Welcome to our NEWS PAGE

July 19-23, 2010 - the Sixteenth Biennial Clergy Symposium of the Antiochian Archdiocese was hosted at the Antiochian Village.

clergy symposium 3

The clergy worshipped together, attended addresses, workshops and enjoyed fellowship with their brother priests.  This year's theme was "The Priesthood: Diakonos, Presbyteros, Episcopos." Speakers included His Eminence, Metropolitan PHILIP; His Eminence, Metropolitan EPHRAIM Kyriakos; His Grace, Bishop MICHAEL Dahulich; Fathers John Chryssavgis and Nicholas Apostola.

clergy symposium 1 

In the above left photo, His Eminence, Metropolitan PHILIP is in the center.  In this photo, to the left of Sayedna PHILIP is His Grace, Bishop BASIL and His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN; to the right of Sayedna PHILIP is His Grace, Bishop JOSEPH and His Grace, Bishop ALEXANDER.  In the above right photo is His Grace, Bishop MICHAEL of the Orthodox Church in America delivering a presentation on the Episcopos.

  
  
Shopping with the guest Vendors... and

 
in the Antiochian Village Bookstore and Giftshop!



June 13, 2010 - "Community Day" at the Antiochian Village



It was a splendid “Community Day” at our Antiochian Heritage Museum on Sunday afternoon. Visitors enjoyed the colorful new exhibit, “Spirit and Whimsy: the art of Niko Chocheli,” as well as delicious refreshments and horse-drawn carriage rides with Ernie Alwine of Misty Haven Carriage.

 Community day 1  

June 11-13, 2010

This weekend at the Antiochian Village, we welcome the men attending the Pan-Orthodox Men's Retreat: Exploring the Passions that Drive Us and the Virtues that can Save Us.
  Men's retreat 061110 

Paul Karos is the Guest Speaker. 
For more biographical information, the brochure is available on our site

Also,  more flowers arrived...
flowers 061110

and Debra and Barli are discussing the many possibities!


June 2, 2010
Summer has arrived!  We are excited to host our guests scheduled to be here with us at the Antiochian Village in the coming months.  We are also thrilled that the Antiochian Bookstore and Gift shop is now online!  You may access the store by clicking on the new button with link to http://store.antiochianvillage.org/ 
here  or on our main directory page.  



April 21,2010



SAVE THE DATE for this year's 
St. Thekla Pilgrimage from September 24-26, 2010!

A press release was posted at http://www.antiochian.org/sainttheklaconvent

April 16, 2010
A fast paced storm passed through the Antiochian Village in the early evening on Friday, April 16, 2010. The weather service recorded wind speeds up to 86mph.  A short video of the Antiochian Village Tempest can be viewed on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BU-1Ic6Gp9c

April 14, 2010
Two articles recently appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

"Exhibition Captures Illustrator's Spirit" about our new exhibit, Spirit & Whimsy: The Art of Niko Chocheli, at the Antiochian Heritage Museum.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10104/1050098-437.stm

and "Theology in Color," an interview about iconography featuring Mother Alexandra, Abbess of the Convent of St Thekla here at the Antiochian Village.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10094/1047845-455.stm

  

From March 19-21, 2010,
four Christian groups were hosted at the Antiochian Village.  

AWE groupOne of these was the Antiochian Women of the East
who came for their annual Lenten retreat and Spring delegates meeting. 
To the left is a picture of the Antiochian Women of the East who were on retreat.  Below are pictures from their retreat and the blessing and installation of an icon in memory of Kh. Joanne Abdalah.  
 
AWE retreat 1    AWE retreat 2  

Mother Alexandra presented a retreat entitled, "Are You Ready For the Resurrection?" in two parts:  an inventory of our Lenten toolbox and our struggle with spiritual warfare, based on Psalm 67; and a reflection on the Paschal Canon. 

MA  Fr Don
Mother Alexandra, the Retreat Director, presenting; and Father Don Shadid, the Spiritual Advisor for the AWE and Pastor of St. Mary Antiochian Orthodox Church in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, offering some words of wisdom. 

matins AWE 2     matins AWE

On Saturday, the day began with Matins. ...  "O Lord save Thy people!"

walk 1   walk 2

The weather and the retrat schedule allowed for private and group walks.  Some made a pilgrimage to the grave of St. Raphael and the shrine of St. Thekla, while others gathered for a visit to the building site of the Convent of St. Thekla. 

blessing icon 1   blessing icon 2
After Vespers on Saturday, Father Don blessed the new icon of the Holy Myrrhbearing Women.  The Antiochian Women commissioned Kh. Erin Kimmett to write this icon in memory of Kh. Joanne Abdalah. 

procession  installation
After the icon was blessed, there was a procession and installation of the icon in the hall that leads to the Antiochian Heritage Library.  In her many years of service to our Lord, Kh. Joanne had offered her time and talents as the first librarian at the Antiochian Village, as President of the Antiochian Women of the East,  and as President of the North American Board of Antiochian Women from 1997-1999.  She fell asleep in the Lord in May of 2008. 

memorial for Joanne Abadalah  venerating icon
Father Don led all in a memorial.  Maria Abdalah is standing near Father.  After the memorial, the newly blessed icon was venerated.  

icon closeup

Closeup of the icon.  

 

From March 11-14, 2010, the Homeschooling Conference was held at the Antiochian Village. 

 group photo
Over 160 participants traveled from several states. 

 Bishop THOMAS 031410

On Sunday, March 14, the weekend concluded with a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy followed by brunch.  His Grace, Bishop THOMAS, delivers the sermon to many attentive young listeners.

More pictures from the weekend follow....


March 13, 2010
Saturday was a full day of workshops and fun which culminated in a Carnival for the children.

helpers  ready

Many THANKS to the Teen SOYO Chapters of St Mary Orthodox Church in Johnstown, PA and St. Michael Orthodox Church in Greensburg, PA [left] who set up and worked the Carnival for the benefit of many happy children. [right]   

dart throw   dice
Activities included the dart throw, dice roll,

ducks   squirt gun

duck catch, put out the candle challenge,

hula  pin the tail  

hula hoop contest, pin the tail on the donkey,

ball toss  butterfly
fish bowl toss, butterfly hunt,

 Bible guy

and the one of a kind, infamous, "Bible Guy!"
Remember...  "No one stumps the Bible Guy!"

 
March 12, 2010
On Friday, the Homeschooling Conference continued...

gift shop   vendor 1
with visits to the Antiochian Village Bookstore and Giftshop and the Homeschooling Vendors Hall,

   workshop 1 workshop 3   

workshops for all ages....

workshop 4   workshop 5
where the children had a blast getting to know each other, making crafts,

   workshop 2   workshop 6

performing skits, and drawing with Niko Chocheli.

worship 3   worship 4      

The participants of the Homeschooling Conference also gathered for worship: Vespers, Presanctified Liturgy, Akathist to the Theotokos, Supplication to St. Raphael, Orthros and Hierarchical Divine Liturgy with His Grace, Bishop THOMAS. 

   worship 2    worship 1

Sayedna THOMAS with his helpers.   
 

March 11, 2010
Thursday evening marked two openings: the St. Emmelia Homeschooling Conference and the Antiochian Heritage Museum's new exhibit - Spirit and Whimsy, THE ART OF NIKO CHOCHELI.

 03-11-10   03-11-10 2
Homeschooling Conference gathering and introduction from Niko Chocheli prior to the opening of the exhibit Spirit and Whimsy, featuring his art. 

03-10-10 3    03-10-10 4

His Grace, Bishop THOMAS, with the children before the blessing and opening of the exhibit.  

blessing 1   blessing 2
His grace vesting, surrounded by attentive youth; and then blessing the new exhibit. 

blessing 3   Nikoo & Julia
Children at the blessing; and Julia Ritter, the Heritage Museum Curator, with Niko Chocheli. 

signing 1  signing 2

Niko signed his books for the children.

 

March 9, 2010

museum 4

We are preparing a new exhibit: 
Spirit and Whimsy,
THE ART OF NIKO CHOCHELI. 
Please visit our Antiochian Heritage Museum page for more details. 

museum
 1   museum 2

Shirley, Julia and Adam are hard at work!


March 3, 2010

At the edge of the Village property, we had an unexpected, out of the ordinary visitor!

visitor 1   visitor 2

That's him in the tree, and the Game Commissioners helping him out.

visitor 3   visitor 4
The bear has a mask on to protect his eyes and mouth while being moved.  The Game Comissioner confirmed that this is out of the ordinary.  After examination, it is clear that this young bear is ill and thin.  He came out of hibernation early, and finding no food, he tried to locate some in the neighbor's garbage. 

visitor 5   sleeping beauty
The Game Commission assured Mother Alexandra that sleeping beauty will be medicated, fed, and released somewhere good for bears.

February 25, 2010

Thanks to John Ritter for sending some pictures from the Marriage Enrichment Retreat at the Antiochian Village from February 13-14, 2010.

MR 1   MR group

Retreat leader, Presbytera Kerry Pappas was inspiring and enjoyed by all. 
 

MR 2   new archpriest

There was a candlelight dinner in the Heritage Center with a wonderful meal prepared by Chef Tim and staff.  The newly elevated Archpriest Gregory Long, his family and friends were invited to continue their celebration at the dinner.  May God grant him many more years in our Lord's service!


February 10, 2010

Thanks to Ron Royhab, who was at the Antiochian Village for the Mid-Winter Meetings, for sending these pictures from last weekend.         

blizzard 5    blizzard 4   


blizzard 6  blizzard 3   

  blizzard 7   blizzard 8

 

February 5-7, 2010

teen soyo

Several organizations of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America convened at the Village for Mid-Winter meetings: Antiochian Women, Christian Education, the Fellowship of St. John the Divine and Teen SOYO.    

soul sat 1   soul sat 2
 Liturgy on Soul Saturday

memorial 1    memorial 2

memorial with koliva

antiochian women    dining
meetings, dining and fellowship                                

   general session
General session

 blizzard 1    blizzard 2  

  The blizzard arrived!

service    +Bp Thomas  

Antiochian Women preparing needed items for IOCC and His Grace, Bishop THOMAS

liturgy 020810 
 Hierarchical Divine Liturgy on Sunday

February 4, 2010

ADI 1   ADI 2

Today, at the Antiochian Village Bookstore and Giftshop, our new retail management equipment and software arrived!  Stephen and Sean from Automated Data Instruments of Johnstown, Pennsylvania [www.adionline.com] installed our system and provided some initial training.   


February 1-3, 2010

Christian Clergy

Clergy from a local Christian Church attended the Antiochian Village for a retreat and enjoyed worship services in our lovely chapel.


January 27, 2010

men in black 4We hosted the Men in Black luncheon in appreciation of the service our Orthodox Clergy offer the Church, and in order to introduce them to the upcoming Pan-Orthodox Programs at Antiochian Village.   

His Grace, Bishop MELCHISEDEK, was among the 16 clergy who attended, representing the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, the Orthodox Church in America, and the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese. 

men in black 1             men in black 2

SAVE the DATE men in black 3 for the next appreciation luncheon on February 22, 2011


January 21, 2010 

Today, we finished our Christmas takedown.  It is time.  The feasts of Nativity and Theophany have passed and we are preparing for the season of Great Lent. 

Christmas 2009    Christmas Takedown '10


January 14-15, 2010

The Village Conference Center hosted a national College Campus Ministry organization for staff training and some winter fun!

Who is this? snowperson

 Who's there overlooking the sledding hill?     
              ..... our new snow person

Snowperson's view

    snow person's view of the Heritage Center and ridgeline

 

January 8, 2010

Mt Crumpet

 

The Village has been enjoying the recent snowfall especially some interesting natural snow sculpture.  Click on the following link to see a video of our Mount Crumpet.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebICDct6HW0