Between July 9 and July 23, 2022, at the Protection of the Mother of God Monastery in Allegan, MI, took place the Summer camp for boys (July 9-16) and girls (July 16-23). 40 children from the states of Michigan, Illinois, Ohio and Arizona attended the two camps.
Each day began and ended with prayer. His Eminence Archbishop and Metropolitan Nicolae blessed the boys’ camp with his presence and held discussions on catechetical topics in which the children were very interested. There were catechetical discussions about saints, miracle-working icons and the 7 Holy Mysteries of the Church. His Eminence spoke to them about the Myrrh-Gushing Icon of the Mother of God from Hawaii, which depicts the Virgin Mary holding the Baby Jesus in her arms (Iveron Icon). They tried to practice the prayer of the heart, a soul comforting prayer, in which all the children showed interest, both through questions and through the seriousness of practicing it. The catechetical themes chosen for debate were combined with practical activities and outdoor games: ping-pong, haymaking, ducks and hunters, as well as glass painting.
Catechetical discussions and morning prayers continued during the week dedicated to the girls. Among the topics discussed were: humility, how we dress in the monastery, obedience to parents, prayer of the heart. In the interactive Romanian language activities, the children were part of the story or skit: “Salt in the dishes,” “Grandpa's girl and Santa’s girl,” “Visit,” “Mr. Goe,” “Cucumber.” We were happy to see the children's desire to read in Romanian, both when reading the stories and when reading the prayers.
The image of a childhood lived in the Romanian grandparents’ village was shaped by the games: ducks and hunters, ball-to-ball, country-country we want soldiers, open your ear well, pheasant, cordless phone and making traditional Romanian pies. Let's not forget gaga-ball either, a favorite game during this period.
Each child had the opportunity to express their creativity by applying the specific techniques of visual art under the guidance of teacher Maria Lipan, who has over 20 years of experience in the field of fine arts and for whom “art is uplifting when it is put to work in the service of Christ.” The children participating in the St. Filofteia camp experienced for the first-time artistic techniques with a symbolic theme specific to Orthodox Christian art. In the first part of the program, the children were introduced to the technique of linocut and printing an image of St. Filofteia, engraved in linoleum, and then printed on greeting cards and special paper with typographic ink. Limited edition works were made and each child received a number on their original work.
The next activity was making a Christian symbol out of mosaic and clay modeling. The children also participated in the assembly of a prayer rope and in the painting of a form of traditional Romanian crosses.
The children's works will be on display from July 31 to September 11 at Sts. Constantine and Helen Cathedral in Chicago and at Holy Trinity Church in Troy, MI, as part of the “Sf. Filoteia Camp - Christian Art” Exhibition.
During this camp, practical and spiritual activities were combined, so that the children had the opportunity to confess and share in the Liturgies performed by V. Rev. Fr. Călin Barbolovici from the Holy Trinity Parish in Troy, MI and Rev. Fr. Petru Neaga from Annunciation Cathedral, Olmsted Falls, OH.
We thank His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae for his care toward the children of the Metropolia, the spiritual father Hieromonk Daniel and all the volunteers and workers who sacrificed their time to support this camp.
Alina Vance
