Le Lamentin, Martinique, June 6, 2023
Photo: archeveche.eu
From April 27 to May 2, His Eminence Metropolitan John of Dubna made his first pastoral visit to Martinique, an island of the French West Indies in the Caribbean Sea.
Met. John, the head of the Paris-based Archdiocese of Orthodox Churches of Russian Tradition in Western Europe, was greeted at the airport by Fr. Menas, Matushka Théophanie, and a dozen faithful from the Church of the It Is Truly Meet Icon of the Mother of God in the city of Le Lamentin, the Archdiocese reports.
Fr. Menas was ordained by Met. John on May 8, 2022, and sent to found the parish on Martinique.
After the Metropolitan’s arrival, the delegation then went to the parish, where His Eminence was warmly received by a hundred parishioners and friends of the church. He venerated the icons to the singing of the Paschal troparion.
Photo: archeveche.eu
Met. John celebrated a Paraklesis and Akathist to the Mother of God followed by the blessing of waters on Friday, April 28, Great Vespers and Compline on Saturday, and the Divine Liturgy for the Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women.
“A hundred people were squeezed into the chapel and the little courtyard outside. Everything in order, devotion and piety in difficult conditions and unbearable heat.”
A banquet was then held in honor of Met. John.
On Monday, May 1, His Eminence was taken on a sightseeing tour of the island, with an icon of the Mother of God.
Photo: archeveche.eu
The Metropolitan appeared twice on Fr. Menas’ Orthodoxy program on Zouk TV, which were viewed by more than 100,000 people. According to the feedback received by Fr. Menas, many Martinicans were impressed by the humility of Met. John.
Watch the French-language broadcast from April 30:
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