MOSCOW: July 16, 2008
Youth of the Russian Church Abroad Arrives in Moscow

With the blessing of the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York, the first formal visit of Orthodox youth to Russia since the signing of the Act of Canonical Communion has begun. 

Young people from America, Australia and Europe will begin their sojourn by visiting Holy Trinity-St Sergius Lavra on the feast day of St Sergius, after which they will visit Moscow, where, at the Church of St Maron the Recluse, they will meet representatives of local Orthodox youth organizations. 

On July 20, the youth will head for the Kursk Diocese, where they will participate in the international conference "Concord of Orthodox Youth." 

As reported by the Press Service of the Kursk Diocese of the Moscow Patriarchate, in addition to the youth of the Church Abroad, young people from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus will participate in the conference. Each delegation is headed by a clergyman, the conference totaling over 60 participants. 

The gathering will be held at the Korennaya Pilgrimage Center, next to Kursk-Root Hermitage. Besides having the chance to get to know one another, the youth from various parts of the world will participate in obediences of labor at the monastery, and will visit the holy sites of the Dioceses of Kursk, Voronezh and Belgorod, as well as Diveevo Convent. 

The program will include round tables and discussions on spiritual education in the Russian Orthodox Church, and the 1020-th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia.  

This event kicks off a series of visits to Russia of Orthodox youth from abroad—in August, a youth group invited by the Community of Holy Martyr Tatiana at Moscow State University will visit Moscow, and will then head for join missionary work throughout the Moscow region.  

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