MERCER, PA -- On Friday, October 7, 2011, a groundbreaking ceremony was celebrated at the Camp Nazareth for the construction of an addition to the Camp Director's residence. Very Reverend Protopresbyter Kenneth Bachofsky, Camp Overseer, presided at the brief prayer service on behalf of the Diocese. Very Reverend Stephen Loposky, Camp Nazareth Administrator, together with Pani Daria Loposky and their children, Samuel, Joshua, Nicholas and Anna, joined Fr. Ken for the service.

The prayers of the service reminded those present that "Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain" taken from the line in the Psalms that we are familiar with hearing during the beautiful Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts. Though brief, the service began the residence addition project in the right way, calling upon God to bless this endeavor.

It was touching to hear and see the Loposky family sing the responses during the prayers, and then to also see each have a chance to overturn the ground with the ceremonial shovel. The ground upon which the addition will be built has now been blessed. The prayer is that in everything at Camp the foundation on which we build would be Christ Himself.

The project itself will roughly double the size of the existing residence. Originally the residence was to house a caretaker for the Camp property and was constructed as an apartment. It has been home to 6 different directors and their families since that time. The Diocesan Consistory and Trustees, together with +His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas now of blessed memory, recognized that this addition project was long overdue and began the preliminary work on it about a year ago. Now the ground is ready to be excavated. It is an exciting time at Camp. Diocesan faithful will be able to see the project as it progresses by looking at pictures of it on our Diocesan and Camp websites. Diocesan faithful are also asked to pray that God would bless this endeavor and those involved in it.

Photos detailing the progress of the renovation will be posted regularly. 

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