SOCIAL WORK

 Christian Youth of Demetrias


CHRISTIAN YOUTH OF DEMETRIAS (C.Y.D.) is the name of the Sunday Schools' effort and general youth activity of our local Church. The catechism offer of the Holy Metropolis of Demetrias is addressed to students of the primary and the high school, and to children of preschool age. This effort tries to introduce orthodox life to children and at the same time develop initiatives and scores in cultural, recreational and athletic activities.
Every parish has Sunday Schools for the boys and the girls of the primary school and in most parishes there are parochial branches of C.Y.D. for boys and girls of high school.
This effort is being supported by the priests of our Holy Metropolis, as well as a large group of laic executives, the Sunday School Teachers, men and women, who all are either university students or scientists.
All this catechetical work is being organized by the Youth Office.

We note some of the most important manifestations of C.Y.D.:

  • the annual MEETING of priests and laic Sunday School teachers, for spiritual discussion and planning the work
  • monthly meetings of the executives of the youth effort in all parishes and discussion about catechism.
  • the MEETING of the Christian Youth, which takes place every two years, with interesting to young people subjects.
  • festivals on the occasion of Christmas, the national and religious celebration of the 25th of March, the end of the missionary year, etc.
  • cultural and athletic activities, excursions, Youth Centers and the theatrical group of young people.
  • publishing of the monthly youthful newspaper "Psefides" (it means "Tesseras") and circulation and distribution of informing leaflets, special editions, posters, etc.
  • cooperation with the theologian teachers of the schools in our district, special manifestations that take place in schools that include speeches and discussions of the students with priests, mainly young ones, sending confessor to schools before important festivals.
  • youth campus take place every summer in St. Lavrentios, Mount Pellion.
  • participation of C.Y.D. in the World Fellowship of Orthodox Youth, SYNDESMOS, and presence of C.Y.D.'s representatives in youth meetings.

YOUTH CENTERS
They function in most parishes of the metropolitan district with the purpose of developing cultural, athletic and recreational initiatives in young people.
In the parochial youth centers, there are :

  • youth chorus and orchestras or musical groups,
  • sections of greek traditional dancing groups,
  • preparatory school lessons,
  • special rooms for table games,
  • harmonium and guitar lessons,
  • painting and handicraft lessons,
  • athletic teams,
  • theatrical section,
  • publishing and leaflet section.
    There is a constant effort so that more and more parishes will program the function of all the above sections. In this way, the young people in their district will spend their time in a fruitful and creative way.

    CHORUS
    The idea of the creation of Youth Chorus offers a musical way out to the caltural seekings of the young people in our district.
    Today, there are youth chorus of byzantine, traditional and european music in the periphery of the Holy Metropolis. These chorus offer a remarkable presence, qualitative pretentions and auspicious prespectives.
    The chorus participate in the Holy Service, in festive manifestations and appear in programs of the local television.

    TRADITIONAL DANCING GROUPS
    Discovering our caltural roots, many young people express their talent and their spontaneity in the genuine dashing dances of our country.
    The parishes of our local Church have responded to the demand of today for return to to the sources of our greek and orthodox life and the seeking of our true identity. In the Spiritual Parochial Centers traditional dances are taught by the laic members of our church to our young people, who do very well in them.
    The traditional dancing groups of our parishes appear with great success in festive manifestations of our Church and partitipate in similar manifestations organized by other organizations in our district.