NEW YORK: May 19, 2021
Archpriest Andrei Sommer leads a symposium on youth ministry in Autonomous Churches

On May 17, 2021, as part of the 29th International Educational Readings of the Synodal Department on Youth Ministry of the Moscow Patriarchate, an online meeting of specialists in the field of dioceses in Russia and abroad was held.

The event included members of autonomous Churches, exarchates, metropoliates, dioceses abroad from Belarus, Great Britain, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Moldova, the USA, the Faroe Islands, France and Russia.

Presiding at the event was Archpriest Andrei Sommer, Vice President of the Synodal Youth Department of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, who opened the session with a speech during which he pointed out the importance of the date, May 17, the anniversary of the signing of the Act of Canonical Communion in 2007.

Fr Andrei then proposed topics in youth ministry in the post-epidemic period, stressing the need to draw young people to help rectors at the parish level. This was supported by most of the participants. Liya Smirnova, Director of International Youth Cooperation of the Synodal Youth Department of the Moscow Patriarchate noted that this can be the focus of youth conferences.

Among the speakers were also Archpriest Ilya Limberger and Archpriest Sergei Bondarev of the German Diocese of ROCOR.

The participants reported on the situation in their own countries, forthcoming youth events, and also made the decision to likewise meet on the first Monday every two months.

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