Below are some ongoing and upcoming events within the Diocese of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania

Mission to Appalachia

Beginning this past Monday, a group of close to 30 members from our Diocese has been in Spruce Pine, North Carolina, an Appalachian Mountain community that has been devastated by the economic downturn of the past several years. Our group, under the leadership of Fr. Daniel Matthewson, Fr. Nicholas Solak and Fr. Michael Demko, has partnered with FOCUS North America in order to offer the time and talents of the faithful of our diocese to this community. FOCUS North America is an Orthodox institution of charity whose mission is to “serve the hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick and imprisoned by providing food, occupation, clothing, understanding and shelter.” 

We ask for your continued prayers for the good work of our mission group as they continue their work through Sunday, July 1. We are proud of the clergy and faithful from St Mary’s in Coaldale, Holy Trinity in Stroudsburg and Holy Annunciation in Berwick for their willingness to volunteer for this mission, for their love of their neighbor and for their zeal to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

St Tikhon’s Summer Camp

We are looking forward to the 2012 St Tikhon’s Summer Camp, which begins this coming Sunday, July 1 and runs through Saturday, July 7. The summer camp is a ministry of the Diocese of Eastern Pennsylvania and its Office of Young Adult Activities (OYAA), under the direction of Kimberly Metz, Tatiana Bohush and Nicholas Macura. More information about the OYAA can be found here: http://www.ocayouth.org/.

This year, 124 children are attending and over 50 counselors and support staff are assisting. The camp administration has been working for several months to prepare for the camp and onsite upgrades to the physical plant over the past year will provide a wonderful setting for the campers. Recently, the roof of the Pavilion was re-shingled and the Dining Room kitchens were completely renovated, thanks to the generosity of the St Tikhon’s Monastery Brotherhood. In addition, the recent renovations to the Seminary building will provide a wonderful environment for the campers. The summer camp also hosts a blog which you can access at the following address: http://www.sttikhonscamp.org/blog/

The Diocese of Eastern Pennsylvania is grateful for the cooperation and support of all those who assist in the monumental task of running the Summer Camp. We are especially thankful to the Seminary which provides housing and other facilities and to the Monastery for their willingness to provide the space to feed the campers and to open the doors of the Monastery Church. The prayerful atmosphere of the Monastery and the educational milieu of the Seminary create an ideal space for the children to pray, learn and have fun.

Travels of His Eminence

His Eminence, Archbishop TIKHON, will be traveling to the Chancery Offices in Syosset on Thursday, July 5 for a meeting of the Lesser Synod of Bishops. His Eminence serves on the Lesser Synod in his capacity as Secretary of the Holy Synod. The following week, His Eminence will be traveling to the French Alps for some personal time and to visit his family (most notably his paternal grandmother, who is 105 years old). He will be away from July 8-23. Any concerns or questions that need to be addressed to His Eminence should be directed to the Deans or the Chancellor.