About ITO 2019

In the past six years, several dioceses within the Romanian Patriarchate have organized the International Meeting of Orthodox Youth (with the Romanian acronym ITO). The sons and daughters of the Church shared the joy of brotherly communion in Baia Mare (2014), Cluj (2015), Bucharest (2016), Iasi (2017) and Sibiu (2018). This year, with the blessing of His Beatitude Daniel, the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church and under the patronage of His Eminence Irineu, the Archbishop of Craiova and Metropolitan of Oltenia, ITO is to take place in the Bans’ Citadel, from September 5th to 8th 2019.

More than 4000 Orthodox young people, who are to attend the activities organized in Craiova, will be the representatives of each and every diocese within the Romanian Patriarchate as well as the representatives of the Orthodox communities of: Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, Greece, Serbia, Albania, Macedonia, Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Turkey, India etc.

This year’s meeting, under the motto: “We are all one Chalice! Faith, Hope and Love”, aims at offering the chance to participants to get to know each other better and also promote those elements related to the religious and cultural identity of the people living in Oltenia area. The message that young people are to further disseminate lies in the feeling of unity, fraternity, communion and all these reunited for the work towards a better future shaped by “faith, hope and love”.

 

Organizers

The Archdiocese of Craiova – Education, catechism and youth activities Department

Craiova Archdiocese’ care and concern for the work with young people has so far resulted into a countless number of activities carried out by “The Education, Catechism and Youth Activities Department”. Dating since 2008 in its present way of functioning, with the blessing of His Eminence, Metropolitan Irineu, this department is one of those existing within Craiova Archdiocese Culture Field. Except the responsibility of coordinating and supervising  catechetical activity in parishes, “The Education, Catechism and Youth Activities Department” organizes a yearly Orthodox Youth Congress of the Oltenia Metropolitan Church with the blessing of  His Eminence Irineu.

>>> Brief History of the Archdiocese of Craiova <<<

Partners:

 

Participants

Participants – more than 4000 national and foreign young people

The event is going to be attended by a great number of national and foreign young (Romanian Diaspora, Sister Orthodox Churches).

Each diocese invited to send its representatives to the event will be responsible for selecting the participants. Also, each group of 40 participants will have a person in charge, accompanied by 4 assistants (one assistant for every 10 young participants group).

Young people’s selection will be carried out according to the following criteria:

  • young Orthodox, boys and girls, aged 16 to 35, responsible for a parish’s youth activity, at least 2 year experience in parish structures;
  • young people aged 16-18 (up to 20% of the total group) will be selected only with the parents’ written consent;
  • active young people within Christian-Orthodox youth associations;
  • theology and seminary students (no more than 10% of the total group);
  • teachers teaching high school / college, aged 35 or less.

In addition to their own people in charge, each delegation will have a group leader (priest) and a group attendant (a volunteer) from the organizing team.

Volunteers

A key role in organizing such a great event is always that of the volunteers. Their role is essential throughout the whole time of the meeting. In this respect, following the experience and example of previous years, ITO 2019 – Craiova will benefit from the implication of some well-trained and experienced young people, who will efficiently offer support for the unfold of the activities scheduled. Thus, more than 300 volunteers are to be involved according to the following profiles:

  • Facilitator-moderator volunteers
  • Logistics volunteers
  • Socio-cultural animator volunteers

Except being characterized by a real desire for help and involvement, the ITO 2019 must also prove a spirit of: seriousness, teamwork, social skills, organizational skills, responsibility.

Contact

Mail: contact@ito2019.ro

Secretariat:  Marcu Doru

 +40762015816

PR: Pr. dr. Ioniţă Apostolache +40754035906