Our Parish - An Introduction

You will know us by our worship of the Living God. Come and see!

Sunday Divine Liturgy @ 9:30 AM, coffee hour to follow.

Saturday Great Vespers @ 6 PM

See Church Calendar for any additional services or events.

We invite you to come learn more about Our Faith, Our Community and Our Church.

HISTORY - Learn more about our Parish & Diocesan History

CALENDAR - Learn about any upcoming services & activities

LIVESTREAM - Available for Sunday Liturgy & Saturday Vespers

Metropolitan Gregory is the Hierarch of the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese of North America under the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. He serves the Diocese from Johnstown, Pennsylvania, the seat of Christ the Saviour Cathedral, the Diocesan Chancery, and Christ the Saviour Seminary.

His Eminence was Consecrated and Enthroned as Ruling Bishop on November 27th, 2012; elevated to Metropolitan on August 29th, 2018. He is the Episcopal Liaison to the National OCF (Orthodox Christian Fellowship) Campus Ministry, the national Orthodox Christian ministry for college students. Metropolitan Gregory is the Secretary of Assembly of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the USA. He is the Titular Bishop of Nyssa. Learn more here.

Fr. William Bennett is the full-time Priest and pastor of St. Nicholas Church. By the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Gregory, he began his service to the parish family on September 20th, 2015 following priestly ordination. With God's help, he provides for the spiritual needs of the community. He is joined and supported in the ministry of the Lord by his wonderful wife Pani Ileana and their three children.

He serves as the Northeast Regional Spiritual Advisor for National OCF (Orthodox Christian Fellowship). He serves locally as the spiritual advisor for NYU OCF, which meets both at the parish and on campus.

Fr. William is the Dean of the New York Deanery for the Diocese. To ask Fr. William a question, contact him here.

The Laity are made up primarily of Orthodox Christians who attend, pray, and support the church and her functions. They are united by Christ through the Holy Sacraments of the Church and, together with the clergy, make up the "Body of Christ": the Holy Orthodox Church. 

Among the laity, you will find the following organizations & functions:

Cantors/Choir Director - The Head Cantor and Choir Director is Nicholas Timko; the Assistant Cantor is Reader Robert Zizik. They are responsible for leading the responses for church services, including the Epistle readings. Plain Chant, or Prostopinije, is the musical tradition of the church and people; otherwise, our St. Nicholas Choir leads the responses once a month.

St. Nicholas Board of Trustees & Officers - Administrators of the temporal affairs of the Parish, these are adult members of the parish in good standing elected from among the laity. Meetings take place regularly to serve and handle the material needs of the parish and to provide counsel on various parish-level issues that involve the faithful. 

St. Nicholas Altar Society - Mothers and sisters of the church, they serve the material needs of the Altar and many other functions, such as coordinating the weekly coffee hours. Especially well-known and loved is the annual St. Nicholas Cookie Walk, a parish-wide effort which raises funding for their functions and generous work in and outside the parish: www.stnicholascookiewalk.com

Sunday School (Education Program) - The Divine Liturgy forms the centerpiece of all education of the parish, with all knowledge first coming from the experience of the living God. In addition, we offer Pre-Confession (< 7 yrs), Confession (~7 yrs), Post-Confession (> 7 yrs), Catechumen, & monthly Parent Classes. On Wednesday evenings at 6:30 PM, Fr. William hosts a daily Vespers, a lite meal, and a study for anyone looking to learn more about the Faith.

CONNECTED ORGANIZATIONS

ACRY (American Carpatho-Russian Youth) - The national youth organization of the Diocese, it is an Orthodox Christian family fellowship dedicated to the purpose of encouraging spiritual growth through charitable and apostolic missionary works, prayer, and fellowship for the Glory of God and the building up of the Church and Diocese. St. Nicholas Church ACRY/Chapter #4 is a member of the National ACRY. Learn more here.

Diocesan Carpatho-Rusyn Heritage Working Group (DCRHWG) - This organization is dedicated to preserving, celebrating, and practicing Carpatho-Rusyn traditions within the ACROD, allowing for enhancement of spiritual practices, and to promoting the education of Carpatho-Rusyn history and an understanding of the founding of the ACROD. Their main office is located at St. Nicholas Church. Learn more here.

Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF) - OCF is an organization dedicated to transforming the lives of college students by guiding them along the path to Jesus Christ through His Church, cultivating a campus community of worship, witness, service, fellowship, and education. St. Nicholas Church is a supporter of NYU (New York University) OCF and National OCF. Learn more here.

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MORE ABOUT THE LAITY

"The words 'lay, laity, layman' come from the Greek word 'laos' which means people. "Laikos," layman, is the one who belongs to the people, who is a member of an organic and organized community. It is, in other words, not a negative, but a highly positive term. It implies the ideas of full, responsible, active membership as opposed, for example, to the status of a candidate. Yet the Christian use made this term even more positive. It comes from the Greek translation of the Old Testament where the word laos is applied ordinary to the People of God, to Israel, the people elected and sanctified by God Himself as His people. This concept of the "people of God" is central in the Bible. The Bible affirms that God has chosen one people among many to be His particular instrument in history, to fulfill His plan, to prepare, above everything else, the coming of Christ, the Saviour of the World. With this one people God has entered into "covenant", a pact or agreement of mutual belonging. The Old Testament, however, is but the preparation of the New. And in Christ, the privileges and the election of the "people of God" are extended to all those who accept Him, believe in Him and are ready to accept Him as God and Saviour. Thus, the Church, the community of those who believe in Christ, becomes the true people of God, the "laos" and each Christian a 'laikos' — a member of the People of God.

The layman, is the one, therefore, who shares in Divine election and receives from God a special gift and privilege of membership. It is a highly positive vocation, radically different from the one we find defined in Webster. We can say that in our Orthodox teaching each Christian, be he a Bishop, Priest, Deacon or just member of the Church is, first of all, and before everything else a layman, for it is neither a negative nor a partial, but an all-embracing term and our common vocation.. Before we are anything specific we are all laymen because the whole Church is the laity — the people, the family, the community — elected and established by Christ Himself."

-Fr. Alexander Schmemann