Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia welcomed more than 400 participants in the “Serbia Is Calling You” sports camp at the Church of Saint Sava in Vračar on August 8, 2026.
Alongside children from Serbian enclaves in Kosovo and Metohija and neighboring countries, this year’s camp brought together talented young athletes from the Serbian diaspora in the United States, Australia, Sweden, Italy, Germany, France, and Greece.
During the first ten days of August, prominent Serbian athletes and coaches worked with the participants in basketball, volleyball, tennis, handball, and football. The initiative was supported by the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, the Ministry of Sport, and the Directorate for Cooperation with the Diaspora and Serbs in the Region, under the patronage of the President of Serbia.
Patriarch Porfirije expressed his joy at meeting young athletes from different parts of the world, noting that he was particularly pleased to welcome the children from Kosovo and Metohija.
“There is no better place for us Orthodox Serbs to gather than the Church of Saint Sava, the votive church of all Serbs,” the Patriarch said.
He emphasized that, through prayer, the faithful can understand who they are, where they come from, and who their ancestors were. He encouraged the young participants to preserve what they had inherited from previous generations and to make Saint Sava a living presence in their lives.
Referring to Saint Sava’s example, Patriarch Porfirije stressed that every person needs two essential forms of love: love for God and love for one’s neighbor.
“Saint Sava, precisely because he was a man of prayer, was also a man of love. And because he was a man of Christ, he was also a man of his people,” he said.
The Patriarch explained that Christian love is “cruciform,” embracing both God and one’s fellow human beings.
“There is no stronger or greater weapon than love. Love conquers everything; we need only remain steadfast and persistent. Yet, however wonderful, beautiful, and sweet it may be, love requires sacrifice,” he underlined.
Addressing the young people from the diaspora, the Patriarch said that, by coming to Belgrade and the Church of Saint Sava, they had returned to their own home, regardless of where they lived.
“You have come to be filled with love, to get to know one another, spend time together, and exchange experiences. Wherever you may live and however far apart you may be geographically, we share one faith and have Saint Sava in common,” he said.
He added that, despite their differences, they were united not merely as friends but as true brothers and sisters.
Concluding his address, Patriarch Porfirije highlighted the contribution of sport to both physical and spiritual development.
“Sport trains the body, but it also cultivates the soul,” he said, urging the participants to exercise themselves first in spirituality, virtue, and integrity and then to train their bodies.
“To have a healthy inner life means to live in love,” the Patriarch stressed, before assuring the young athletes of his prayers for them, their families, and the countries in which they live.
“May God bless you all,” he concluded.
The sixth international sports and educational camp “Serbia Is Calling You,” organized by the Sportstars Sports Association, is being held in Belgrade from August 1 to 11.
Alongside two daily training sessions, participants attend Serbian-language classes and workshops introducing them to the history, traditions, and cultural heritage of the Serbian people.
Since its establishment, the camp has welcomed more than 1,500 children from dozens of countries, becoming one of the most significant initiatives dedicated to preserving Serbian national identity.
Source: Serbian Orthodox Church
