Vartholomio, Greece –  Ionian Village, the summer camp ministry of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America in Greece, is having another very successful year and the campers report they “are having the best summer of their life.”

Photographs of a day in the life of Ionian Village were taken by Dimitrios Panagos, the Archdiocese official photographer who visited the camp, July 31, and can be seen here:https://flic.kr/s/aHskFup7FQ

Ionian Village operates from a beautiful seafront campsite on western Peloponnesus in Greece on the coast of the Ionian Sea. The camp facility accommodates 200 campers and 50 staff members in whitewashed cabins and bungalows. The campground was developed and built with the intention of fostering an Orthodox Christian community and providing a Greek village experience for all participants. The facilities are centered around a traditional white-washed Chapel and include a private beach, an Olympic-size swimming pool, shady pine forests, an amphitheater, a large hall for gatherings and activities, an open-air cafeteria, a soccer field, two volleyball courts, a tennis courts, and a basketball court.

The mission of Ionian Village is to enrich the lives of its participants by bringing campers and staff into close contact with their Orthodox faith and Hellenic heritage. Ionian Village provides the opportunity for young people of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America to Greece to foster a life-long appreciation and love of Greece, Orthodoxy, and Hellenism.

This important mission is accomplished by providing a safe and fun environment in which campers and staff can fully immerse themselves into our rich Greek heritage, experience the vibrancy of our Greek Orthodox tradition, and learn to lead Christ-centered lives. Ionian Village participants travel across Greece, venerate the relics of saints, walk in the footsteps of the Apostles, and visit significant sites of Greek history and culture. At the end of each program, our campers and staff return home with strengthened faith, life-long friendships based on Christian love, and an expanded appreciation for the Orthodox Church and Greek culture.

Photos: https://flic.kr/s/aHskFup7FQ