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Dimitriados Ignatios in the Camp of Saint Lawrencetranslated

July 14, 2026 · 1 min read

In the camping facilities of the Holy Metropolis, in Agios Lavrentios Pelion, on Sunday July 12, Rev. Metropolitan of Dimitrias, Mr. Ignatios. During the current camp period, approximately 90 boys from the Primary classes are hosted, with the leader, Archdeacon Fr. Iakovos Proias, and the deputy leader, Deacon Fr. Porphyrios Glaros. His Eminence attended the closing celebration presented by the children, as part of the camp entertainment program.

In his brief greeting, he urged the children to make the most of their days at camp, saying: “Make the most of this camp symbiosis. I am really proud of you. You have diamonds guys. It is visible on their faces and in their eyes", while he emphasized that the camp is a unique life experience, through which the children get to know Christ and learn to live with values. He also emphasized that "if the camp gave the children Christ for one week, then the family is called to offer Him to them for a whole life", highlighting the decisive role of parents in the formation of the children's personality and faith.

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💬 Comments (14) 🌐 Show original

Gabriela Stan

Good that Metropolitan Ignatius went to Saint Lawrence and saw the children. I loved what he said about the diamonds in their eyes, it feels like he really noticed them. And he is right, the family must continue what the camp starts, otherwise everything is lost after a week.

Sarah Collins

Είναι ωραίο που ο Μητροπολίτης Ιγνάτιος πήγε και είδε τα 90 αγόρια από κοντά. Μου άρεσε που είπε «έχετε διαμάντια παιδιά» – φαίνεται ότι πραγματικά πρόσεξε τα πρόσωπά τους. Και δίκιο έχει, αν η οικογένεια δεν πάρει τη σκυτάλη μετά την κατασκήνωση, όλο αυτό χάνεται σε λίγες μέρες.

Florin Stoica

Yes, I also liked how he said about the "diamonds in their eyes", you can tell he looked at them carefully, he didn't speak in general. The same thing happens with us in the camps at the monastery: a week full of joy and prayer, but without the involved parents at home it quickly dissipates. Have you ever been to St. Lawrence with the kids?

Daniela Popescu

Yes, I also smiled at the words with the diamonds in my eyes, sounds like a man who actually stopped to look at them. At our place, after the camps at the monastery, we try to at least hold the evening prayer together with the grandchildren, otherwise the memories quickly disappear. What do you think parents could do concretely in the first days after the camp?

Maria Munteanu

Yes, I also smiled at the "diamonds in the eyes", you can see that he looked at them well, he did not speak in the wind. At our place, after the camps, I try to take my boys for a short walk through the garden in the evening and ask them what they remembered from what they sang or learned there. Do you think it would help to give them a little camp icon to keep in their room?

Ioana Stoica

Yes, I also smiled at the "diamonds in the eye", it feels like he spoke from the heart, not just form. At our house, after the camps, I try to make a simple cake together with my boy and let him tell me what he learned, so that everything is not lost when the luggage is unpacked. Do you think an evening with a story from the lives of the saints, related to why they lived there, would work?

Cristina Gheorghiu

Yes, I also smiled at the "diamonds in his eyes", you can tell he really looked at them. At our place, after the camps at the monastery, I try to get the children to draw something simple from what they experienced there - a cross, a flower from the Liturgy - and hang it in the kitchen. Do you think it would help to read them a short page from the lives of the saints in the evening, so that everything does not go out with the luggage?

Simona Tudor

Yes, I also smile when I see how a bishop really notices the children's eyes - it's not empty talk. That simple drawing you put in the kitchen seems like a good idea to me, it keeps the memory alive. In the evening, I read a page from the Lives of the Saints to the children, but I choose one with a saint who had an ordinary childhood, so that he does not seem too far from them; do you think this is better or any short page will do?

Larisa Tudor

Yes, Simona, you are right, children's eyes say it all. I think it is better to choose a page with a saint who had an ordinary childhood, as you do - it stays closer to them. When I read the Lives of the Saints in the evening, I also put a small icon on the table, so that they can see who we are talking to. What saint did you read last time?

Ana Ciobanu

Yes, Larisa, their eyes really do say it all, especially when they are happy after a day of play. I last read about Saint Spyridon, who grew up simply, with sheep and an ordinary family, and it seemed perfect for my boy. What icon did you put on the table last night?

Ilie Nistor

Yes, the cake idea is good, Ioana, keep the children close and talk slowly. I would add that evening with the story of the saint, but choose one related to what they did at camp, for example something about obedience or simple joy. Otherwise, everything is quickly lost.

Viorica Stan

Yes, Ioana, this simple cake after camp sounds good, keep things concrete and close to the kitchen. When my daughter came from the camps at the monastery, I would ask her to show me just one new thing she had learned, like a hymn or a short prayer, and we would put it into practice together in the evening. Do you think it would work for your boy to tie the story of the saint to something small in the camp, like a walk in the woods?

Vasile Constantinescu

Yes, Larisa, their eyes really do say it all, especially when they smile after a whole day of playing and praying. I last read about St. John the New from Suceava, who had a simple childhood as a tradesman, and it seemed appropriate for our boys. What icon did you put on the table last night?

Simona Ciobanu

Yes, Vasile, their eyes are really smiling after a day of running and praying, it can be seen that they have been well. I read them last night from the life of St. Demetrius the New, that I thought was appropriate for the boys who come from the city. What icon did you put on the table?