By the grace of God, from July 27th to August 3rd, 2025, the 25th St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Children’s Camp was held! Following a long-standing tradition, it took place in the picturesque setting on the shores of Pigeon Lake in Alberta—our “children’s monastery” with its beautiful blue and white church—once again gathering children and volunteers from the Patriarchal Parishes in Canada, as well as our sister-Churches. This year was particularly special, as we celebrated a quarter-century – 25 years – of our shared history, full of friendship, love, prayer, joy, and God’s grace!
This year’s theme—”Fundamentals of Orthodox Christian Worship”—allowed the children to delve deeper into the meaning and beauty of Church life. The lessons, led by the clergy—Father Igor Kisil, Father Evgeniy Protsenko, Father Alexios Surayev, Protodeacon Andrei Boldireff—and the experienced Sunday school teacher Olena Ivanova, were not just lectures, but lively conversations with a great number of illustrations, and quizzes at the end. The children learned about the daily, weekly, and annual cycles of services, the structure of the church, and the language of the Church.
A particularly memorable event was the hands-on lesson in baking prosphora under the guidance of Valentina Petrovna (the experienced prosphora baker from St. Barbara’s Cathedral) and Olena Ivanova. The children were able to take part in this sacred craft with their own hands, understanding how much labor, patience, and prayer is invested in it.
Morning and evening prayers united everyone in our sacred space—the Church of the Archangel Michael. And during the two Divine Liturgies, the hearts of all were filled with the angelic singing of the St. Barbara’s Cathedral choir, under the direction of Irina Trutnieva.
Life at the camp was bustling from morning until late in the evening! The day began with invigorating morning exercises, and after a hearty breakfast, the children hurried to their lessons. The afternoon was a time for creativity and active recreation: fun sports competitions, quests, relay races, and, of course, swimming in the lake.
Every day was special. On one of the days, the traveling zoo visited us again! Allan and Carol Borys, parishioners of the Patriarchal Parishes, once again brought immense joy to the children with their adorable pets. The kids could pet, hug, feed, and simply play with them.
Another unforgettable moment was the meeting with Father Andrei, who brought an icon with a relic of St. John of Shanghai and shared the amazing story of his personal encounter with this great saint. All the children were anointed with consecrated oil—it was a true miracle and blessing.
The evening campfires became a warm tradition. With songs, conversations, and delicious treats—watermelon, apple pastries, and of course, marshmallows—the children, counselors, and mentors would close out the day, admiring the sunset over the lake.
The success of the camp is the achievement of a huge team of people who poured their hearts and souls into it.
We are immensely grateful to the camp directors, Father Igor Kisil and Father Evgeniy Protsenko, for their tireless work, spiritual guidance, and brilliant organization.
Our wonderful counselors were true older friends to the children: Konstantin Sumkin (Head Counselor), Mathew Ivankiv, Alexander Kisil, Serhii Anokhin, Tikhon Trutniev, Denys Barma, Ilya Diyanov, Olena Ivanova, Kateryna Trutnieva, Veronika Demianchuk, Ella Lisova, Ekaterina Bolgova, Mariia Ishchenko, Olha Lipinchuk, Viktoria Orlova, Dmitry Diyanov, and Elena Diyanova. They organized games, offered support, helped with everything, and shared their talents, working from dawn until late in the evening.
In the crafts sessions, children created true masterpieces under the guidance of Matushka Olga Protsenko, Olena Ivanova, and Svetlana Storozhenko (who also updated the large-print prayer texts for reading before and after lessons—thank you so much!).
A separate topic and a special joy was our kitchen! Head Chef Natalia Ilina and her team—Yana Katranzhy, Oksana Ishchenko, Tatiana Popovskaya, Valentyna Idaieva, Victoria Petroschuk, Iuliia Pyrozhok, Natalia Boyd, Olga Korenieva, and all the temporary helpers—worked true culinary magic. Borscht with pampushky, Italian pasta, plov, pizza, “Olivier” salad, and of course, the hit of the season—pigs in a blanket! Every meal was a celebration.
Our kind and attentive nurse, Tatiana Popovskaya, was responsible for the children’s health around the clock, while professional psychologist Olha Lipinchuk looked after their emotional well-being.
Elena Diyanova managed the illustrated history of the camp, with a huge number of magnificent photos, allowing parents to check in with us “online.” A huge thank you to you and your family!
The anniversary camp concluded with a grand concert, where each group showcased their theatrical and singing talents, and a 25th-anniversary celebration with a huge cake!
From the bottom of our hearts, we thank the Orthodox IX and Orthodox V church districts, the Parish Council of St. Barbara’s Cathedral, and all of our donors and benefactors for their donations and support!
Thank you to all the parents who entrusted their children to us. Thank you to every volunteer, teacher, cook, and counselor—everyone who made this week unforgettable. The camp became one big family. We are not saying goodbye, but rather, “See you again in 2026!”
Holy Father Tikhon, pray to God for us!
