Source: SUPRASL: A World Fellowship of Orthodox Youth
On the Feast of Theophany (new calendar), in honor of what would have been his 76th birthday, Suprasl: A World Fellowship of Orthodox Youth has established the Fr. John Matusiak Scholarship & Sustainability Fund.
This fund honors the profound legacy of Archpriest John Matusiak – a tireless servant, visionary youth worker, and the founder of the original Suprasl Summer Institute (1994–2002). His life was a testament to the words of St. Paul: “By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain.”
Fr. John’s vision was clear and enduring: to create a permanent, international venue where young Orthodox Christians from every corner of the world could deepen their faith in Christ, be inspired by one another, receive training for ministry and leadership, and build the friendships and networks that would support them for a lifetime.
In 2022, this vision was rekindled with the founding of Suprasl: A World Fellowship of Orthodox Youth. In just a few years, SUPRASL welcomed hundreds of young people from across the globe, continuing Fr. John’s mission to manifest the unity of the Church and raise up a new generation of faithful leaders.
The Purpose of the Fund:
Scholarships: To ensure that no young person called to participate in a Suprasl program is ever turned away due to financial hardship.
Sustainability: To provide a stable foundation for SUPRASL as a permanent venue, supporting essential staff, including a dedicated director and project assistant, to ensure the mission continues with excellence and continuity.
Growth: To expand the training, formation, and outreach programs that make Suprasl a unique engine for Orthodox youth leadership worldwide.
Fr. John saw a need and filled it. He believed that youth must not only be ministered to, but also encouraged, trained, and allowed to minister to others as living expressions of their faith.
Today, we invite you to join us in making this vision permanent. Help us ensure that the work he began – which has touched thousands of lives across continents – continues to grow, thrive, and bear fruit for the Kingdom of God.
We invite you to watch the video below, the testimony of one of those young people Fr John inspired.
Donate today and become a foundational supporter of the Fr. John Matusiak Scholarship & Sustainability Fund.
Donate Online: www.suprasl.org/matusiakfund
By Check – Mail to:
Suprasl: A World Fellowship of Orthodox Youth
5025 321st Ave NE
Cambridge, MN 55008
with memo “Matusiak Fund”
What better way to honor a man dedicated to the youth of the Church than to promote the fellowship he loved so dearly.
With love and gratitude in Christ,
The Suprasl Leadership Team
Over the New Year holiday, 30 students from 13 countries gathered in Supraśl to ring in the New Year at the “centrally located, end of the world”. Celebrating Vigil and the Divine Liturgy throughout the night, while fireworks burst outside, “Blessed is the Kingdom” were the words that started 2026. We invite you to watch the video below to get a feeling for our NYE event.
WHY SUPRASL MATTERS
The international connection that SUPRASL facilitates is unique and connects students to the broader Church in a unique way, not being
experienced anywhere else.
SUPRASL helps us to intentionally identify and cultivate students for future lay and clergy leadership in the local churches.
SUPRASL offers a venue that weaves together the many cultures of Orthodoxy while celebrating the uniqueness of each local Orthodox Church.
SUPRASL, working with the blessing of the Church, works responsibly to put forward one agenda:
the uncovering of the essential unity of the Orthodox Church, and to celebrate that.