The Diocese will host two Altar Server Retreats this spring with His Eminence, Archbishop Michael, offering altar servers an opportunity for prayer, learning, and fellowship while deepening their understanding of service in the Church.

Two identical retreats will be offered in different locations across the Diocese:

Saturday, May 2, 2026
Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church – Endicott, NY
Saturday, May 9, 2026
Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church – Wayne, NJ

St. Andrew’s Camp & Retreat Center invites faithful from across the diocese to participate in the 2026 Springtime Weekend Retreat, taking place Friday, May 1 through Sunday, May 3, 2026.

The retreat will focus on the theme:

“Tools for Developing Peace in a Chaotic World.”

The featured speaker will be Father Peter A. Baktis, who has served the Church for more than forty years in a wide range of pastoral ministries. For twenty-five years he served as a U.S. Army Chaplain, ministering to soldiers, families, and military communities in diverse settings. Fr. Peter currently serves as rector of Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow” Orthodox Church in Princeton, New Jersey.

TRENTON, NJ — During the weekend of March 7–8, 2026, St. Vladimir Orthodox Church in Trenton, NJ, was blessed with the visitation of the Hawaiian Iveron Myrrh-Streaming Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. The faithful gathered in large numbers to venerate the holy icon and be anointed with the fragrant myrrh that flows from it.

More than 400 clergy and faithful from across the region came to participate in this spiritually uplifting event. The presence of the wonderworking icon provided a moment of grace and consolation for the parish community, drawing many to prayer and reflection.

On March 1, 2026, St. Basil’s Orthodox Church in Watervliet, NY, hosted a Pan-Orthodox Sunday of Orthodoxy Vespers, welcoming visiting clergy and faithful from throughout New York’s Capital District. Clergy and parishioners representing the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), and the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese participated in the service, which joyfully celebrated the triumph of the holy icons and the unity of the Orthodox faith.

Following the Vespers, all gathered in the parish hall for a Lenten meal and fellowship. The annual Lenten Vespers is organized by St. Andrew’s Brotherhood of the Capital District, a pan-Orthodox fellowship that brings together Orthodox clergy and faithful from across the region for prayer, mutual encouragement, and shared witness to the Orthodox faith.

The March newsletter from Orthodox Youth Ministries highlights the organization’s acquisition of the Connect Conference, an annual pan-Orthodox gathering for young adults ages 21–39, and reflects on the conference’s origins and growing impact. In this month’s ministry reflection, Fr. Paul Lundberg recounts how the conference emerged from an early setback in Atlanta to become a meaningful ministry centered on building strong local relationships and fostering Christ-centered community among young adults. The newsletter also features Deanna Klein, a mental health counselor and ministry leader in Minneapolis, who shares how the Connect Conference encourages young adults to use their talents in service to the Church while thoughtfully engaging the modern world through authentic relationships, collaboration, and faithful stewardship.

Join us for an unforgettable weekend of prayer, friendship, and fun in the heart of the Catskills! The Department of Youth Ministry of the Diocese of New York and New Jersey invites youth from all dioceses and jurisdictions to come together for a retreat filled with meaningful worship, engaging conversations, and outdoor fellowship.

📍 Location: Frost Valley YMCA, Claryville, NY
👥 Ages: Teens (13–17) & Young Adults (18–24)
📅 Registration Deadline: April 15, 2026
💵 Cost: Free to attend!
👉 Click here to Register Now

With the blessing of the ruling hierarch of the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese, Metropolitan Gregory, Sunday of Orthodoxy Vespers, March 1, 2026, was solemnly celebrated at St. John the Baptist Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Church. Presiding at the service was Archbishop Michael, whose presence reflected the strong bonds of cooperation and brotherhood among the Orthodox jurisdictions of the region.

Dearly beloved faithful in Christ,

On the first Sunday of Great Lent—the Sunday of Orthodoxy—we joyfully commemorate the restoration of holy icons to the life of the Church. This feast celebrates the unity established by the Seventh Ecumenical Council (787) and the final restoration of icons in 843 under the leadership of Empress St. Theodora, together with her son, Emperor Michael III, and Patriarch St. Methodios. Today, the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America carries this legacy forward, manifesting that same spirit of unity. In this light, “Assembly of Bishops Sunday” is now observed nationwide in conjunction with this historic celebration.

On Sunday, February 15, the Honorable Judge E. Ray Lanier, retired General Counsel of the Orthodox Church in America, was presented the Assembly of Bishops’ Medal of Saint Theodora, “Restorer of Icons” and a patron saint of Orthodox Unity.  The Medal of St. Theodora is an annual award given to one male and one female from among the laity who have made significant contributions to the work of the Assembly and to Orthodox Christian Unity. The award was presented to Judge Lanier at his home parish of St. Innocent Church (OCA) in Macon, Georgia, by Archpriest Theophan Buck, with remarks delivered on behalf of the Assembly of Bishops by William Marianes, Esq. 

On the weekend of March 7–8, 2026, the faithful of the Diocese will have the opportunity to venerate the Myrrh-Streaming Hawaiian Iveron Icon of the Mother of God during its visit to St. Vladimir Orthodox Church in Trenton, New Jersey.

This beloved icon has become known throughout the Orthodox world for the abundant myrrh that has streamed from it and for the many testimonies of consolation, healing, and spiritual renewal associated with its visitation. Countless faithful have approached the Theotokos through this holy image seeking comfort, repentance, strength, and hope.