« St Seraphim’s Youth Camp 2010 »
05-08-2010 ;)
The annual children’s summer camp of the Diocese of Sourozh, dedicated to St Seraphim of Sarov, took place in the village of Malswick, near Newent in Gloucestershire, from 24 July – 4 August. The camp is under the direction of Fr Stephen Platt, co-head of the Diocesan Youth Department, and organised with the support of the Parish of St Nicholas the Wonderworker in Oxford. About fifty children attended the camp, coming not only from our own diocese but from other dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church. Leaders and helpers from various parishes in the United Kingdom assisted in the running and smooth operation of the camp.
The daily routine of the camp included morning and evening prayers and lessons in religious instruction, as well as sport, music, drama, arts and crafts and games. Highlights of the camp included visits from a magician (Reader Paul Fowler from our parish in Nottingham) and a potter who taught the campers how to make items out of clay using a potter’s wheel. Other notable events were the camp Olympics, the talent contest, the ‘big walk’ to the summit of the nearby May Hill and an Ancient Egyptian theme day.
The spiritual climax of the camp was the celebration of the feast of its patron saint, St Seraphim, on August 1st. The Festal Divine Liturgy, at which all campers received Holy Communion, was celebrated in the camp’s chapel, decorated by the children with wild flowers and grasses from the surrounding fields. A choir of children sang at the liturgy, with the whole camp singing together the responses to the litanies and main prayers. In the evening, the traditional banquet in honour of the feast included a formal meal and musical entertainment provided by the campers and leaders.
For the second year, with the blessing of Archbishop Gregorios of Thyateira and Archibishop Elisey of Sourozh, the camp included a joint gathering with the Greek Orthodox Youth of Great Britain. This year, our campers travelled to the GOYGB camp in Church Stretton, Shropshire, where they were hosted with typically warm Greek hospitality.