Sosúa, Dominican Republic, February 6, 2026
Photo: eadiocese.org
His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America and New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, made a pastoral visit to the mission parish of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in Sosúa, Dominican Republic over the weekend.
The parish was founded in 2008 by Fr. Rafael Martinez-Gonzalez in Puerto Plata before relocating to Sosúa in 2020, where it currently operates in a rented facility, reports the Eastern American Diocese of ROCOR.
The community serves Russian-speaking immigrants from former Soviet republics, Dominican converts, and members of the Russian-Dominican Center for Science and Culture, many of whom studied in Russia and maintain connections to Russian language and culture.
Met. Nicholas, accompanied by Archpriest George Zelenin and Protodeacon Andrei Logvinenko of St. Michael Church in Wayne, New Jersey, was greeted at Puerto Plata airport by Fr. Rafael, church warden Sergei Nikulin, and parishioners, along with ROCOR clergy from Puerto Rico: Archpriest Gregorio and Hieromonk Daniel (Justiniano).
Photo: eadiocese.org
At Saturday Vespers, the Metropolitan consecrated a new set of liturgical vessels donated by Deacon Nicholas Ilyin and his wife Nadine of Holy Virgin Protection Church in Nyack, New York. His Eminence also presented liturgical books, akathists, and icons to the parish.
During Sunday’s Divine Liturgy, Maximos López of Puerto Rico and Serafín Núñez of the Dominican Republic were tonsured as readers for missionary communities in Latin America. Fr. Rafael was awarded the gold pectoral cross and elevated to the rank of archpriest in recognition of his missionary work.
Metropolitan Nicholas and the visiting clergy also viewed neighboring property that the parish is considering purchasing to support its development.
OrthoChristian previously reported on the consecration of another ROCOR church in Bávaro, Dominican Republic, and on the construction of a Serbian church in Punta Cana, and on Romanian missionary work in Santo Domingo, reflecting the growing Orthodox presence in the Caribbean nation.
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