The Summer Youth Program at Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY was established to expose Orthodox boys to the rich spiritual heritage and legacy of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, and to life at the monastery in particular. Its objectives are to nurture the development of these young adolescent men in the areas of spiritual discipline, steadfastness, and sobriety through a structured program of participation in the monastic community.

Participants “unplug” from computer and internet use, cell phone use, and in general from all electronic devices. If a film or video is featured in the program, it is for all participants together.

The number of participants has grown. The age range for participants is now split into two groups, in two separate sessions. Boys in the younger group are 14 to 15 years old, and these boys were here for just about one week from Saturday, June 27, to Friday, July 3. The boys in the older group ranged from 16 to 18 years of age, and they were here for just under two weeks, from Sunday the 5th to Saturday the 18th of July.

Participants attend daily Liturgies at 6:00 AM, serve in the altar and sing/read on kliros during feast days and weekends, participate in various work-related obediences and general clean-up in and around the monastery, attend spiritual lectures and discussion groups led by Bishop Luke and various invited speakers from both inside and outside the monastery/seminary community, watch select movies, attend catechism and evening prayers, and still have time to enjoy various leisure time and outdoor activities that the monastery campus and the beautiful surroundings of Upstate New York have to offer. These include swimming, boating, canoeing, soccer, and hiking, as well as ping pong, just to name a few.

Readers are strongly encourage to consider sending Orthodox sons or grandsons (14-18 years of age) to this wonderful program next summer, in June-July of 2027. In the end, you – and they – will be very glad that they were involved in this truly formational experience. Many of seminary graduates, including some who went on to be ordained as deacons, priests, and even consecrated as hierarchs of the Church, experienced being a "Jordanville Monastery Summer Boy" as an early and pivotal part of their journey on the path to serve the Holy Orthodox Church!

www.jordanville.org