Guayaquil, Ecuador, November 18, 2022
Photo: iglesiaortodoxaserbiasca.org
On Sunday, November 13, an Orthodox church was consecrated for the first time in Ecuador by the Serbian hierarch over Central and South America.
The building where the Church of the Annunciation is located was purchased with funds allocated by His Eminence Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro of blessed memory, the Serbian Diocese reports.
The parish community is the oldest in Ecuador, founded on December 12, 1981, at that time under the Antiochian Patriarchate. It came under the Serbian Patriarchate in 2012.
His Grace Bishop Kirilo of Buenos Aires and Central and South America was joined at the church in Guayaquil by local and visiting Serbian clergy, and Archpriest Danilo from the Romanian Patriarchate.
Photo: iglesiaortodoxaserbiasca.org
During the Liturgy, Deacon Vailij was ordained to the priesthood, and Bp. Kirilo chrismated seven people who were baptized by Archimandrite Raphael (Chepernich).
Photo: iglesiaortodoxaserbiasca.org
The relics of five holy martyrs were placed into the newly consecrated altar table: St. Tryphon, St. Stanko of Ostrog, St. Candidus, St. Ursula, and St. Barbara.
“This is a very big event for Guayaquil and for all of Ecuador, since for the first time in this country a canonical Orthodox church was consecrated,” the diocese writes.
After the Liturgy, Fr. Danilo from the Romanian Patriarchate presented Bp. Kirilo and Fr. Raphael an icon of Christ the Savior and several books about the parishes of the Romanian Patriarchate in North and South America.
Photo: iglesiaortodoxaserbiasca.org
Everyone then partook of an agape meal.
Orthodoxy is also represented in Ecuador by the Patriarchates of Moscow and Constantinople.
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