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the Serbian Orthodox Youth of the Netherlands

Preservation and spread of the Orthodox faith, as well as the Serbian language, culture, and traditions among young people aged 16 to 35 in the Netherlands.

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Who we are

Our story

The Serbian Orthodox Youth of the Netherlands (SPOH) is a youth organization that operates with the blessing of His Grace Bishop Justin of Western Europe and under the patronage of the Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Western Europe.

The organization is intended for youth aged 16 to 35 within the parishes of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the Netherlands, as well as in Belgium and Luxembourg.

SPOH is dedicated to preserving and promoting the Orthodox faith, the Serbian language, culture, and traditions among Serbian youth; as well as to missionary work with youth of various nationalities who are interested in the Orthodox faith and/or Serbian culture, tradition, and language.
SPOH members therefore include Serbs, Dutch people, and individuals of various other nationalities. Due to the authentic Serbian Orthodox culture of hospitality and the strong desire to preserve the Serbian language and Cyrillic script, all communication within SPOH is conducted in three languages: Serbian, Dutch, and English.
The organizational structure of SPOH is such that all activities take place with the blessing of the bishop and the parish priests, as well as the priest responsible for youth ministry. The organization has a Board of Directors that coordinates all activities. In addition to the board, there are teams or individuals responsible for specific activities (such as the travel organizer, children’s camp team, social media team, etc.), and each parish also has a youth leader who acts as a link between the local youth, the parish priest, and the SPOH headquarters.

History

The formation of SPOH

The Serbian Orthodox Youth of the Netherlands (hereafter SPOH) was founded following a pilgrimage to Romania on the feast of Saint Petka, on October 27, 2022.
A group of 12 pilgrims (11 youth and 1 priest) from various Serbian Orthodox Church parishes in the Netherlands, with the blessing of Bishop Justin, traveled to Iași to venerate the relics of Saint Mother Paraskeva and celebrate her feast day (according to the Julian calendar).

During the pilgrimage, they met with Romanian Orthodox youth from Iași and visited many holy sites together, not only in Iași but throughout the Moldavian region. The Romanian youth and their spiritual father, Father Nikodim, introduced the Serbian pilgrims to their youth organization and its activities. This encounter inspired the idea to establish SPOH in the Netherlands. From that moment on, SPOH has followed the blessing of Saint Mother Paraskeva, who became its patroness and spiritual protector. The Romanian youth were invited to visit Serbian parishes in the Netherlands to continue this beautiful friendship.
After returning to the Netherlands, Miss Jelena Vitković, who showed great initiative and enthusiasm for youth work, began gathering more young people. During the parish feast of Saint Simeon the Myrrh-Gusher in Utrecht on February 26, 2023, with many youth present from all over the country, the idea of founding SPOH was presented to Bishop Justin. He warmly approved it and gave his blessing for the official establishment of the organization, which would function across the Serbian Orthodox Church parishes in the Netherlands, with its center in Rotterdam.
Jelena Vitković became the first president, and Father Krsto Stanišić became the spiritual father of SPOH.
With great enthusiasm, SPOH began organizing youth gatherings, lectures, and parish visits, and its membership grew rapidly. Soon after, a group of seven Romanian Orthodox youth paid a return visit to the Netherlands and participated in the first Serbian Orthodox children’s camp, organized by SPOH on May 20–21, 2023, sharing their 30 years of experience in organizing children’s camps.
This visit was a turning point in SPOH’s development, and the organization of children’s camps became one of its most important and recognizable activities.
SPOH also began organizing pilgrimages abroad, creating connections with Orthodox youth from other countries. For example, a group visited the Polish Orthodox Church and attended a youth gathering at the Suprasl Monastery in eastern Poland. They also visited the New Gračanica Monastery in Illinois, near Chicago (USA), where SPOH youth took part in a Serbian Orthodox youth camp and established strong ties with the local youth.
Going forward, SPOH continues to organize fellowship events, lectures, sports activities, children’s camps, and also hosts students from the Faculty of Orthodox Theology in Belgrade.

Activities

From social gatherings to pilgrimages, discover everything SPOH organizes

Socializing

Monthly BBQs, sports competitions, and friendly activities throughout the Netherlands

Travel

Pilgrimages to France, Germany, Poland, Romania, America, and other countries

Religious education

Lectures on important topics and catechesis for youth

Music

Translation and production of Serbian spiritual music for spreading the faith, with Gusle as primary example; The traditional instrument of epic storytelling and historical preservation

Children's camp

Annual Serbian Orthodox camp for children aged 7 to 16

Calendar

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Press releases