The Kursk-Root Icon Visits Camp NORR Twice

On July 20, Camp NORR ceremoniously greeted the Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother of God, accompanied by Priest Serafim Gan and Deacon Dimitri Temidis, both members of the Synodal Chancery. Before the moleben, held at the Chapel of SS Peter and Paul, began, Mitred Protopriest Alexey Ohotin, the spiritual father of the camp, appealed to the worshipers with a sermon, in which he called upon all to fervently pray before this wondrous icon, and after the veneration of the icon, spoke in detail about its history, sharing some of the miracles which occurred in the difficult days of the Russian emigration in Europe.

On July 27, the leadership and members of Camp NORR greeted the Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother of God and His Eminence Metropolitan Laurus. Upon their arrival, they headed for morning prayers and the raising of the flags, after which His Eminence proceeded to the chapel, where he shared his recollections of the archpastoral visits and solemn services held at the camp by Archbishop Averky (Taushev, +1976) of blessed memory and of other hierarchs. Breakfast was then offered, during which His Eminence Vladyka told the young campers about his childhood, about the youth camp in Bratislava, stressing that we must thank God that the Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother of God, deeply revered throughout the world, is preserved within the Russian diaspora. His Eminence Metropolitan Laurus also spoke of the miracles which happened after prayer before this icon.

The campers then gave a choral concert for their honored guest. After that, His Eminence expressed his deep gratitude to the counselors, the workers and participants of the camp, and, invoking God's blessings upon them, departed with the miraculous icon to Jackson, NJ.

It is interesting to note that on the eve of the visit of the Kursk-Root Icon to Camp NORR, the President of the Association of Russian Explorers Outside of Russia (Camp NORR), George G Temidis, was scheduled for an operation. In the middle of June, Temidis had begun to experience terrible pains, which worsened during camp. On July 22, he went to see a doctor, who determined that he had a hernia and immediately scheduled an operation. With the blessing of His Grace Bishop Gabriel of Manhattan, George Temidis' brother, Deacon Dimitri, brought the miracle-working icon to the hospital on the day of the operation. Thank God, through the kind intercession of the Mother of God, at the outset of the operation, it was found that he had no hernia at all. Since then, George Temidis has had no pains at all and returned to his work at camp.