St. George’s, Grenada, March 13, 2019
Photo: eadiocese.org
A priest of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) traveled to the Caribbean island nation of Grenada last month to the minister to the Orthodox faithful there, who have never had a parish.
Archpriest Peter Jackson, the dean of the Spanish Missions Deanery, visited Grenada from February 5 to 11. The nation of 100,000 people has about 100 Syrian, Greek, Russian, and Ukrainian Orthodox Christians, reports the site of the Eastern American Diocese of ROCOR.
The first Orthodox Christians arrived in Grenada in 1970 from Syria, and since then there has never been a parish, though the mission there hopes to open a parish in the coming months under the Eastern American Diocese of ROCOR.
Photo: eadiocese.org During his trip, Fr. Peter celebrated a wedding, received 9 people into the Orthodox Church, and on February 9 and 10, he served the All-Night Vigil and the Divine Liturgy. He also celebrated many house blessings and blessing of businesses.
The mission in Grenada was originally started by Fr. George Maximov, who has baptized thousands into the Orthodox Church around the world, when he made a trip to the Caribbean last summer to determine where missions should be started. Fr. George was also part of the team that recently baptized 350 people into the Orthodox Church in India.
The mission is now headed by Reader Alexei Sitalo, a graduate of Kolomna Seminary who is now working on his post-graduate thesis with the Moscow Theological Academy.
Reader Alexei currently holds reader services with the help of the local faithful and Dr. Ian Murray, a professor at the medical school who has been living in Grenada for four years.
Another priest, Fr. Cassian Sibley, is planning to visit Grenada in the coming months as well.
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