OCA Parishes to mark International Orthodox Youth Month

With the blessing of His Beatitude, Metropolitan Herman, Orthodox Church in America parishes will highlight the important contribution made by youth and young adults during February, which has been designated International Orthodox Youth Month.

Several years ago, Syndesmos, the Athens-based world fellowship of Orthodox youth, designated February 2, the Great Feast of the Meeting of the Lord in the Temple, as “World Day of Orthodox Youth,” while encouraging young people around the world to mark the occasions with celebrations, retreats, and other activities throughout the month of February. Since that time, the OCA Department of Youth, Young Adult and Campus Ministry has provided a wealth of resources and ideas to help parishes and youth groups mark the occasion. Youth Month resources were recently sent to all parishes, while further resources may be found on the OCA web site here and here.

“It is my hope that every parish will utilize this annual observance to highlight their youth ministry, to recognize those who give of their time and talents to assist our youth and young adults, and to encourage our young people to take their place within the life of our Church,” Metropolitan Herman said in a recent letter to all parishes.

Founded in 1953, Syndesmos numbers over 100 member movements and Orthodox theological schools in nearly 50 countries.

Since its inception, the Orthodox Church in America has been intimately involved in the work of Syndesmos, and among the fellowship’s founders were the late Protopresbyters Alexander Schmemann and John Meyendorff. Mr. Mark Stokoe, a former OCA Youth Director, served as Syndesmos General Secretary for several years in the 1980s. Metropolitan Herman attended several Syndesmos General Assemblies in years past and hosted a Syndesmos-sponsored group of youth from Russia at Saint Tikhon Monastery and Seminary—one of the first international exchanges of its kind—in 1991.

During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Rev. Michael Kallaur served as Syndesmos Vice-President, while the Very Rev. John Matusiak served as a Syndesmos program director in the early 1990s and Vice-President from 1996 until 1999. For several years, Mr. Joseph Matusiak and Mr. John DeTrana, both members of the Orthodox Church in America, served as administrative assistants at the Syndesmos General Secretariat in Bialystok, Poland, where it was located before its move to Athens, Greece in 2000.

Between 1991 and 1998, over 300 OCA youth and young adults participated in various Syndesmos events abroad, especially in the annual Syndesmos International Summer Institute initially held in Rakevo and Mikhnevo, Russia and later at the Annunciation Monastery in Suprasl, Poland.