Patriarch Irinej of Serbia meets with Russian Orthodox children spending their vacation in Serbia
On 13 July 2013, His Holiness Patriarch Irinej of Serbia visited the School of Friendship International Children’s Camp on the Tara Mountain, Serbia. Children from the Russian Orthodox Church have been spending their vacation there since 6 July 2013. Their trip was organized with the assistance of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations.
Among those visiting the summer camp were also President of the Republika Srpska Mr. Milorad Dodik and Serbia’s Prime-Minister Mr. Ivica Dačić, as well as representatives of the “Our Serbia” charity organization and many sponsors. Thanks to their donations, the School of Friendship Camp can annually welcome two hundred children from Serbia, Montenegro and the Republika Srpska.
His Holiness Patriarch Irinej of Serbia and other high guests were warmly greeted at the summer camp by Bishop Ignatiy of Vyborg and Priozersk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Synodal Department for Youth Affairs, and Rev. Sergiy Shastin, spiritual counselor of the Orthodox Pathfinders Society.
The guests were invited to the concert, at which children from the School of Friendship performed folk songs and dances.
His Holiness Patriarch Irinej spoke to the Russian and Serbian children and gave them his blessing to cherish friendship between the two nations.