...

JOHNSTOWN, PA,  [Diocesan Chancery]  -- The Orthodox Youth Directors in North America are pleased to announce our upcoming webinar - "Ministering to Campers with Special Needs"? - March 6, 2018 at 1 p.m. (Eastern time).  The  panel of presenters are Fr. Stephen and Pani Daria Loposky (Camp Nazareth), Fr. Anthony Yazge (Antiochian Village), and Natalie Kapeluck Nixon (All Saints Camp). Read more...

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- The schedule of His Eminence, Metropolitan Bishop Gregory
of Nyssa for March 2019 has been released by the Diocesan Chancery. Read more...

JOHNSTOWN, PA [Diocesan Chancery] -- This is an exciting time for the A.C.R.Y. Annual and Diocesan Yearbook as for the first time in its long history it will be available in full-color from front to back and available as a downloadable digital file. If you are not an A.C.R.Y. member and have not purchased a hard copy of the A.C.R.Y. Annual, you may purchase a downloadable version for just $6. Read more...

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- [Diocesan Chancery]   Six members of our Diocesan Family attended the 19th Annual Youth and Camp Workers Conference at Antiochian Village in Bolivar, PA from Wednesday, 1/23 – Saturday, 1/26, 2019.  Attendees from our Diocese included:  Very Rev. Fr. Stephen and Pani Daria Loposky, Very Rev. Fr. Miles Zdinak,  Very Rev. Protopresbyter Peter Paproski,  Pani Eleni Stagon and Rachel Pribish.

The Conference takes place each year by the collaborative work of the Orthodox Jurisdictional Youth Directors in North America and is hosted by one of their number.  Last year our Diocese hosted it in Atlanta, GA, together with the Ukrainian Archdiocese.  This year it was hosted by the Antiochian Archdiocese.  As usual, it was a tremendous Conference filled with awesome speakers, small group discussions, great networking, and a whole lot of fun.  It was really and truly inspiring!  This annual conference  has much to offer anyone involved in Youth Ministry, whether a parent, a church school teacher, a priest, or a parish youth worker.  Read more...