At the All Saints Camp in Emlenton, Pennsilvania, children made a Ukrainian Trident out of the photos of Russian atrocities committed in Ukraine.
The horror of war has slowly made its way around the earth, as the refugees and displaced persons seek refuge from the terror being inflicted upon them by their neighbors.
That’s according to a report by the UOC of the USA press service.
This year the children who come yearly to camp, were joined by new faces – the faces of children trying to recover from the trauma they endured, the death they had seen, and the destruction they had witnessed. This year the camp was a place of refuge for the children of war, who have come to the pristine peaceful valley echoing with birdsong, to recapture their childhood, to try and regain the sense of awe a child experiences when they are not frightened, and to nurture their souls.
To help these children recover the innocence of their youth, a project was unveiled that allowed them to face and conquer their fears. 550 plaques with images of the atrocities of the war in Ukraine were laid out in the field, in the shape of the Tryzub. The modern “trident” symbol was used in in seals of the Kyivan Rus, and has been found on seals of the Rurik dynasty of the 10th-12th century, and is currently proudly displayed on the government buildings of Ukraine, as well as on the uniforms of the men and women who are fighting to not only protect Ukraine from the invasion, but to defend the idea of freedom for the entire world.
The children at the camp lovingly and respectfully laid the photos out on the green grass beneath the summer sun. The tragic images of demolished buildings, burning cities, injured bodies, weeping mothers, terrified children, death, and destruction were in sharp contrast to the peaceful backdrop of the campgrounds, making the terrible events even more poignant.
On this day His Eminence Archbishop Daniel, Ruling Hierarch of the Western Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA was visiting the camp. As the children gathered in the field, His Eminence explained to them that even though these events are far in distance from Emlenton, PA, they are near to our hearts, as we share in the pain of our brothers and sisters in Ukraine. Archbishop Daniel explained that we here, living in freedom, are given the responsibility to spread the word, inform the world of what is happening in Ukraine, to care and aid the refugees, the displaced persons withing Ukraine, and those who are barricading and hiding in their cellars in their besieged villages. Not only should we help them with food and charitable works, but we should foremost help them through our prayers. It is our prayers that bind our souls with theirs, confirming that we are one family in spirit, and the Body of Christ.
With these words His Eminence invited the campers to join him in a Moleben for the safety of the people of Ukraine, for the return of peace, and retreat of the invaders. Joining Archbishop Daniel were Fr. Ivan Tchopko and Fr. Mykola Zomchak, and students of the St. Sophia Ukrainian Orthodox Theological Seminary: Reader Andrii Vatrych and Reader Maksym Zhravchyk; seminarians Andrii Akulenko, Roman Marchyshak and Mykola Stefanyk.
As the final prayers dissipated into the heavens, the children, holding their lit candles, slowly walked around the Tryzub to take in all the photos. They paused here and there to contemplate a particular graphic image, to grieve with the weeping faces, to quietly whisper a short prayer for a particularly injured individual pictured. Wiping away tears that flowed unbidden down their young cheeks the children tried to comprehend how anyone could inflict such harm upon others, how an Orthodox nation could behave so badly against their Orthodox brethren, how this horrific history could once again be repeated upon the lands of Ukraine.
