One of the main aims of The Archdiocese of America is to bring Greek children of the diaspora in contact with Greek culture and orthodox faith. This year, more than 250 Greek boys and girls from the U.S.A. will visit Greece and specifically the camp of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America “Ionian Village,” where they will get to know the beauties of the country and its cultural heritage.
The Ionian Village, located in Vartholomio, Peloponnese, was the vision of the late Archbishop Iakovos, who wanted to give the opportunity to second and third generation Greeks to get to know their motherland. During its 45 years of operation, the camp has hosted over 17,000 visitors.
Father Evagoras Constantinides, director of the Ionian Village since 2011, has participated in the program multiple times as a camper and served as a staff member for three years. As he said, it was a life changing experience.
The pillars of the Ionian Village today are: Orthodox faith, Greek culture, and father Evagoras, along with his wife Maria. Their goal is to make children love their country through various activities.
In order to give children the chance to interact with the Greek culture, father Evagoras has introduced the activity “Greek invasion,” where children try traditional pies and pastries and learn the national anthem and the history of the Greek flag. The program includes artistic and sporting activities and visits to Ancient Olympia, Patras, Zakynthos, Kefalonia, Aegina, Athens, Epidaurus and Mystras.
This way, children come closer to the Orthodox faith by learning about the life of Orthodox saints and visiting churches and by discussing the value of love in Orthodox religion.
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
