Русская Версия

July 14, 2010
Woodbourne, NY: Feast of Sts. Peter & Paul at Camp NORR

His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, visited the children’s summer camp NORR (National Association of Russian Explorers) on July 11-12, the feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. The holy Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God "of the Sign" arrived with Vladyka.

Metropolitan Hilarion officiated at the All-Night Vigil and Divine Liturgy in the camp chapel, dedicated to the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. Mitred Archpriests Alexei Ohotin and Victor Tseshkovsky, Priests Alexandre Antchoutine and Andrei Kortusov concelebrated, along with Protodeacons Joseph Jarostchuk and Sergei Arlievsky.

Vladyka Metropolitan met and spoke with camp youth on Saturday night.

During the festal Liturgy, the Metropolitan tonsured longtime camper Andrei Mouravieff a reader. Almost every camper and leader, as well as many guests, communed the Holy Mysteries. Vladyka Hilarion presented the camp with an icon of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. Each camper received a small icon of the Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God. The faithful were also sprinkled with holy water brought from the spring in Kursk where the icon was originally found.

After lunch, Camp Program Director Alexander Stepanoff thanked Vladyka for finding time in his busy schedule to visit Camp NORR and for spending the day in the real-life camp environment.

The clergy and senior campers walked the camp territory with the Holy Icon, including visiting each tent and bungalows on the property.

This summer, Camp NORR is holding its 44^th camp in the Catskill Mountains. Camp NORR has been in New York since 1967, when Archpriest Seraphim Slobodskoy and Basil Joukov began their work together to continue the tradition of instilling Russian Orthodox values in children and young people.

Media Office of the Eastern American Diocese