VISION TEAM BRINGS SIGHT TO CLINIC

Of the many miracles that Jesus performed, surely the healing of the man born blind ranks among the greatest. According to St. John Chrysostom’s interpretation, the man’s eyes were literally created with mud moistened by Jesus’s saliva and opened by washing them in the Pool of Siloam. While modern … [Read more...]

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A GUATEMALAN PRIEST

     What’s it like to be an itinerant priest in Guatemalan, visiting your many parishes on a bi-monthly basis? With so much to do and so little time for hearing confessions, performing weddings and baptisms and celebrating the Divine Liturgy, there is both a sense of “great joy and great sorrow,” … [Read more...]

WITH THE FAITH OF ANGELS A CHURCH IS BUILT

Solomon, I have outdone thee,” were the words spoken by Justinian the Great in the 6th century as he beheld the awe-inspiring beauty of his newly rebuilt cathedral of the Holy Wisdom of God- St. Sophia in Constantinople. Since that time, Orthodox Christian churches have endeavored to replicate … [Read more...]

THE FOOTSTEPS OF JESUS IN GUATEMALA

From the Saturday of Lazarus to the celebration of Pascha, we walked in Jesus’ footsteps in and through the humble village of Aguacate. Through our Orthodox Holy Week rituals the Mayan faithful felt the power of Christ’s passion, transforming the familiar ground upon which they walked into their own … [Read more...]

TOUCHING HEAVEN IN GUAXACANA

One of the joys in visiting a parish in Guatemala is the warm welcome given to the visiting clergy. Such was the case upon our arrival at the village of Guaxacana (wa-sha-ca-na) on January 28th. Not only was the Orthodox community celebrating the 14th  anniversary of its founding, but also the … [Read more...]

MIRACLE IN THE JUNGLE: A FAITH REBORN, A VISION FULFILLED

On May 28, 2012, Fr. Andres Giron and I made an historic visit to the humble village of Los Angeles in the region of Ixcan. It would be the first time that Fr. Andres would meet with them on their spiritual journey to the Orthodox Church. To celebrate this special occasion, some of the village men … [Read more...]

NEW VIDEO UPDATE ON CLINIC

Archbishop Athenagoras of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Mexico, motivated by his pastoral concern and deep love for the Mayan people, initiated the construction of the FATHER ANDRES GIRON CLINIC in the remote village of Aguacate, Guatemala. Now after two years of compassionate medical outreach … [Read more...]

HOLY CROSS PARISH MEDICAL/DENTAL TEAM OFFERS CARE IN GUATEMALA

Four years ago, the first OCMC mission team to visit the Mayan Orthodox Christians in the highlands of Guatemala elicited this poignant response from the late Fr. Andres Giron: “Now we know that we are not alone.” Since that time many teams have arrived offering their musical, catechetical, medical, … [Read more...]

FINDING PARADISE IN THE MISSION FIELD

What is the happiness that God calls us to?  Can we find paradise on earth?  Serving now as I do in the fertile mission field of Guatemala, I often experience privileged moments of spiritual joy in the humblest of settings.  My first such mission epiphany occurred in Tanzania upon my arrival some … [Read more...]

PALM SUNDAY COMES ALIVE IN AGUACATE

  Palm Sunday was a new and very moving experience for me among the Mayan faithful. Of course, the church was packed as usual, but they raise the celebration to a new level with their love of processions and the enormous sizes of the palm crosses, which they wave joyously to the … [Read more...]