JOHNSTOWN PA, [Diocesan Chancery] -- It has been two weeks since registration opened for the Diocesan Altar Boy Retreat.  We encourage all of our Altar Servers ages 8 - 18 to come and experience this marvelous annual event of the Diocese.

Registration is open now, but will close June 20th, so don’t delay! The cost per participant is $150, and the Altar Boy Retreat has always encouraged our parishes to cover the cost of their Altar Server attending.

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- The schedule of His Eminence, Metropolitan Gregory of Nyssa for May 2025 has been released by the Diocesan Chancery.

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- The schedule of His Eminence, Metropolitan Gregory of Nyssa for April 2025 has been released by the Diocesan Chancery.

JOHNSTOWN, PA - [Diocesan Chancery] -- With profound sadness the Diocesan Chancery announces that + Deacon Robert Conjelko,  reposed in the Lord peacefully on Wednesday March 26, 2025.

Fr. Deacon Robert was born on January 23, 1935 in Windber, son of the late Stephen and Anna (Chupinka) Conjelko. He was preceded in death by sister, Doreen Ann Conjelko; also by his brother, Charles E. Conjelko.

Fr. Deacon Robert is survived by his loving wife of 64 years, Rosaline “Rose” (Kaniuk) Conjelko; children, Gregory S. Conjelko married to Cathy; Very Rev. Matthew W. Conjelko married to Mary-Margaret; and Susan M. (Conjelko) married to Ken Mesko; cherished grandchildren, Anna E. Mesko, Matthew Conjelko married to Erica; Margaret A. Conjelko, Maksym R. Conjelko; and Marina E. Conjelko; sister, Roberta Studniary;  and numerous nieces and nephews.

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 3rd, 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] -- With profound sadness the Diocesan Chancery announces that + Very Rev. Fr. Michael Miklos,  reposed in the Lord on January 2, 2025 at the age of 85.

Father Michael was born on December 3, 1939 to Michael and Anna Miklos in Wilpen, PA. He grew up in Rankin PA and entered the Air Force after graduating in 1957. He served 21 years and earned the rank of Master Sargent & was a Master Instructor  in bomb navigation and retired in 1978. After retirement, he became a computer engineer at Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg, VA.

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 + Very Rev. Fr. John Thomas Blaschak , age 92,  reposed in the Lord peacefully on Monday October 7, 2024

Born in Johnstown, PA on June 25, 1932, Thomas was the youngest son, and third youngest child of nine siblings born to Daniel Blaschak and Mary (Pida) Blaschak. Thomas was first and foremost devoted to his Orthodox Christian faith. After serving in the army as Private First Class during the end of the Korean Occupation from February 12, 1953, to February 11, 1955, he attended Christ the Savior Seminary to become a priest and was ordained on July 5, 1959. On June 27, 1959, he married Magdelene Kuzmiak of Conemaugh, who predeceased him on May 20, 2018, after more than 58 years of marriage. Fr. Tom first served the mission parish in Washington, D.C., and then McKeesport, Lansford, and Hawk Run. He was a devout member of the congregation of St. John’s Orthodox Church in Hermitage.

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!

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.