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Holiday at St. Seraphim Camp of the Vitiazi
On 15 January 2003, the feast day of St. Seraphim of Sarov
the God-bearer, the Australian chapter of the National Organization
of Vitiazi (Knights), held in the Blue Hills, two hours from
Sydney, a service of supplication was held to this great laborer
in God of the Russian Church. St. Seraphim has been the protector
of this camp since 1961. An icon of the saint was donated
to the Vitiaz organization many years ago. During camp, the
participants pray to St. Seraphim every morning and evening
and venerate his icon. One hundred years ago, this icon was
blessed upon the relics of St. Seraphim himself. On the occasion
of this anniversary, the administration of the NOV decided
to invite the parents of the campers and the friends of the
organization to participate in a solemn service before the
icon and to pray that St. Seraphim protect the camp and help
reat the children in the spirit of Russian Orthodoxy.
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At 11 a.m., under the open sky, on the site of the new chapel
being built in honor of St. Seraphim, the singing began marking
the beginning of the service. All the children, from the age
of 7 up, stood in formation by height in their blue uniforms.
Upon the analogion lay the icon of St. Seraphim. A new frame
for the icon was prepared by Protodeacon Basil Hadarin of
Protection Church in Cabramatta. The spiritual guides of the
Vitiazi performed the service of supplication: Protopriest
Michael Konstantinoff and Priest George Lapardin, along with
the cathedral Deacon Nicholas Triantafillidis. The Vitiaz
choir sang under the direction of Andrei Lapteff. After the
service and a brief sermon on the life of St. Seraphim given
by Fr. Michael Konstantinoff, all the children venerated the
icon, accompanied by the singing of the troparion From
his youth did Christ love him
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After
the service, the clergy and Vitiazi performed a procession
of the cross to the hall for a trapeza feast.
Deacon N.T.
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