At all the important moments in Her history, the Orthodox Christian Church has benefited and flourished through the devotion and witness of Her entire membership - Clergy and faithful, and especially Her youth.  As in ancient times, so it was and is today in Romania, when Christ's Orthodox Church is persecuted by forces of atheism.  So it is also today, when North America's youth are called to be faithful to God and resist the pressures of materialistic and non-Orthodox practices and teachings.

In this very real sense, A.R.O.Y. is not some exclusive "Club;" instead, the young people of The Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America are the "American Romanian Orthodox Youth," working together under the blessing of their Archbishop, with the support of their parishes and the prayers of their families.  "A.R.O.Y." is more of a description than an organizational name.  With this unity and vocation in mind, every parish under the jurisdiction of The Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America shall take steps and make every effort to incorporate the parish's young people into an A.R.O.Y. chapter.  The chapters shall function under the jurisdiction of the respective parish or parishes, and shall be governed by their By-laws, adopted by the A.R.O.Y. Conference and approved by the Episcopate.

GENERAL PURPOSE

• To function as an auxiliary organization of The Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America.

• To become learned in, to practice and to promote the Orthodox Christian Faith.

• To promote fellowship and initiate common programs among all the youth of the Episcopate.

• To dedicate itself to the consolidation of the unity of the Orthodox Church in America.

CHAPTER PURPOSES

• To unite all the youth of the parish in a common effort for mutual encouragement, for maintaining, strengthening and propagating the Holy Orthodox Faith.

• To aid and support the parish in all its actions and programs.

• To seek and maintain active membership in The American Romanian Orthodox Youth organization.

• To initiate programs for the youth of the parish and to support those programs initiated by A.R.O.Y. and the Episcopate.

• To promote cooperation and love among the youth of the Church, to promote inter-Orthodox fellowship, common programs, and common witness to the non-Orthodox community.

Beginning in the 1930’s, efforts began to organize the young people of our parishes into a viable arm of the Church.  This was not only to help the Church itself, but to provide the youth with a place that could become their own as the first generation of American-born Romanian Orthodox Christians.  The leaders of The Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America saw the importance of addressing the reality that in a land and culture that was so different from “the old country”, the young people were to be a great strength, but in order for that strength to be realized, steps needed to be taken to solidify and unify that generation.

In major cities and parishes, especially Detroit, several youth organizations were manifested themselves in those years and preceded the organization we know today.  These groups remained localized, in part because the diocese itself was only a few years old and still struggling to organize.

However, in 1949, a directive came from the Episcopate Congress that over the next year a formal organization would be developed and incorporated into the Episcopate.  Just as the ladies auxiliaries had united as A.R.F.O.R.A. (The Association of Romanian Orthodox Ladies Auxiliaries of North America) several years prior, so too would the youth of the Church have a group of their own.  On September 30, 1950, delegates and clergy assembled in Cleveland, Ohio, and following the celebration of the Divine Liturgy at St. Mary Church, formally called the first convention of The American Romanian Orthodox Youth to order.

The first President of A.R.O.Y., John Limbeson (later Rev. Fr. John Limbeson) with his boards, did much to organize and stabilize the efforts of the organization.  The formative years were progressive and at the same time difficult.  Many obstacles were presented, and in time overcome, and the young new arm of the Episcopate began to grow and flourish.

The arrival and election of a new Bishop, Valerian (formerly Viorel) Trifa, in 1951 proved to be an invaluable strengthening for especially the youth of the Episcopate.  Bishop VALERIAN rallied the young people through A.R.O.Y. and as Vatra Românească was developed as the center of the Episcopate, His Grace always kept A.R.O.Y. at the forefront of importance.  Publications in English, in addition to those in Romanian opened a new door of knowledge and understanding to the younger generations, who, although in many cases still understood the Romanian language, were more comfortable in English, as that was the language they used in their everyday life.  Making the Vatra a home for the young people in particular helped draw generations of youth closer to their Church through the Vatra and the Bishop.

Through the dedication of the successive National Presidents and Boards over the years, A.R.O.Y. grew and thousands of young people, and later their families and children benefited from the ideals and programs that the national organization worked hard to provide.  Locally, where the chapters and members saw most of their activity, the parishes that made the youth and A.R.O.Y. a priority also saw great benefit and gain.  Many parish choirs and church schools were organized through the efforts of A.R.O.Y. chapters and members.  The leaders of tomorrow were being fostered through their organization, with the help of their priest, parishioners and families.

In the 1980’s, with the election of His Grace, Bishop NATHANIEL, A.R.O.Y. continued on its path of service and dedication to the Episcopate.  Among other projects, the St. Simeon Student Dormitory on the grounds of the Vatra was built through the fundraising and organizational efforts of National A.R.O.Y.

Struggles continued to present themselves, especially with the pressures of American society and the opportunities (and temptations) that it afforded the youth.  The new generation of A.R.O.Y. was gradually becoming younger and younger and new challenges faced the now established organization.  In addition, the increasing numbers of Romanian immigrants to North America following the fall of Communism presented the necessity for A.R.O.Y. to essentially take on the role of missionary once again.

During the 1990’s and into the present day, tens of thousands of Romanians continue to settle in the United States and Canada, proving to be a true blessing for the Church here.  The immigration infuses new life into older parishes and new missions across the continent.  His Eminence, Archbishop NATHANIEL now with the assistance of His Grace, Bishop IRINEU have continued their role as shepherds of the Church by reaching out especially to the young people and encouraging A.R.O.Y. to become a stronger presence in all of the nearly 100 parishes and missions of the archdiocese.  The organization is faced with an incredible potential, and at the same time a mission, to share the purposes and need for A.R.O.Y. with these new generations.  In many cases, established second and third generation members are mixing with brothers and sisters in the Faith who have had no exposure to A.R.O.Y.  In other cases, there are entire parishes of young people who have no experience with A.R.O.Y.  The programs and opportunities that the organization affords its members cannot be compared with any of those in the secular world.  As the children grow through the church school years and become more independent, A.R.O.Y. is here for them, just as it has been for nearly 60 years, offering programs and activities in environments that foster life-long friendships and experiences, facilitated through an Orthodox Christian foundation.

Founding Convention of The American Romanian Orthodox Youth September 30, 1950 Cleveland, Ohio		CLICK HERE for a list of past National A.R.O.Y. Presidents CLICK HERE for a list of past National A.R.O.Y. Spiritual Advisors