July 19, 2014
Woodbourne, NY: Metropolitan Hilarion leads Patronal Feast Day at NORR Camp

On Friday the 11th and Saturday the 12th of July, the feast day of the Holy Chief Apostles Peter & Paul, the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion, visited the Russian Orthodox summer camp NORR (National Organization of Russian Explorers) in New York State’s Catskill Mountains.

Metropolitan Hilarion led the All-Night Vigil and Divine Liturgy in the camp chapel, dedicated to Sts. Peter & Paul. He was co-served by Archpriests Constantine Semyanko (rector of Presentation Church in Stratford, CT) and Alexandre Antchoutine (rector of Holy Virgin Intercession Church in Glen Cove, NY), Protodeacon Serge Arlievsky (Holy Dormition Convent "Novo-Diveevo"), and Deacons George Temidis (Nativity of the Mother of God Church in Mahopac, NY) and Dionysius Lvov (Synodal Cathedral of the Sign in New York City). The camp choir sang triumphally under the direction of Tamara M. Zhukov.

After Vigil, His Eminence led a discussion with the young people and offered answers to their questions. The youth, who treasure these talks, took part in earnest and expressed their joy at having direct contact with the Metropolitan, "unsupervised" by their counselors.

The festal Liturgy in camp began early: the meeting of the Metropolitan took place at 7:30 AM. Virtually all of the campers, counselors, and guests communed of Christ’s Holy Mysteries from two chalices.

Also visiting the camp was an icon of the Holy Chief Apostles Peter & Paul, with relics of the saints from St. John the Baptist Cathedral in Washington, DC. After the Liturgy, a procession with the icon was held around the entire camp territory.

This year marks NORR’s 48th camp in the Catskills, with more than 100 children and young people in attendance.

Photos courtesy of Matushka Elizabeth Temidis

Media Office of the Eastern American Diocese