Young ROCOR Members Discuss Pressing Issues at St. Herman’s Conference, Priest Says

More than 200 guests attended this year's St. Herman's Youth Conference. Photo: Eastern American Diocese of ROCOR

ALBANY, NY — Young people from the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) in the United States have a special tradition: each year in late December, they gather at one of the parishes of the Eastern American or Canadian dioceses to share their experiences in Orthodox Christianity and discuss the most pressing issues of contemporary life during the St. Herman of Alaska Youth Conference.

This year, more than 200 guests from across the United States and Canada took part in the event, which was held at the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God Church in Albany, New York, its rector, Archpriest Alexis Duncan, told UOJ.

“We hosted about 225 participants, most of whom were young people. The program included three main lectures delivered by Bishop Luke (Murianka), rector of Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, New York; Father Peter Perekrestov of San Francisco; and Nicholas Ganson, dean of Hellenic College in Boston,” Fr. Alexis said.

Participants attended various classes, not only on religious topics but also on practical ones. For example, young women and men learned how to cook kutia, a traditional Russian Christmas dish, as well as gingerbread, he added.

“We also organized spiritual workshops. One was devoted to marriage, and there were separate sessions for young women and young men on what it means, from a spiritual perspective, to be a healthy and normal human being,” the priest explained.

On December 24 and 25, a vigil and Divine Liturgy were celebrated by ROCOR First Hierarch Metropolitan Nicholas, together with Archbishop Gabriel of Montreal and Canada, Bishop Luke, and nearly 20 priests and deacons. The services were dedicated to St. Herman of Alaska and St. Spyridon and were held in the presence of the Kursk Root Icon and the myrrh-streaming Hawaiian Iveron Icon of the Mother of God.

“We distributed small paper icons of the myrrh-streaming icon, and according to our assistants, about 500 icons were handed out. This suggests that at least 500 people attended the vigil service that evening,” Fr. Alexis said.

The next St. Herman’s Conference will be held at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Montreal, he added.

Previously, UOJ reported that over 200 youth attended the annual St. Herman conference in Albany.

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