Church School in Goshen, IN - 06/28/11
Category: Latest News
Last updated: 2022-03-20 20:21:22
The week of June 20th marked the fourth year that Holy Virgin Protection
Parish in Goshen, Indiana has held a week-long Vacation Church School.
Nineteen students between the ages of 5 and 15 participated in classes
covering the Law of God, Choir, Iconography, Orthodox Geography, and
Russian Folk Dancing. This year's themes were the Two Great Commandments
and God's House, which traced the progression from the Tabernacle to
Solomon's and Herod's Temples, and then to Orthodox Christian churches.
Teachers
included priest Michael Carney and Matushka Darya Carney from St.
Herman of
Alaska parish in Lake Odessa, Michigan, as well as Larissa Sander from
St. George parish in Cincinnati, Ohio, Zhanna Skalitsky from St.
Vladimir parish in Ann Arbor, Michigan and Matthew Whirledge from St.
Mary's Antiochian parish in Goshen, Indiana. Teachers from the host
parish were Margaret Kownover, Valentina Protassenko, and priest Daniel
Marshall. The school took a day-long pilgrimage to Holy Dormition
Romanian Orthodox Convent in Rives Junction, Michigan and were
graciously received by Abbess Gabriella and Mother Nectaria. The
students presented Abbess Gabriella with a paper model of a church they
had made, with the prayer that the new church being built at the convent
be soon completed. They also sang a beautiful setting of "To Thee the
Champion Leader", which they had memorized in Choir, and performed a
Russian Folk dance they had been taught.
It
was a grace-filled week of making new friends --
the students had come from 5 different parishes in 3 states -- and
immersion in Orthodoxy for 5 hours each day. As the week concluded,
students and teachers alike made long goodbyes, savoring the common
experience and praising God for such small comforts. Thanks be to God!
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