After two summers of running “virtual camp” due to the pandemic, the Eastern Diocese once again opened the doors of Hye Camp and St. Vartan Camp to camp families. Summer 2022 was a time of amazing camp memories for children from local parishes across the Diocese.
The energy and excitement from all our camp participants was palpable, and knowing that we reached out to close to 400 youth and young adults throughout this summer was heartwarming. Hye Camp returned home to Camp Hickory in Ingleside, IL, and St. Vartan Camp returned home to the Ararat Center in Greenville, NY.
“It was wonderful to be back in-person once again after not seeing one another for three years. Reconnecting with God’s children and seeing how eager they were to develop old and new relationships was a true blessing. Whenever we are together as a Hye Camp family, small miracles take place. Both staff and campers are challenged to grow and mature in a loving Christian environment,” said Fr. Aren Jebejian, Hye Camp Director.
Hye Camp and St. Vartan Camp both offer Armenian Church youth an opportunity to explore their faith and culture in a way not always possible in a parish setting. At camp, our participants not only learn about their faith and culture, but they truly live it as part of a vibrant Armenian Christian camp community.
St. Vartan Camp is a seven-week camp program that predominantly serves our East Coast and southern parishes, and it begins with a half-week of staff training followed by three two-week sessions. Campers do have the option to only attend one week if so desired. Hye Camp is a week-long program that serves mostly Midwest and Southern parishes, and it begins with a three-day CIT and Staff Training program.
Connecting with Each Other, and with God
“Time passes differently at St. Vartan Camp. When you return, even if you’ve missed a year or two, it feels like you’ve never left. It was so nice to be back at our beloved Camp. The summer passes quickly, but our Camp memories will stay with us forever,” remarked Fr. Vart Gyozalyan, the St. Vartan Camp Director at Session B. “Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August at St. Vartan Camp. At the end of the day, our feet were dirty, our hair messy, but our eyes were sparkling; because we connected with each other and with our God.”
Our Diocesan Summer Camp programs offer daily classes of Religion, Armenian Language and Culture, and Arts & Crafts, as well as time each day for sports and swimming. Our evenings are filled with fun programs like Capture the Flag, Clue, Campfire, Talent Shows, Dances, and more.
Campers at St. Vartan Camp’s Session B in July had the special experience—unique in camp history—of a surprise visit from His Holiness Karekin II, the Catholicos of All Armenians.
“There was an undeniable appreciation and thankfulness from the youngest camper to the eldest staff, for everything St. Vartan Camp in 2022,” said Fr. Stepanos Doudoukjian, the St. Vartan Camp Director at Session C. “This incredible gratitude was evident each day from the rising of the sun until the very last curfew. It seemed that in the summer of 2022, mealtime chants were louder, chapel prayers were more fervent, smiles were bigger and brighter, friendship bonds were stronger, and more tears shed on the final day.”
He added: “All of this was possible because God surely blessed each of us, our camps, campers and staff with His abundant love and grace. Thank you God!”
Our camp administrators, camp directors, and camp families thank the Dadourian Foundation and the Barbara Apisson Trust for their immense generosity for the funds they granted us this summer, which went towards direct scholarships and offsetting a number of costs during our camp season that directly benefited our entire camp community.
The Eastern Diocese plans to announce its 2023 Summer Camp dates soon and launch registration early in 2023, so stay tuned for details. In the meantime, relive the memories of summer 2022 by viewing the online photo galleries from St. Vartan Camp Session A, St. Vartan Camp Session B, St. Vartan Camp Session C, and Hye Camp.
For more information about our summer camp programs, please contact: Jennifer Morris, Hye Camp Administrator at jenniferm@armeniandiocese.org, or Kathryn Ashbahian, St. Vartan Camp Administrator at kathryna@armeniandiocese.org.