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Summer meetings for Sunday School students were held at the Spassky Monasterytranslated

July 16, 2026 · 1 min read

In the middle of summer, in the Spassky Convent of Kobrin, with the blessing of the abbess of the monastery, Abbess Euphrosyne, week-long summer meetings were organized for students of the Sunday school. Their main leitmotif this year is the holy wives of White Rus'.

Each day began with congregational morning prayers, followed by a varied program of activities.

Every day the priest introduced the children to the lives of several Belarusian women canonized by the Orthodox Church.

The program also included intellectual and board games on the basics of the Orthodox faith, viewing of Orthodox films, master classes on arts and crafts (painting gingerbread cookies, angels and making plaster figures).

Members of the Kobrin search and rescue team “Angel” came to visit the children, who not only talked about their important activities, but also showed the equipment with which they search for missing people.

And at the Kobrin rescue station, children were shown basic first aid skills on the water.

Important and useful activities alternated with outdoor games.

The summer meetings ended with a thanksgiving prayer and summing up...

Source: Site: Брестская епархия · Read the full story →

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Тимофей Павлов

It’s good that the children were shown the work of “Angel” and taught first aid on the water - these are really useful things, and not just theories. I especially liked that every day they analyzed the lives of the holy wives of White Rus', and did not just entertain. In Yaroslavl, such meetings would also be useful.

Степан Павлов

I agree, the lives of the holy women are the most valuable of all that were there. In our parish in Novosibirsk we also tried similar days with children, but without rescuers and first aid - only games and master classes. Have you already done something similar in Yaroslavl or are you just planning?

Максим Иванов

It’s good that, in addition to the lives of holy women, something practical was added every day - an “Angel” with equipment, and first aid on the water. In our parish in Novosibirsk we also held summer days for the children, but without rescuers, only games and gingerbread decorations. And in Kobrin, approximately how many children participated, did they not write?

Vasile Constantinescu

Good thing they put emphasis on the lives of those holy Belarusian women every day, not just games and cakes. At our parish, last summer we tried something similar with the children, but without lifeguards and without the first aid lesson on the water. How many children came to the Kobrin monastery in total?

Marius Marin

Well said, Vasile, the emphasis on the lives of Belarusian holy women gave a deeper meaning than mere activities. At our place, last summer, we collected about 18-20 children per week, but without so much organization. How many did you manage to attract to the parish?

Teodora Florea

Yes, the lives of those Belarusian saintly women really caught the attention of the children, not just the games. In our parish we collected about 12-14 a day, fewer than yours, but we kept everything more relaxed, with playtime outside after each lunch. How old were most of your children?

Тамара Семёнова

It’s good that practical things were added - especially about first aid on the water, this can really come in handy. In our parish in Minsk, too, in the summer, children painted gingerbread cookies, but they didn’t think of rescuers. How many people usually gather in Novosibirsk for such days?

Constantin Tudor

Well said, Vasile, the focus on the lives of those holy Belarusian women kept things about faith, not just fun. About 12-14 children came to our parish last summer, but I felt that they had something left from the stories about the saints. How many did you manage to collect consistently every day?

Ирина Соловьёва

Stepan, I completely agree - the lives of the holy women of White Rus' really sank into the children’s souls most of all. In our parish in Nizhny Novgorod we also did similar weeks, but we also added the joint preparation of simple Lenten dishes, and then the children themselves treated everyone. And we’re just planning it in Yaroslavl, we haven’t had time to hold it yet. Do you often organize such meetings in Novosibirsk?

Constantin Ciobanu

Yes, Marius, the lives of those saints caught on well with children, especially when they connected them to table games. In our parish, we collected about 15-16 a day, most of them between 8 and 13 years old. Did you also go out to the monastery with them?

Petru Barbu

Yes, saints lives catch better than any game, you're right. Most of our children were between 8 and 13 years old, about 20-25 a day. How old were yours who came regularly?

Teodora Ionescu

Yes, Constantin, the board games really help to stick to the stories of the saints. Fewer people came to us, about 10-12 daily, and we made only one trip with them to the monastery, at the end, with the small pilgrimage and the prayer of thanksgiving. What games did you use the most?

Надежда Киселёва

Thank you, Irina, for sharing about Nizhny. Children really remember the lives of the holy women most of all, especially about Euphrosyne of Polotsk. But preparing Lenten dishes together is a good idea; in our Moscow parish we sometimes did this too, and the children then proudly served it to everyone. Do you often organize such culinary classes in Nizhny?

Дмитрий Соловьёв

Thank you, Nadezhda, for writing. In Kobrin, the life of Euphrosyne of Polotsk also sank into the hearts of the children most of all, especially when they told about her campaigns and books. And we still have culinary classes only once a year at Christmas, not often. In your Moscow parish, how often do you plan to cook Lenten meals with the guys?

Radu Constantinescu

Yes, Constantine, and for us, linking the lives of the saints with board games worked best, especially when we used the boards with questions about them. We didn't go out to the monastery with the children, but we once invited two volunteers from the "Angel" from Botoșani to show us the equipment, just like the ones from Kobrin. Which games stuck with you the most?

Роман Киселёв

Thank you, Nadezhda. In our parish in Yekaterinburg, we also tried making Lenten pies with the children a couple of times, and then they took them home with such pleasure. Do you often study Euphrosyne of Polotsk and the guys in Moscow, or do you like other lives more?