Every year, World Orthodox Youth Day takes place in a different Polish city over the weekend closest to the feast of the Meeting of the Lord. This year, with the blessing of His Beatitude Metropolitan Sawa of Warsaw and All Poland, the celebration was held in Kraków, February 16-18. The official opening of the ceremony took place on Friday, February 16, with the participation of Their Eminences Archbishop Jerzy and Archbishop Grzegorz, who oversees the Brotherhood of Orthodox Youth in Poland, and Their Graces Bishop Atanazy and Bishop Warsonofiusz, reports the Polish Orthodox Church.

Abp. Grzegorz spoke on behalf of the gathered hierarchs and greeted the youth on behalf of Met. Sawa, reminding them that the weekend should be not only an opportunity to meet each other, but to encounter God. Igumen Panteleimon (Karczewski) of the Orthodox seminary in Warsaw then offered a lecture on the centenary of the autocephaly of the Church in Poland, being celebrated this year. Then there was a concert of Eastern and Central European music.

The second day of the event was dedicated to a tour of the history and monuments of Kraków. The day concluded with an All-Night Vigil in the Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God.

As always, the weekend culminated with the Sunday Liturgy. This year, there were two early Liturgies to accommodate all the guests, and even then, the church was filled to overflowing. Abp. Jerzy delivered a homily on the humility of Zaccheus.

Several dozens of young people from Romania, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, the Netherlands, the U.S., Germany, participated in Youth Day this year. (Quelle: www.orthochristian.com, 20. Februar 2024)